Blessed are you, Ramon

		Living the Scriptures  with St. Paul University  Catholic Center  Emily High

"Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours."

When Ramon appeared at our door, the blessed was standing right before us, giving us the opportunity to participate in the Kingdom of God.

Ramon was a daily laborer in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas where I lived with five others for a year. We lived in a downtown area in the proximity of many day laborers who were often without shelter or food or both.

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Feb. 15, 2004) Jer 17:5-8 Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6 1 Cor 15:12, 16-20 Lk 6:17, 20-26

He and others would often come to our door at mealtime asking for a small share. Some, like Ramon, would come inside and eat with us at the table, sharing details of their lives.

We listened to their stories of migrating north to pick crops in various states, stories of family that they once had but now were lost, or stories of humorous interactions they had that day. We admired photographs of family far away.

I learned that this was where God resides, where the kingdom comes most near, where God places special presence and attention. I learned to be more open to the poor, for this is where God calls us to place our hearts no matter from which walk of life we may come.

And just maybe every now and then, the poor may show those of us with more material wealth real trust in the Lord, real love as they forego personal comfort and companionship to better provide for their families.

When Ramon expressed joy, it was of the purest kind, for it never came from material wealth.

Not all days were joyous for those who came to our door. More than one person talked about the violence at the Salvation Army men's shelter, the lack of work for the day, or the lack of pay since some "employers" didn't seem to think this was necessary in return.

	Reflection questions • How do I consider the poor in my daily life and decisions? • What am I attached to that fills up spaces where God could reside?

But trust in God was a part of all days for many. Perhaps because so many material items are lacking among the poor, there is more room for God to reside, for God to be, for God to dwell.

Love resides in the spaces. When there are no spaces, it cannot fit in, fill, and seep into our souls. When material possessions are all around, it distracts from focusing on people, which is where God resides.

Emily High, a member of St. Paul University Catholic Center, works as a nurse at St. Marys Hospital in Madison. She recently returned to Madison after a year as a Jesuit volunteer in McAllen, Texas.

St. Paul's Web site is www.stpaulscc.org

Faith Alive

In a Nutshell Human beings in every culture have developed rituals to express the value they place on people and special events. Rituals connect us to larger realities. As such they are correctives to our dispositions toward excessive self-referencing. A sense of balance is restored. Rituals large and small in home life can remind us of life's purpose and God's presence. Catholic News Service 3211 Fourth St NE Washington DC 20017 202.541.3250 cns@catholicnews.com	Food for Thought   Most families -- maybe all families -- celebrate rituals at home. Families have their own ways of marking birthdays or individual achievements, holidays or holy days, but mark them they do. The rituals of life at home accent the connections among family members and are ways, over time, that each member's value and worth are affirmed. There are good reasons families tend not to omit a valued ritual here and there. From time to time there may be a little grumbling as the burdens of preparing yet another special family occasion are undertaken -- when one such event comes almost on top of another, for example. But families seem instinctively to grasp the importance of their rituals. I personally have witnessed a teen, who was "working overtime" to establish distance between herself and her family, reconnect with the family at the time of an important, annual event in their household. full story   Do the Rituals of Life at Home Really Matter? By Dolores R. Leckey Catholic News Service The 17th-century Anglican priest-poet George Herbert, whose lyrics have enriched the English language for four centuries, held that society's transformation could occur best in the context of corporate worship. The church made visible through daily ritual would affect life beyond the church doors, he believed. To that end, Herbert entered his parish church twice a day for the reading of the Liturgy of the Hours, and parishioners, "including gentlemen," often joined him. Even those in the fields unable to attend this daily worship would let their plow rest when the bell rang for prayers. full story  Pressing Family Rituals Into the Gospel's Service By Marcellino D'Ambrosio Catholic News Service Words alone are inadequate to express lots of things, especially personal messages such as "I love you." So human beings in every culture have developed rituals to express the value they place on people and special events. Take turkey on the dining-room table at Thanksgiving or presents under the tree at Christmas. And then there are birthdays. Even if all partygoers are tone deaf and on the Atkins diet, we sing the silly song and blow out the candles on the carb-laden cake! full story  The Kind of Gifts People Appreciate Most By Daniel S. Mulhall Catholic News Service I've never understood why spending lots of money is considered a measure of how much we love someone. Perhaps I'm just a miser, but I'm always amazed when a gift's cost seems to be equated with a person's love. Don't get me wrong. Some occasions are so important that they deserve an expensive celebration. For me, such events are a 21st birthday, graduation from college, a wedding, a major wedding anniversary. These are times to kill the fatted calf and invite people in from the highways to celebrate with you. full story
	Faith in the Marketplace   This Week's Discussion Point: Share your idea of what a family celebration -- birthday, baptism, graduation, etc. -- should NOT be.     Selected Response From Readers:
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