Holy Cross Abbey, Berryville, Virginia, October 2007 / © Bob Traupman 2009
2009
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
May the new year bring hope and renewal
and transformation to you, to your family,
and to our beloved country and peace to all the world.
This was my greeting at the beginning of 2008. I have just adapted it a bit because it is still my prayer and my hope.
So let’s think forward a bit to the end of 2009:
How will the year end? Will we experience a transformation of our country? Will we transform hate and isolation into love and hospitality?
Will we decide to serve God instead of money?
Will we bury our heads in the sand and hope this crisis will go away? Or expect our leaders to solve it while we sit back and complain?
Will we settle for less than absolute integrity in the one’s who will lead us?
O good and gracious God,
be with us in this time of uncertain, instability, crisis and worry.
Help us to turn back to you
and away from the idolatry that is everywhere.
We worship the almighty dollar, sexy bodies, war machines.
We worship “the things we create rather than the Creator of all things.
Forgive us, Lord.
We let courageous and honorable young men and women and their families bear the burden of our wars
while we are unwilling to have our comfort zone disturbed.
Forgive us, Lord.
Forgive us, Lord, for our complacency, our indifference, our denial, which is the greatest sin of all.
Help us enter into personal conversion and recognize our hypocrisy.
Help us get down on our knees, to renew and restore and transform our lives where that is necessary.
Help us restore ourselves to the greatness that once was America and can be again.
Instill hope in us. Lord. Help us to learn to trust that You and only You can get us out of this mess.
But help us realize that authentic hope will come only if we have the courage to face our reality.
Help us have the courage to take a long, loving look at the real.
(Back to 2008 when his was first posted;) Now look at this glorious sunset again.
It is my sense that the end of the year when we’re ready to inaugurate a new president
will have the hopefulness and promise this image symbolizes
Dear Lord, may it be so!
Amen!
Dear brothers and sisters,
I hope to have new post several times a week before the Inauguration of Barack Obama
to offer some practical ideas of how we can transform our country
and restore us to our wonderful heritage.
Also I would like to know who my readers are who I am resonating with
If you are reading my reflections just insert a phrase or so in the comment bar.
May the Lord strengthen you and give you and yours peace of mind
in the midst of the difficulties of the year ahead.
Bob Traupman
priest / writer
Father Bob's Reflections 