Wake Up and Wonder

Wake Up and Wonder

By Rev. Joseph L. Di Gregorio


Plato said philosophy begins in wonder. I would like to paraphrase that and say, Religion begins in wonder. As we grow older our vision is clouded with the film of familiarity. Spiritual cataracts blind us to the beauty and wonder of the world and God.

Rachel Carson, author of The Sea Around Us, found her sense of wonder had eroded as she proceeded to write her book. So she brought young children to the beach with her. She watched them play in the water, gather shells and see what familiarity had hidden from her eyes. She became again as a little child with the sense of amazement that revealed to her the beauty and life of the sea.

Sometimes WE need a striking event to awaken our slumbering sense of wonder. Thomas Carlyle once wrote, “the person who cannot wonder, who does not habitually wonder and worship is but a pair of glasses behind which there are no eyes.” Einstein said very much the same: “He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe is as good as dead. His eyes are closed.” King David urges us to seek the face of God continually. This demands of us a wide-eyed sense of wonder every day. This is what is behind the advice of the spiritual writers who ask us to practice the presence of God.

Why don’t we do this? Why do we lose our childlike sense of wonder? Because we are too preoccupied with facts. We want canned theories and miles of data. We want everything measured. We insist on being in control to the point where we refuse to let anything surprise us. We can’t even have a ‘surprise party’ anymore.

Certainly there is nothing wrong with getting the facts. Nor can we argue the value of a reasonable control of the environment. We are rightly angry at oil spills that kill millions of fish and ruin beaches. We are correct in fighting the sulphur emissions from smokestacks that redden our eyes and rasp our throats. We are on target when we rail against cancer producing elements in our food and atmosphere.

At the same time we must go beyond the facts and let go of our fist at the culture switch. We must learn how to see facts as an echo of God. A tree stands for more than lumber for a house. Snow exceeds its use for skiing. The world is a hint of God. Its back is to us. Its face is to God. In Psalm 19 we hear, “The heavens tell us about the glory of God. Day pours forth speech. Night declares knowledge. Their VOICE goes through all the earth.”

Such wonder helps us to see the holiness in life. By wonder we gain respect for the real world, so that we do not exploit it, but enjoy it as it refers to God. A miracle hits us over the head. “Wake up and wonder.”

Thus we would move from loving communion with the world to a loving communion with God. Our world is a window onto the sacred. God loves this world, which echoes His love. Stir up your sense of wonder and see the beauty that surrounds you. God Bless You.

Decisions Tell the World Who We Are

Decisions Tell the World Who We are

Father Joseph L. Di Gregorio


Napoleon believed it took five minutes to decide the outcome of a battle. All war plans and maneuvers crest at the moment of crisis. In one battle his troops were stopped at a bridge. His soldiers feared to advance because Austrian firepower swept the bridge. But to win the battle they had to cross that bridge. Napoleon seized the flag from the standard bearer and rushed on to the bridge, shouting, “Forward to save your general!” He electrified his men and won the battle in that five-minute decision.

Shakespeare believed that decisions lead to greatness and good fortune. “There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and miseries.”

Joshua believed that courageous decisions would lead Israel into the Promised Land. “Decide today whom you will serve.” They failed him before at Kadesh Barnea, a campsite close to the Promised Land. Then, they had dispatched twelve men to scout the possibility of entry. Ten of them returned with a negative report: “The people are taller than we are. The cities are large and fortified. We haven’t a chance.” Caleb and Joshua came back with baskets of fruit and lots of hope. They urged the people to advance. “The Lord God will fight for you as He did in Egypt. Don’t be afraid.” They faltered. They did not love God enough to trust Him. They stood on the plains of hesitation where lay the bones of countless millions, who on the eve of victory waited – and waiting died.

Perennial wisdom says, ‘He who hesitates is lost.” This time at Shechem, Israel realizes it must decide for God. “ Far be it from us to forsake the Lord for service to other Gods.”

Paul tells the couples of Ephesus. “Decide to stay married. Rediscover the love that will bind you.” In today’s marriages crises, the spouses too often retreat and worry about “where we went wrong.” Perhaps they should decide to do the loving thing for each other. Then instead of a defeated marriage there is a victorious new phase to the relationship.

Decision is like doing. Someone has said, “I don’t know what I think until I speak.” This is like declaring, “I don’t know who I am until I act.” Strong Christian identity today means tough decision-making. Worried Christians in Roman arenas made courageous decisions and became martyrs for Christ.

President Lincoln wrestled with the slavery issue until he made the right decision and became the Great Emancipator. Mary struggled with the message of the angel until she decided to say Amen and became the Mother of Jesus.
Those today that are tempted to doubt and despair should decide to believe and love. It is in the doing that love and faith will overtake them. God Bless You.

It's nice to turn the tables and have a laugh

For everyone who has ever been annoyed by tele-marketers who call at suppertime.
Father Joseph L. Di Gregorio

One thing that has always bugged me, and I'm sure it does most of
you, is to sit down at the dinner table only to be interrupted by a phone call
from a telemarketer. I decided, on one such occasion, to try to be as
irritating as they were to me. The call was from AT&T and it went something
like this:

Me: Hello
AT&T: Hello, this is AT&T...
Me: Is this AT&T?
AT&T: Yes, this is AT&T...
Me: Is this AT&T?
AT&T: YES! This is AT&T, may I speak to Mr. Byron please?
Me: May I ask who is calling?
AT&T: This is AT&T.
Me: OK, hold on.

At this point I put the phone down for a solid 5 minutes thinking
that, surely, this person would have hung up the phone. Much to my surprise, when
I picked up the receiver, they were still waiting.

Me: Hello?
AT&T: Is this Mr. Byron?
Me: May I ask who is calling please?
AT&T: Yes this is AT&T...
Me: This is AT&T?
AT&T: Yes, is this Mr. Byron?
Me: Yes, is this AT&T?
AT&T: Yes sir.
Me: The phone company?
AT&T: Yes sir.
Me: I thought you said this was AT&T.
AT&T: Yes sir, we are a phone company.
Me: I already have a phone.
AT&T: We aren't selling phones today Mr. Byron.
Me: Well whatever it is, I'm really not interested but thanks for
calling.

When you are not interested in something, I don't think you can
express yourself any plainer than by saying "I'm really not interested," but this
lady was persistent.

AT&T: Mr. Byron we would like to offer you 10 cents a minute, 24
hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Now, I am sure she meant she was offering a "rate" of 10 cents a
minute but she at no time used the word rate. I could clearly see that it was time
to whip out the trusty old calculator and do a little ciphering.

Me: Now, that's 10 cents a minute 24 hours a day?
AT&T: (getting a little excited at this point by my interest) Yes sir
that's right! 24 hours a day!
Me: 7 days a week?
AT&T: That's right.
Me: 365 days a year?
AT&T: Yes sir.
Me: I am definitely interested in that! Wow!!! That's amazing!
AT&T: We think so!
Me: That's quite a sum of money!
AT&T: Yes sir, it's amazing how it ads up.

Me: OK, so will you send me checks weekly, monthly or just one big one
at the end of the year for the full $52,560, and if you send an annual check, can I get a cash advance?

AT&T: Excuse me?
Me: You know, the 10 cents a minute.
AT&T: What are you talking about?
Me: You said you'd give me 10 cents a minute, 24 hours a day, 7
days a week, 365 days a year. That comes to $144 per day, $1008 per week and
$52,560 per year. I'm just interested in knowing how you will be making
payment.

AT&T: Oh no sir I didn't mean we'd be paying you. You pay us 10
cents a minute.

Me: Wait a minute here!!! Didn't you say you'd give me 10 cents a
minute. Are you sure this is AT&T?
AT&T: Well, yes this is AT&T sir but......
Me: But nothing, how do you figure that by saying that you'll give
me 10 cents a minute that I'll give you 10 cents a minute? Is this some kind
of subliminal telemarketing scheme? I've read about things like this
in the Enquirer you know. Don't use your alien brainwashing techniques on
me.

AT&T: No sir we are offering 10 cents a minute for.....
Me: THERE YOU GO AGAIN! Can I speak to a supervisor please!
AT&T: Sir I don't think that is necessary.
Me: Sure! You say that now! What happens later?
AT&T: What?
Me: I insist on speaking to a supervisor!
AT&T: Yes Mr. Byron. Please hold on.

So now AT&T has me on hold and my supper is getting cold. I begin
to eat while I'm waiting for a supervisor. After a wait of a few minutes and
while I have a mouth full of food:

Supervisor: Mr. Byron?
Me: Yes?
Supervisor: I understand you do not quite understand our 10
cents a minute program.
Me: Is this AT&T?
Supervisor: Yes sir, it sure is.

Me: No, actually I was just waiting for someone to get back to me
so that I could sign up for the plan.

Supervisor: OK, no problem, I'll transfer you back to the person
who was helping you.
Me: Thank you.

Suddenly, there was an irritated but polite voice at the other end of the phone.

AT&T: Hello Mr. Byron, I understand that you are interested in
signing up for our plan?
Me: Do you have that friends and family thing because you can never
have enough friends and I'm an only child and I'd really like to have
a little brother...
AT&T: (click)