Virginia is for Lovers-but Not Gay Lovers

For now, enough about George bush and his lies. I know I am tired of him and I am sure most people are, time to move on, and hope that soon he will be gone. It’s time to have some serious talk about Faith.

When I was a sophomore in High School I volunteered to go on a retreat to a Trappist Monastery. So me and two friends, one of the Christian Brothers and his friend drove from Philadelphia to someplace south of Washington, DC to a Trappist Monastery, to pray, I guess.

Actually it was a thrilling experience, I was a city boy and other then cows on commercial I never came face to face with one. The Monks raised Black Angus and how was I to know a bull from a cow, they were all black and all looked the same to me.

When you are in an Abby you spend most of your time praying. Every three hours they trotted you off to the chapel to pray, in Latin. I am not sure if “yawning” is prayer but I did a lot of that.

But, back to the cows, when we were not “praying” I spent time dodging cow plops and bulls or distraught cows, they chased me. Perhaps they were Dyke Cows and wanted me out of their space. I was agreeable to that so I took on another mission.

I decided that I would get all the Monks that I came into contact with, to speak (they all took a vow of silence). I knew that “yes and no” questions would not work. So I devised a system of questions that would require more then a yes or no answer. “Why” is always a good way to start those questions. To be honest I saw the pain on the faces of some of these, I have to say, gorgeous men, and I just stopped the challenge.

So we left the Monastery, suitcases full of Trappist Jelly and headed home. On the way, in Virginia the Brother who was driving was pulled over to the side by a Police Officer. He, the Brother, apparently exceeded the speed limit in some, as I know now, to be some honky-tonk anti-Catholic town in Virginia (and I have been praying for the souls of that town ever since, NOT). We were sent to jail, three boys, two adult men, for probably doing 25 in a 20 mile zone. The only money the Christian Brother had on him was Christmas card money, so he said, that was collected for the school. That in itself was probably a mistake, Virginians do no like Catholics and money to support their schools was something to be taken away and probably given to their type of “Christianity”.

We were released and sent on our way and we had a few bucks between us so we traveled north and made a stop in Washington, DC to visit the Roman Catholic Shrine to the Immaculate Conception.

My Spirit that day was reborn. I watched women praying at the Blessed Mother’s altar, hoping for some kind of relief from whatever was paining them. As a 14/15 year old I knew whatever they were praying for probably will not happen because of their prayers, it will happen because some fine doctor of science will either fix the problem or determine that the problem can not be fixed with the technology available and some Priest will be drawn in to give them comfort.

I have no idea what those women were praying for but I know the very act of praying gave them comfort. But this is what I pray for,

• I pray that my life will be one that contributes to the Glory of God, whoever He/She is.
• I pray that my life partner and I will always be faithful to one another, truthful and dedicated to each others missions.
• I pray that every service in which I involve myself or my community I do so with distinction and merit.
• I pray that one day human kindness defeats ignorance and that we can move on with programs to benefit all humankind
• I pray that Families, however they manifest themselves, can be free from scorn and prejudice.
• I pray that one day Christians will truly understand the message of Jesus Christ and admit that His rule is that Revelation did not end with is Crucifixion and Resurrection.
• I pray that one day people will no longer make monetary profit by exploiting the Word of Christ.
• I pray that one day we understand that the preservation of Human Life includes those who we think should be killed by the State.
• I pray that one day we will understand that we, as a society, have a responsibility to dignify the lives we would have scorned the women from aborting by providing health care, jobs and most of all Dignity to their lives.
• I pray that one day all men (and women) in America will be recognized as being created equally and given the right to pursue the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America.

AMEN