How I Spent My Summer Vacation

It was a weekend retreat at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio --- at its Defending The Faith Conference. I’ve gone there every year for about 10 years or more, and it is my R&R, my retreat, and my vacation --- in 3 days. I took my friend Pat there the year before her stroke; it was very slow going to get around, lots of rest stops, but she had great fun. If you want to go along next year, I always like company. This year there were over 1300 attendees. It is a good conference, on a beautiful campus, with good speakers: Scott & Kimberly Hahn, Fr. Benedict Groeschel, Dr.Alan Shreck, and a variety of others who you would recognize.

It was beautiful weather, and I managed to nap for a couple of hours under a big oak tree on Saturday afternoon on the pillow and blanket I always bring to the conference --- I come prepared! In between the talks, masses, and the absolutely-nothing-like-it holy hour, I managed to read a novel I’ve had on the shelf for a few months. I saw bunnies everywhere on the campus, and unlike the ones at my house these didn’t run – they just stand there eating, ignoring you as you watch from a foot away. Everything on the campus is peaceful. I wrote a few meditations while I sat in the chapel saying my morning or evening prayers, but you’ll see those another day. Tonight I just want to jot down and share a few of the snippets of wisdom and delight I received over the weekend.

On the five-hour drive to the conference I listened to Glenn Beck’s book The Christmas Sweater. Read by the author, it will give you a side of Mr. Beck you never hear spoken of; you’ll hear of the huge failure he had in his life, his reaction, and how he recovered from his reaction. For me, it confirmed much of my thinking about dealing with failure, which I recently wrote about, but this is a first person story, told very frankly. It is a story that could have been mine, could have been yours, and his reactions to the pain of failure is perhaps one you have heard before, especially if you have a teen-ager in your house. But it is also a story of great hope. It’s worth listening to, if you are not a reader.

On the drive home I listened to The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch. Very popular on the internet, The Last Lecture is just that: the last lecture of a dying professor at Carnegie Mellon. A man with great successes in his life, he summarizes his childhood goals and their achievement, and then gives 60 “lessons learned” points --- you’ll probably agree with the vast majority of them. He dedicated his final lecture to his students, his friends and staff, and his family – including his three children under the age of six. Many things are touching, many are words of wisdom, but I came away with a feeling that it was a celebration of his life and what he had done, and what he wishes will continue to be done. HIS life; the word God is not mentioned once, although he did say that his minister sent him good wishes. Although I had not planned it that way, it was an interesting contrast to the Glenn Beck book --- God was all-important in one; and not mentioned in the other. One said what God did; the other said what he did. I came away from Mr Pausch’s book thinking that anyone with great brains, great drive, and great self-confidence can accomplish almost anything, especially if they follow some of the lessons he learned along the way. Strangely, though, he never mentions what others might do, who do not possess those blessings – and they cannot be learned despite his supporting “lessons.” Mr. Pausch based his book on his success in life; Mr. Beck based his on his failure in life. There is a lot to be learned from either one, but I think that Mr. Beck found real joy in his life, while Mr. Pausch noted that he did all the things he wanted to make himself happy. There is a difference.

In Glenn Beck’s book he mentions a man he describes as “like a Dutch Uncle” --- I had forgotten that term. A Dutch Uncle tells you the honest truth that no one else has the guts to say to you, but in such a caring way that you take the words very seriously. We all need a Dutch Uncle in our lives; I hope in some small way I may be one to you.

I saw some great some great Catholic commercials, which might be airing in your area soon. You can see them on CatholicsComeHome.org, and get information on how to get them aired in your diocese. Surveys indicate that up to 200,000 Catholics have come home in dioceses where the commercial blitz has aired. For those who are wondering what Jane Roe of Roe v Wade is thinking lately, there is a video of her on VirtueMedia.org --- very interesting. There is also a new site out you may want to visit called EncouragePriests.org. There is also a wonderful conversion story of a minister and his family --- now a Catholic priest and his family --- on the blog PaulSchenck.com. And now just a few pieces of wisdom I heard;

Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.

If sugar water in the hummingbird feeder were replaced with Nutri-Sweet water, the hummingbirds will die. They die of starvation, getting no needed nutrients despite feeling full. We are like the hummingbirds when we take in the fake satisfactions that the world gives us.

The world offers you comfort. You were not made for comfort; you were made for greatness! (from Pope Benedict XVI’s initial address in Rome)