John Janaro's Blog, page 23

True Wealth is Being Loved By God

The Gospel reading for Sunday, October 13, 2024 challenges us to remember that being loved by Jesus, belonging to Jesus, and following Him are our true wealth. And since the Father has sent Jesus as the gift of His love to bring us to salvation, we must never lose hope. If we allow Him to free us from our illusions of mastery over reality—from all the ways we grasp at things and seek to wrench some sort of (ultimately always inadequate) "happiness" from them—then our arms will be free to adhere to Him every moment, every day, every step on the road to the Kingdom of God. In hope we have confidence in Him for whom all things are possible.
Consider the opinion held by some biblical scholars that this rich man who encounters Jesus and goes away "sad" doesn't necessarily stay away from Him. He remembers Jesus's "look of love" and eventually does become a disciple. In fact, he may be Saint Mark the Evangelist himself, the author of this Gospel, the only one of the evangelists who mentions in this story that "Jesus, looking at him, loved him."
God loves us, and all things are possible to Him. Never give up hope. Trust in Jesus, always.

"As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, 'Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' Jesus answered him, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.'

"He replied and said to him, 'Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.'

"Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, 'You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.' At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

"Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, 'How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!' The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, 'Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.'

"They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, 'Then who can be saved?' Jesus looked at them and said, 'For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God.'"

~Mark 10:17-27

The Simplicity and Courage of Saint John XXIII

Today is the celebration of the saint who was Pope when I was born in 1963. In part, my parents named me “John” in his honor (as well as my grandfather and Saint John the Baptist), so with his canonization in 2014 I acquired “another patron saint.” (My son John Paul and my daughter Teresa similarly acquired “retroactive patrons” when St John Paul II and St “Mother” Teresa of Kolkata were canonized.)

St John XXIII’s celebration is today, not because it is the anniversary of his death, but because on October 11, 1962 he officially opened the Second Vatican Council. His papacy only lasted five years, but it was momentous for the Church and the world. The 1960s saw the rapid emergence of “the new epoch” of unprecedented global interconnectedness and interdependence driven by the gigantic scope of technological power with all its vast possibilities and dangers. This world was (is) more desperately in need of God, but also more enthralled than ever with ideologies of allegedly “scientific” materialism and human self-sufficiency.

John XXIII attributed the idea of the Council to an inspiration of the Holy Spirit after saying Mass on the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, January 25, 1959. In addition to opening the first session of the Council and shaping its fundamental orientation, John XXIII wrote two landmark encyclicals (Mater et Magistra and Pacem in Terris) developing Catholic social teaching in light of worldwide challenges that remain with us today:

“Man is not just a material organism. He consists also of spirit; he is endowed with reason and freedom. He demands, therefore, a moral and religious order; and it is this order—and not considerations of a purely extraneous, material order—which has the greatest validity in the solution of problems relating to his life as an individual and as a member of society, and problems concerning individual states and their inter-relations.

“It has been claimed that in an era of scientific and technical triumphs such as ours man can well afford to rely on his own powers, and construct a very good civilization without God. But the truth is that these very advances in science and technology frequently involve the whole human race in such difficulties as can only be solved in the light of a sincere faith in God, the Creator and Ruler of man and his world.”
~Mater et Magistra 208-209 [May 1961]

My Latest Portrait in Honor of Christina Grimmie

Remembering the astonishing, magnificent, heroic Christina Grimmie after eight years and four months.

Life, Possibility, and Surprise

Flowers in the Fall. Every year I find more of them!
I have been getting out in this beautiful October weather. The days are getting cooler, the sun has been bright, and the air is fresh.
So I made a video with a few reflections on getting old, how it feels peculiar and difficult, but also on the wonder contained in every moment, the sense of abundant experience and also the possibility to grow, to be surprised, to discover more and more that — whatever the circumstances we face — life deep down yearns to say “yes” and to express gratitude.
Here’s the VLOG:

Prayer and Fasting for Peace

“On this day, I have urged everyone to observe a day of prayer and fasting. Prayer and fasting are the weapons of love that change history, the weapons that defeat our one true enemy: the spirit of evil that foments war, because it is ‘murderous from the beginning’, ‘a liar and the father of lies’ (John 8:44). Please, let us devote time to prayer and rediscover the saving power of fasting!” (Pope Francis).

A Rosary For Peace

This evening, Pope Francis assembled at the ancient Basilica of Saint Mary Major with bishops and others from around the world who are in Rome for the current Synod. They prayed the Rosary for peace, anticipating tomorrow’s feast of Our Lady of the Rosary and also the first anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attack that precipitated the ongoing, terrible war in Gaza. This war continues to rage and has now spread to Lebanon. With the Israeli military fighting Hamas and Hezbollah—proxy forces of Iran—the specter of further escalation and even open war between Israel and Iran is a grave concern. Millions of innocent civilians find themselves in the crosshairs of destructive forces that seem willing to destroy them with indiscriminate and disproportionate means that some say amount to “total war.”

Meanwhile, the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, with Russia occupying a third of Ukraine’s sovereign territory while it continues to push west along the front and rain down bombs daily all across Ukraine, targeting civilian infrastructure so as to break down the Ukrainian people’s access to water, heat, and electricity. The Pope has spoken of his closeness to the people of what he always calls “Martyred Ukraine.”

Francis has invited Catholics, Christians, and all people to observe tomorrow’s feast as a day of prayer and fasting for peace. “Invited” means it’s not obligatory, dear Catholics, but it’s still worth doing and much needed. It’s a plea to the Lord, a work of mercy, and a sign of our solidarity with those who are currently suffering greatly from the evil effects of these wars and others that we never hear about. 

We need miracles in this world that is so dominated by violence. Let’s humble ourselves, make sacrifices, pray and beg the Lord for miracles of grace, forgiveness, reconciliation, and healing. The tenderness of the great heart of Mary reawakens our trust in Jesus who is Lord of these difficult times and of all history.

In today’s Rosary, Francis once again showed his particular devotion to the Mother of Jesus through the ancient icon specially venerated by the people of the city of Rome and know as “Maria Salus Populi Romani.”

Here is a portion of a prayer he addressed to the Mother of God after the Rosary:

Turn your maternal gaze upon the human family, which has lost the joy of peace and the sense of fraternity. Intercede for our world in danger, so that it may cherish life and reject war, care for those who suffer, the poor, the defenseless, the sick, and the afflicted, and protect our Common Home.

We invoke you for the mercy of God, O Queen of Peace! Transform the hearts of those who fuel hatred, silence the din of weapons that generate death, extinguish the violence that brews in the heart of humanity, and inspire projects for peace in the actions of those who govern nations.

O Queen of the Holy Rosary, untie the knots of selfishness and disperse the dark clouds of evil. Fill us with your tenderness, uplift us with your caring hand, and grant us your maternal caress, which makes us hope in the advent of a new humanity where “… the wilderness becomes a garden land and the garden land seems as common as forest. Then judgment will dwell in the wilderness and justice abide in the garden land. The work of justice will be peace…” (Isaiah 32:15-17).

O Mother,  Salus Populi Romani, pray for us!

Saint Francis on Being "Servants" of Everyone

Happy Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi!

"We must be simple, humble and pure. We should never desire to be over others. Instead, we ought to be servants who are submissive to every human being for God’s sake. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on all who live in this way and persevere in it to the end. He will permanently dwell in them. They will be the Father’s children who do his work" (Saint Francis of Assisi).

“I Say I’m Just Fine, But I Don’t Feel Alright on the Inside”

I want to ask for your prayers, in light of recent circumstances.

Yesterday afternoon, I fell in the kitchen. I'm not entirely sure what caused me to fall, but I fell down, full body, on my left side. I immediately got up again and looked myself over. I knew I hadn't broken any bones and I felt no evidence of any strains or sprains. There seemed to be nothing more than just a few bumps and bruises. It wasn't the first time I've fallen, obviously – I have had a broad range of very peculiar mobility problems since the year 2002, but I haven't fallen in quite a while.

I've been very careful. I've been in the process of gradually trying to build up my strength by daily walks, trying to get a stride going. I bring my cane for assistance, but I find that sometimes, when I have a good stride going, I can do alright without it, and I tuck it under my arm. I don't take long walks, but I have been working on trying to strengthen my general mobility. So it was disappointing to fall in the kitchen yesterday. 

However, I felt fine. I should have remembered more clearly that a fall like that could blossom into other symptoms typical of my condition. I have most recently referred to this condition as “Long Lyme,” and indeed– in light of troubling cases of “Long COVID” that have emerged in recent years since the Pandemic– the medical profession in the United States seems more open to researching whether there might be enduring physical causes of what some have called “post-Lyme-syndrome.” There is, of course, lots of research showing that borrelia bacteria can remain in the body, and that they have their own protective mechanisms for evading the immune systems of at least some people. Then, of course, there is the fact that for years and years a significant percentage of Lyme patients have consistently complained about recurring and sometimes debilitating symptoms even after completing the standard course of antibiotic treatment.

But I digress. Let me return to “the fall.”

I should have taken it very easy (physically and mentally) for the remainder of the day. But instead, I “shook it all off” and continued with my day, mostly doing work in a sedentary position or laying on my bed surrounded by books and my usual gadgets. And then, at around six o'clock in the evening, I decided to go out for my walk. I had not noticed significant pain in any part of my body– by which I mean “no new pain”; just the same old, same old pain. 

And I am very much accustomed to pushing through pain, the normal kind of pain that comes from whatever residual abnormal factors remain from my health condition or have gradually arisen and increased with age.  So I'm used to “pushing myself through” these usual aches and tiredness. I walked, took a long walk, and pushed myself. I knew I was pushing myself, and I wanted to push myself. Usually, it's worth it.

But at the end, as I approached my house and began to slow down, I began to realize that I had pushed myself too far. Nevertheless, I still had things to do. I continued to slow down in order to regain balance in my body, and I drank plenty of water in order to make sure I was well-hydrated. 

Then I had a meeting on Zoom. During that meeting, I was sitting and feeling very, very uncomfortable. I was beginning to feel pain all through my body, but especially in the left thigh. Maybe I’d sprained something. But also, maybe I’d started to “relapse.” This is how it happens, pain comes rolling down your body “like an avalanche,” as Avril Lavigne –the famous singer-songwriter “pop-punk-princess” and fellow Lyme sufferer –describes it in another of her poignant and compelling songs (“Avalanche”). This song dispenses with the unnecessary “emphatic-profanity” that Avril has used in too many of her songs since her third album (sorry, Avril, but it's too much, and it just projects vulgarity and anxiety –not the “tough-rock-chick” …ah, but this is another story for another time).

The pain was still predominantly in my leg. It was not the kind of pain that was going to make life unbearable. But it was enough pain to make me have a new source of discomfort. The fact is that I'm not very good at handling pain. I don't like pain, obviously. Who does? I am not very good at handling pain, especially acute localized pain.

I've had to slowly sort of manage the aches that are customary in my life and learn how to deal with them using various different “tricks”: Deep breathing and slow movement exercises (not Yoga or any particular system). Careful stretching and making sure I move around all through the day, taking Tylenol when I need it (in measured quantities) and some key supplements, as well as some of my other medications, which are also good for pain management. There is one firm rule: No Opioids Allowed! I had lots of those in the early 2000s, but when they had to raise the doses, I developed intolerable “side-effects” and had to stop them. Thus I was saved from the “Opioid Crisis” that the pharmaceutical industry recklessly foisted on my country’s population near the beginning of the 21st century. Dealing with the “side-effects” was wretched, but it took me out of the opioid-prescription-circus long before it spiraled out of control and caused so much suffering. I don’t know how it would have turned out for me, but I thank God that I was removed from that dangerous model of pain management. I would have been too weak and too stupid to handle it on my own.

But back to my present story of falling in my kitchen, and straining my left leg by trying to “walk it off,” and the concerns I have at present.

Last night it was difficult to find a position to sleep (or, I should say, it was more difficult than usual, for more precise reasons). Blah! There was a new and troubling experience of pain in my legs, primarily in my left upper thigh. It felt like a stretch pain, like I had stretched or strained a muscle, with maybe some interior bruising. (Meanwhile, the “avalanche” was rumbling —musculoskeletal pain was rising in both legs, the back, and both shoulders.)

Why would anybody want to analyze a strain on a blog post? It's kind of funny in a way, because it's like, okay, I stretched that muscle a little too much, and I got a strain. I have compresses, I have magnesium, vitamin C, etc. etc. But when you have “Long Lyme” disease, you can't ever just take it for granted that a strain is a strain, a fall is a fall, and that's it. You have to pay attention to how things are going over the course of the next week or two to see if other parts of your body are starting to act “strangely.”

Very few people understand what this is like—this up-and-down disease combined with all my other problems, my OCD and depression. I felt like I was recuperating from the difficulties of the summer. Now I’ve got to start over. Other people express sympathy, but it’s only natural for them to think, “it can’t be that bad; he looks fine.” I’ve been dealing with this for over 20 years. What use is there in bothering other people about it? I get why Avril sings: “ask about me, I’m quick to change the subject” or “I say that I’m just fine, but I don’t feel alright on the inside…”

So it's back to bed rest again (mostly laying on my right side), and trying to take shelter from any “avalanches” of pain. I hope I don't find myself singing, “I think I'm running from an avalanche, I think I'm running from an avalanche, I think I'm running from an avalanche…”

“Whoa-ho-ho, whoa-ho-”… NO!

Happy Feast of the Guardian Angels

Happy Feast of the Guardian Angels.⭐️ Thanks to my guardian angel (always working “overtime”) and the angels of my family members for all your care, which is greater than we realize.🙂

Saint Thérèse: Trust Brings Us to Love

"C’est la confiance et rien que la confiance qui doit nous conduire à l’Amour" (Saint Thérèse of Lisieux).

"It is trust that brings us to love and thus sets us free from fear. It is trust that helps us to stop looking to ourselves and enables us to put into God’s hands what he alone can accomplish. Doing so provides us with an immense source of love and energy for seeking the good of our brothers and sisters. And so, amid the suffering of her last days, Therese was able to say: 'I count only on love.' In the end, only love counts. Trust makes roses blossom and pours them forth as an overflow of the superabundance of God’s love. Let us ask, then, for such trust as a free and precious gift of grace, so that the paths of the Gospel may open up in our lives" (Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation C'est La Confiance 45 [October 2023]).