Better to light one candle than to curse the darkness!
Fifteen years ago I began this site by naming it: “Resurrecting Chicago.” Since then, this blog has become the posting ground for all kinds of essays and reflections but I hope I haven’t made you lose sight of the urgency of its name. I am a Resurrectionist and along with my brother Resurrectionists, I try to bring the light of hope to my little part of the Kingdom of God, centered around Chicago.
In a few weeks, the members of my religious community, the USA province of the Congregation of the Resurrection, will gather in Darien, Il just outside of Chicago to renew our sense of brotherhood and to take stock of our mission.
We will begin with prayer, followed by our provincial superior who reads us the state of the province report. It includes how we are doing these days, who has died, which apostolates we are leaving, where we go next and what the rest of the CRs in the world are doing. But, maybe the most important event won’t be this address but the gathering itself of the religious community which was originally named “The Brothers of the Resurrection.”
What attracted
me originally to the Resurrection community was the enthusiasm and the happiness that I saw among the men who formed the Resurrection community that taught me at Weber High School in Chicago.
Living in that spirit makes for a hopeful outlook, no matter what the present conditions are. That sense of hope, and a kind of easy joy still motivate us who serve the Church in the spirit of the Resurrected Christ.
Our take on the Gospel? We teach two principles: First: That Jesus asks us to die to our own selves and rise a new person in Him. That means carrying our cross daily and letting the light of the resurrection shine in our lives. Second: we minister to build and raise up the Kingdom of God in whatever ministry we are blessed to serve. We call it “resurrecting society.”
We are asking you who are reading this to pray for us. Beg the Lord to give us direction, healing for those who need it and courage to live out our vows. Yes, we are diminished. We have fewer members and many are old but, we are still here. Still ministering. Still resurrecting!
Jerry, you have an excellent way of painting a picture with words. However, I remember you as a Biologist attempting to slow down the recorded songs of birds in St Louis. You would tell me that birds have regional songs and then you would try to mimick that song.
I often sit on my back porch in Elgin and as I look out over a field about the size of several football fields, I listen to the birds. I can use the Merlin Bird id app from the Cornell Lab and will listen to the bird sounds, record them, and identify them. Some days it identifies as many as 8 varieties of birds.
When the wind is from the east, airplanes headed for OHare fly from the west to the east over my back yard. I can use the FlightRadar24 app and get information about the plane, the flight, the origin, etc. That’s Physics.
Hi Gene!
So good to hear from you after all these years.
Like you, in the morning I sit out on my porch and listen for the sounds of birds. I, too, have Cornell university’s app. This morning singing loudly from the top of an old chokecherry bush across the street was one of my favorite singers: a house finch. Robins sing sweeter but it’s hard to beat the musical excitement of that finch.
Two of my sisters live in separate house in South Elgin so I am familiar with the area. I live in Morris, IL and help out when I can at the local Catholic Church.
I hope you are doing well!
Thanks for reading and commenting on my blog!
Blessings!
Jerry