Sunday, October 24, 2010

Rainy Days and Sundays

I spent the night in Paradise, California, speaking for my 12 step program. It was rainy and cold and windy and tons of fun. During my talk, the Giants won the penant and are going to the World Series against the Texas Rangers. Niners lost today in the last 5 minutes of the game and so everything is about what it has always been around here....up and down and down and up.

I miss hearing from Ryan but I know he is very busy fighting the war in Afghanistan. Besides, as my attachment to him eases, according to how God wants us to look at those we love, the need to have his attention or even be noticed lessens. I think this is part of growing up spiritually - I am losing the need for attention from those I love. I am losing the need to be appreciated, because I know I am loved and appreciated by Jesus Christ. I love them even more, though, if that is possible. I want only their highest good, but I realise that all I can do to help them towards that is prayer and example. Their beautiful gift from God, their free will, has to be exercised by them and not by me.

There is another interesting discussion going on at The Hive about JPII. There are two people who contend he was a horrible man because he gave cushy jobs at The Vatican to pedophile priests. That is not true, of course, so I asked, gently, if what the man really objects to is that the Bishops that he felt should be held responsible for the pedophile priests in their area were recalled to Rome. I have not gone back for any reply as yet because this is such a delicate issue.

I was raped when I was much younger. At the time, it was the beginning of the enlightenned behavior of both Law Enforcement and society towards sexual assault victims; however, not much had really changed yet. I remember how I was viewed and the advice I was given by those in authority - and they were not being mean, they were honestly trying to protect me from being raked through the coals by defense attorneys and society. I was living a horrible life style - that would have been thrown in my face and made public record.

Imagine a family with a child abused by a person in religious authority in, say 1960. Do you honestly think they would have put their child on the stand during a trial?

Do we forget the eminent psychiatrists and psychologists who stated that pedophiles could be cured with proper mental treatment?

Do we forget the power we put in prayer and penance?

We know so much more now and I contend that to judge the actions of those in power by the knowledge and standards we have today is wrong.

But, that's me...and I am a Faithful Catholic Woman who is in love with The Eucharist and that is not going to change because someone at The Hive hates JPII.

The rain is coming down hard today. I have Mass to go to tonight and I have a bag to pack for the week. I predict, life is going to be good this week because it is my life...and I give it to Him.

GO GIANTS

1 comment:

J D 3 said...

Leslie, just go to unclesamsboot.wordpress.com Or click my link from one of my post at The Hive. Good to here from you! Giants did it!:)