Holy glowing people

Holy Sounds, Well, so H O L Y. In previous blog I chatted about Catholic, with a small c meaning, universal, one of four marks or notes of the Catholic Church. Resource at www.aod.org, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC).

My aim in this blog is to grip the audience with roots and relationships with family, others, and God, for sure. Deep roots as a Christian who is Catholic help anchor my day's happenings, thank God.

Today, a brief browsing of another mark, holy. Maybe I missed it, I don't know. Perhaps holy is so elusive that as a youngster I only remember rules, regulation and the ten commandments. They serve me well today, but holy?

I sense holiness when I see it in the quiet disposition of Bishop Tom Gumbleton who I roomed with in San Salvador back when I was pastor at St. Joseph's in Oakland County's Lake Orion. After rising from his prayer corner, there was what seemed to me to be a long, stilling silence that made me witness and watch one who is holy. Peace, calm, tranquility, and a humility that kept him grounded on holy earth.

There was also George Schommer, now a Dominican priest in New York, who emerged from his room off of the kitchen at Saint Christine Church in Brightmoor where I was a pastor in 1981 attempting to complete a doctorate, and honor the request of Bishop Coleman McGehee, Jr., with Cardinal Edmund Szoka's ok to get the ecumenical Michigan Coalition for Human Rights started.

This rookie pastor had his hands full, yet I loved serving an impoverished neighborhood giving hope and healing I hope! Schommer was discerning his vocation being that "rich young man" in the Gospel that Jesus the Christ spoke about. He was accomplished as a musician, computer geek, and dating. After he soaked in substantial connecting with the Maker in what is called prayer, his smiling face at breakfast made me aware of holy and holiness.

To believe that the Church is holy, catholic and that she is one and apostolic (as the Nicene Creed adds) is inseparable from belief in God, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost as I grew up learning the three persons of the Holy Blessed Trinity of one, loving, omnipotent and merciful God. The Catholic Catechism notes that in the Apostles Creed profession of the "one Holy Church (Credo...Ecclesiam) so not to believe in the Church, not confusing God's work and to attribute clearly to God's goodness all the gifts he gives his people, the Church.

Of course, given that humans comprise the Church, there is sin and scandal - you've been watching the news I take it? Yet, holy in Funk and Wagnalls Dictionary notes: Regard with or characterized by reverence because of association with God; having a divine origin; sacred. Go to www.interfaithwork.com, a Care of the Soul site I manage for a litany list of holy things that hopefully make me holy. Or, doing holy things, such as, praying the rosary, Liturgy of the Hours, Mass, going to the store for a homebound senior, or visiting the Macomb Jail without ever becoming holy would be a shame, let alone contradiction.

So, all these words about holy may be illusive, yet, holy is real in flesh and bone beings like you and me, at least at times when I'm doing life God's way, not my own, thank you Mr. Frank Sinatra, who did it "my way."

Woops, my eight-month old Bichon Frises, Woof and Wolf need attention now...a call to holiness before the call to action invites some play time with them, followed by still time with the Creator who calms this pastor for the trenches out there. Catholic and holy are two marks of the Church. One and apostolic next time. A boyhood pastor, Father Popielarz added changing to the mix. My, my. . .