New Pope, World at War, Pizza
Update from down here
This year is just speeding by. Do you feel that way? It’s like a 70’s teen on roller skates, flying towards the refreshment stand of a roller rink, bell-bottoms bellowing, disco beat blaring. But, is it really all that groovy?
Some days I can feel knocked down by events around me, much like a lot of the times I tried to skate or rollerblade when younger. Still, there is always good to share, and I hope you find some in my latest update…
New Pope New Hope
I hope everyone’s as excited as I am. Pope Leo XIV, already is showing the world, showing the faithful, how much he desires unity, healing, and peace in the Church, in the world, and in our hearts, one that comes from a meaningful life in Christ. From the moment he took to the balcony and gave us his first blessing, with humble tears in his eyes, I felt it.
I hope you did, too, and continue to, as he digs in and gets to work. Here’s a sample, words addressed to the youth gathered on June 14th at the massive event in Chicago, where he hails from— wild, huh? (See and listen to the whole address here, from Relevant Radio.)
As you grow up together, you may realize—especially having lived through the time of the pandemic— times of isolation, great difficulty, sometimes even difficulties in your families, or in our world today. Sometimes it may be that the context of your life has not given you the opportunity to live the faith, to live as participants in a faith community, and I’d like to take this opportunity to invite each one of you to look into your own hearts, to recognize that God is present and that, perhaps in many different ways, God is reaching out to you, calling you, inviting you to know his Son Jesus Christ, through the Scriptures, perhaps through a friend or a relative… a grandparent, who might be a person of faith. But to discover how important it is for each one of us to pay attention to the presence of God in our own hearts, to that longing for love in our lives, for … searching, a true searching, for finding the ways that we may be able to do something with our own lives to serve others.
And in that service to others we may find that coming together in friendship, building up community, we too can find true meaning in our lives. Moments of anxiety, of loneliness— so many people who suffer from different experiences of depression or sadness— they can discover that the love of God is truly healing, that it brings hope, and that actually, coming together as friends, as brothers and sisters, in community, in a parish, in an experience of living our faith together, we can find that the Lord’s grace, that the love of God can truly heal us, can give us the strength that we need, can be the source of that hope that we all need in our lives.
-Pope Leo XIV
Two Minute Truths
Here’s a project I’m working on, inspired by conversations with my son, Joey. He said something to the effect of, Pops, you have a unique way of talking about the Faith. Why not share that more often? Oh… boy. Big challenge. So, I thought I’d try some bite-size bytes to begin with, just enough to point people in the right direction, provide a bit of light along the path.
We all have lies we listen to or even tell ourselves each day. Here’s a stab at tackling those lies, in roughly two minutes or so, with the Sword of Truth.
#1 - God could never love someone like me!
#2 - Things will never get better.
What do you think? I just feel like we take it for granted the basic truths we hold, and maybe we need to shore those up, our foundation in a world shifting and teetering so much each day. Which leads me to…
How to Survive a Nuclear War
It’s almost surreal what’s going on in the world, lately. Was it always this tenuous, the conflicts across the globe? Or, has the news cycle shifting to 24/7 made us just infinitely more anxious about it?
What can we do about it? What can we really change? Christ’s message in today’s Gospel reading says it best: “Who among you can add a single day to your life by worrying?” This is the part in Matthew’s Gospel, in chapter six, where Jesus invites us to consider the birds in the sky and the flowers of the field, how God provides for them. Sometimes, I’ve wanted to say, sure, they don’t have bills to pay, mouths to feed— except maybe those hatchlings back at the nest! It’s hard not to worry, Lord. And, add to this the wars going on across the globe that may affect our country, may impact us and those we love at any moment. That’s a lot to carry.
Here, however, is the whole point. We weren’t made to carry it all. And, I know it sounds trite, but it’s really just the facts. Only God can carry it all. Let’s follow the advice of the Son of God. He came to show us the way to true peace and freedom, right?
He says…
If God so clothes the grass of the field,
which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow,
will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’
or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’
All these things the pagans seek.
Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given you besides. (Mt 6:24-34)
It may be natural to worry. That’s why he says this is what the pagans, the nature-worshippers, do. But, we are not them. We are called to be super-natural in our faith, to stand firmly in the house of the Lord who made us, redeemed us, and continues to provide for us.
Something I’ve done since college days when the inspiration hit me one day walking through campus (or was it a student on skates that hit me?)— I told myself, when I’m stressing the most or worrying and I see a bird fly overhead or hopping around a lunch area trying to lift a French fry twice it’s size, I should take this as a sign and remember to let go of my worry. How? I pray five simple words:
Jesus, I trust in You.
This has made a big difference in my life, even if I struggle to fully believe it at times. It reminds me where my focus needs to be, and that, walking with the Lord, even if men should fail us, or nations, we are safe in the God who loves us eternally.
Try it, and I promise, the visions of massive mushrooms in the sky will diminish and return to where they belong, on a nice, steaming pizza.
Speaking of which…
Laughter is the Best Medicine— and Pizza, Of Course
Earlier this year, I was asked to write a feature-length comedy script, one that harkened back to the days of the Ferris Beuler and Breakfast Club-type films from the late, great John Hughes. I’ve penned one I hope captures the humor, the spirit, the angst, and yet the promise of today’s youth, as in those films— minus the rough language, of course. (Yeah, PG is a bit of a stretch for some of those, huh?)
Mine is called Summer of Pizza Love, and it’s about teenagers who band together, despite their struggles and differences, to help keep the pizza shop they work at for the Summer from going under. There they find a bit of faith, hope, and definitely love in the mix of special ingredients that change their lives forever.
We’re putting together a team, including an investor willing to put up a portion of the funds to produce the movie, but we definitely need more. Want to get involved in some way, other than the prayers I’m sure you’re sending? Listen to what the pope said in his conclusion at the Chicago event…
If you are passionate about seeing films that matter, that bring about joy and further the culture of life, not death, think about supporting Michael in his latest film venture.
Okay, maybe that’s just what I heard him say. Seriously, if you’d like to read the script, see what this one’s all about and how we can bring the gift of laughter and hope to the big screen and to all, just let me know.
That’s all, folks! See you next time, and thanks for joining me on this journey. Just be careful on those roller skates, okay?
Michael
Reminder: If you haven’t read any of my books and want a book for the Summer or someone you love’s Summer, find them and more on my website, here. Or, on Amazon, here!