by Howard Hain
Rembrandt, “Philosopher in Meditation”, 1632, (Musée du Louvre)
Dream big.
Think small.
Step by step.
Real growth is incremental.
Reaching toward a glory beyond our reckoning.
Walking Into Heaven
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Tag Archives: Holy Spirit
Saint Francis for 4-year-olds (and you and me)
by Howard Hain
“Saint Francis of Assisi”, coloring book page, colored by a “4-year-old”
.(My wife teaches 4-year-olds in a Catholic elementary school. The school’s patron saint is Saint Francis. They call this week “Saint Francis Week” and hold various events throughout the week to celebrate the feast of this great saint (Oct. 4th). My wife and her co-teacher were looking for a short, simple biography that would be appropriate for their 4-year-old students. They didn’t find anything that seemed to be the right fit. So here’s what I jotted down for their pre-K-4 class. The kids really seemed to enjoy it. Maybe you will too. Let us “become like little children”.)
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Saint Francis, a Knight for God
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There once was a young man. He lived in a land called Italy. He lived a very long time ago. He lived over 800 hundred years ago!
He lived with his family in a small city named Assisi.
The young man was quite silly. He loved to dream and he loved to sing and he loved to dance. He loved to play with his friends all day long.
The young man’s name was Francis.
His father wanted Francis to be more serious. His father wanted Francis to be just like him. He wanted him to sell expensive fabric to people who were very rich. Fabric is what you use to make pretty things like curtains, tablecloths, and clothes.
Francis’ father wanted him to work in the family shop. But Francis was not very interested in that kind of work. Francis wanted to be a great knight!
And one day Francis went off to do just that.
Francis went off to become a knight. He began to travel to another city where he would fight with a sword and a shield. Francis thought that he would become a great hero.
But on his way Francis got very sick. He had to return to his home. His mother took care of him. And while Francis was getting better he began to dream of different adventures.
He began to spend a lot of time walking around the woods and looking at the flowers and at the trees. He began to watch closely all the animals, especially the birds that flew high up into the sky. Francis began to think a lot about God!
Francis began to dream about heaven. He began to wonder about love. He saw that there was another kind of knight!
Francis decided that he would be a knight for God.
Francis wanted Jesus to be his king and for Mary to be his queen.
Francis no longer wanted to use a sword or a shield. No, Francis wanted to teach all the world how to love. Francis wanted to sing and dance and show everyone how be more like Jesus.
He began to live very simply. He had very few things. His only clothing was an old brown robe. He lived almost like a little animal in the forest. Francis was very free. Francis was filled with joy. He was very happy.
And soon many other young men came to join him. They too wanted to be knights for God. They all lived together. They called each other brother. They shared all they had. They were kind to each other. They loved God together.
And one day, even a young lady wanted to join. She brought other ladies and they started a home of their own. They called each other sister. That young lady’s name was Clare.
A new type of family was beginning to grow. A family who lives very much like Jesus. We call them Franciscans.
We now call that young man, Saint Francis. We now call that young lady, Saint Clare.
Saint Francis and Saint Clare are now in heaven with Jesus and Mary and all the holy angels and saints. They live in perfect peace with God the Father and the Holy Spirit.
They see us right now. They pray for us too.
Hey, who knows, maybe one day a few of you boys and girls may become knights and ladies of God, like our patron saints, Saint Francis and Saint Clare!
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Howard Hain is a contemplative layman, husband, and father. He blogs at http://www.howardhain.com
Follow Howard on Twitter @HowardDHain http://www.twitter.com/HowardDHain
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Morning Thoughts: Remembrance of Things Past
by Howard Hain
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“…forgetting the past and pushing on to what is ahead…”
—Philippians 3:13
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What is the past? A remembrance of things past. Of what has been. Of what is not now. Of what is no longer today.
What is re-membering? A putting back together of what once was. Of what was once whole. Complete. United. Unified. A re-attachment of “bodily” members currently detached. A body made whole, brought back into health. It is healing. It is “being” fulfilled.
What is to forget? The act of properly re-membering. Beyond elimination. Beyond denial. It is re-valuation. It is re-deeming. Of value. A re-establishment of worth. An instance of humanity made universality worthy once more.
What is worthy? What has value? The future lived presently. Proper hope brought into active being. Knowing ‘now’ is a perpetual tomorrow, lived fully today.
It is tomorrow’s air breathed as we currently speak.
A human being living in heaven.
A human being “knowing” heaven was once, is now, and will be forever.
Worthy is a person “forgetting the past and pushing on to what is ahead…”
Praise be Incarnate Wisdom. Now and forever.
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Morning Thoughts: The Substance Of Prayer
by Howard Hain
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How do we know if our prayer is answered?
When we no longer remember what we requested. When we discoverer inexplicable peace and experience inexplicable joy—even though we ride a hot, crowded, slow-moving subway car and have no idea if the specific circumstances surrounding our lives have changed in the least.
We know God is real, His will is perfect, and He never abandons us. We know we don’t need to understand. We know that somehow the peace and joy within us are actually related to our lack of understanding. We trust. We believe. We know “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” *
We know we’ve been blessed.
We know our faith has increased.
We know God has answered our prayer.
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* Hebrews 11:1
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Friday Thoughts: The Height Of Stars
by Howard Hain
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My constant companion.
My acting partner, my motivational coach.
Sometimes I forget you’re there.
Such lack of gratitude, such empty graciousness.
But you remind me, lest I forget.
There you are once again.
Right beside me.
Center stage.
All the world to see.
Hard to imagine you any other way.
My constant companion.
My antagonist. My adversary.
Middle of the night, just you and me.
Another standoff. Another scene.
Good or bad, there’s always drama.
One day we’ll part ways I suppose.
But for today, this hour, you continue to goad.
Pestering and probing.
A reaction, any, is what you want.
Like a needle in my hay stack
Pricking my limbs.
Especially my heart.
Weakness.
That’s who you are.
You play your role.
Upstaging the stronger, more noble parts of man.
Clever, cunning, looking for the upper hand.
Curtain up or curtain down.
You’re a character for sure.
Smile or frown.
Jester or clown.
Your disguise is basically the same.
Some sort of wise man, a plot all your own.
But you, Sir Weakness, you are important.
Like tragedy.
Like divine comedy.
You give good measure.
You give the chorus something to say.
And despite your best intentions.
You help establish strength.
You remind people the height of stars.
Without you, my dear Weakness, no hero could ever be.
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Morning Thoughts: Up and Away
by Howard Hain
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“In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”
—Luke 14:33
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Butterflies fly.
They sail beautifully and somewhat clumsily at the same time.
It’s as if even their own weight is almost too much to carry.
Hard to imagine them bringing anything else along for the ride.
Paper-thin wings—watercolored and air-dried—the rain keeps them tucked away, hidden, out of sight.
Even little drops of morning dew keep them from flight.
But the hour will come.
Just wait and see.
Still. Quiet. Like an upright leaf.
They position their wings just right.
The sun to burn away all unwanted drops.
———
Have you dew-covered wings?
Does the dew of life weigh you down?
Do you want what’s unwanted to be burned away?
Have you tried pointing your wings toward the sun?
Or do you really not want to float above?
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“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.”
—Galatians 5:13
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Friday Thoughts: Just The Facts
by Howard Hain
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All human beings are creations of God.
God loves all His creation.
He wills the best for each and every part of it.
His will is the best.
You are one of His creations.
So is the person you hate.
So is the person you dislike tremendously.
So is the person who annoys you to death.
God loves us all.
God offers us forgiveness for being so unkind to His other creations.
He loves us so much He gives us the freedom to choose the wrong path.
He loves us so much He sent His Only Begotten Son to show us the right way.
Jesus loves us so much He sent the Holy Spirit to strengthen and accompany us.
God smiles.
All three persons smile.
They are One God.
God’s love is all powerful and infinitely kind.
God’s gift of freedom is a gift He intends for us to use.
God desires for us to choose to become like Him.
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Morning Thoughts: Prayer
by Howard Hain
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I sat toward the back. Near the cooler. At the third table of three.
Looking through the line of bakery customers, I see out the storefront window, across the somewhat crowded street—that seems to be undergoing never-ending construction—a woman waking by. She passes before the window of the corner convenience store. She crosses herself. I don’t know why. But I believe.
I don’t understand.
But I trust.
I don’t desire. I don’t will. I don’t want.
I respond with faith.
She is good. She is like you—trying her best. She is like me—she could do better.
God loves her. God loves you. God loves me. Nonetheless.
The desire to love is love.
The will to union is union.
The Freedom of Christ is a Cuban pastry with three holes.
I eat away.
I taste and see.
My food is to do the will of Him who sent me.
Faith. Hope. Charity.
All else is a small pile of crumbs—gently laid to rest—the edge of the bakery table—on the well-worn tile floor.
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“There is nothing more gracious than to think well of our neighbor.”
—Saint Therese of Lisieux
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Friday Thoughts: School of Athens
by Howard Hain
Raphael, “School of Athens”, 1509-11, Vatican Museums, Raphael’s Rooms, Room of the Segnatura
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I see you there
Somewhere near the back
Hiding
Thinking no one can see
A priest
A prophet
A king to be
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Socrates?
A profile
Like the head on a coin
Another good man
Snubbed for what he knows
Can’t see your face
Not fully
Say the least
Though perhaps
We too would die
A drop of hemlock
Is hard to swallow
———
Like that fine-feathered friend
All philosophers are
Little birds
Not too fat to fly
Aerial feeders
Circumventing the globe
Following truth
Wherever it go
———
Plato?
Yes
Now you
We see for sure
After all
Like a son
You and Socrates
Your father figure
Setting up shop
Hanging out
A common shingle
Hard to distinguish
In fact
The fiction
Son from Pop
One generation
Stumbles upon truth
The next
All about father’s business
Selling sovereignty
The sovereignty of Good
Not by peddling answers
By asking simple questions
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Aristotle?
Yes
He made the frame
The third person
The younger brother of sorts
In some sense
Stealing the show
A third amigo
A sort of philosophic trinity
Aristotle the great
Teaching emperors to be
A bright bronze star
Mentioned last
Never least
A meta-physician
Looking not to the past
He expanded business
Once Plato left the scene
Pointing the way
He thought it should go
Down to earth
Keep it real
Hover low
Eyes on substance
On the truth below
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Quite a team
These three musketeers
Sharp whiskers
Well-trained tongues
Doubled-edged swords
Wielded about
In universal hands
Yet many others
Names we might know
The great wall of knowledge
An army
To remain
The great unknown
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Truth
Beauty
The noble pursuit
Lady Wisdom
Her many lovers
And each takes her as his own
A cloud of witnesses
Testifying one truth
The Communion of Saints
Under a different kind of roof
———
Look at that structure
Who built the arch?
It overrides
Every branch of the tree
If colored
It’d be a rainbow
Yes
That once great sign
Now brought so low
Meant so much
Primary color
Fragmented light
Quite a choice
Magic marker
Cross the sky
God’s endless love of life
A sacrament
One might say
A sign
As natural as natural can be
The offspring of union
A pledge
A covenant
A promise
The kind that brings new life
Adam
Then Eve
Woman created
From the lonely side of man
To lovers
Of such wisdom
Truth is clear
The rainbow redeemed
It will once more
Point to the sun
After yet another storm
The fullness of noon
Its rightful place
Where nothing disordered
Continues to loom
———
Welcome home
Child of wonder
Come on in
The water’s warm
Jump high
Up over the frame
Roman columns
Marble floor
Robes in many shades
Your heart
Away from home
Bring nothing more
Leave your sandals
At the door
A burning bush
Holy ground
Children at play
A clubhouse of truth
Safe and sound
Slides and swings
Monkey bars
Hang on tight
Hold on loose
No possessions
Got to share
Acts
Appreciation
Sons of liberty
Daughters of revolution
The mulberry tree
What’s that?
Your degree?
Of such things
We just don’t care
———
Poetry
Completely still
Motion
In dialogue
Statues
Alive
Silent features
Arch
And texture
Every detail
All one view
Did you hear?
Have you seen?
The latest
No not the news
What’s truly new
Not the fleeting
Nor the slice
Not cutting edge
What’s new is old
All under the sun
Originality
Yesterday
Genesis just begun
Just a few rules
Keep perspective
A frame
If you will
A type of kind
Boundless
Creativity
Yes
But not for sale
Bring what’s prized
Not the least
Only one item
The book of life
———
God became man
Truly human
Not veneer
Truth among us
Not to abolish
Bring to fullness
Humanistic pursuit
The glory of God
Made manifest
In man’s pursuit
Of God Himself
———
Jesus
In disguise
The philosopher’s cloak
Reaching upward
To shake His own hand
At the right side
God the Father
Raphael, “School of Athens”, 1509-11, Vatican Museums, Raphael’s Rooms, Room of the Segnatura
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Welcome to Ordinary Time
The Easter season ends with the Feast of Pentecost and we’re into ordinary time in the church year. Unlike other feasts, Pentecost has no octave; ordinary time is its octave. Most of the church year is ordinary time; most of life is ordinary too, but the Spirit is there just the same.
“Their message goes out to all the earth.” We read the Acts of the Apostles during the Easter season as Jesus’ apostles, led by Peter and Paul, ventured on their way from Jerusalem to Asia Minor and to Rome, empowered by strong winds and tongues of fire, Yes, the Spirit can bring us to the ends of the earth, but the Spirit is also there in the few steps we take every day, though we’re hardly aware.
We tend to minimize ordinary life. Just ordinary, nothing’s happening, we say. Yet, day by day in ordinary time the Risen Lord offers his peace and shows us his wounds. Every day he breathes the Spirit on us. No day goes by without the Spirit’s quiet blessing.
The Victor's Place 