Father James Martin How to Avoid Christmas Stress No Less Yes

3:20 AM in Aqua, avoid, christmas, father, how, james, less, martin, no, stress, to, yes

(Thanks to Jesuit Father James Martin for this reflection, which was one of his Facebook posts)

Can I make a confession? I’m starting to dislike Christmas. Before you ask me to hand in my collar, let me clarify.

When I say “Christmas” I mean the unpleasant cultural trappings that have almost suffocated the holiday: overheated stores packed with stressed-out shoppers; the pressure people feel to buy, buy, buy; and the endless commercials that make the season feel more about spending money than about anything else.

Is it possible to set aside the unhealthy aspects of Christmas and focus on the Nativity of Our Lord?

Yes, and let me suggest three ways to do so.

• First, just say no. You don’t have to go to every party, send a card to every friend, or buy a gift for every family member. Saying no to one thing (a party) means saying yes to something else (time to pray).
• Second, just say less. Try sending three-quarters as many cards or buying half the gifts you did last year.
• Third, just say yes. Choose events that are more spiritual (church services, lessons, and carols) as a way to nourish yourself and prepare for the real Christmas.

Overall, it’s important to pull back from the craziness and to carve out more time for prayer during the Advent and Christmas season. Happily, the beautiful readings of Advent easily invite us to prayer.

Christ wants to enter into your life in a new way during these holy weeks. But if you’re in a store listening to two people fight over a video game, you may not hear him.

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Hunger No More

2:42 AM in Aqua, hunger, more, no

Reprinted from the Looked with Compassion blog, (Dec. 12, 2015 post)

By Rev. Greg Henneman

There are many injustices of our culture that we tolerate as normal. We assume that the way things are is how they have always been and how they will always be. Although the human spirit continually shows potential for amazing things, we limit our creativity when we simply accept poverty as normal.

Yesterday, nearly 200 people came together to no longer accept situation normal. Leaders of faith communities, non-profits, and medical systems raised their hands in a commitment to end hunger in Ohio.

Yes, end hunger. Why not?

David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, shared the story of recently visiting Bangladesh. He had previously lived in Bangladesh and saw a noticeable improvement in the homes people lived in, streets, infrastructure, and health of the children. Beckmann stated that since 1990 the number of people in the world living in extreme poverty fell from two billion to one billion.

This led me to wonder, if noticeable change can happen in Bangladesh, why not here?

Ambassador Tony Hall shared the story of Mother Teresa grabbing his hand and showing him that with his five fingers he could remember five words: for the least of these. Hall described hunger as a political issue. That the effort to end hunger is not a matter of finding the resources but the will to end hunger. 

With 48 million food insecure people in the United States, Hall asked shouldn’t this be one of the most important issues? What are you doing about hunger?

Ending hunger is not a matter of food supply. We have plenty of food. Nearly 40 percent of the food in America is wasted.

Hunger is a health issue.

Hunger not only results in billions of dollars of medical costs, but real people and whole communities who experience diabetes, hypertension, and low birth weights because of our lack of creativity to end hunger.

Will you raise your hand to end hunger in our country, your state, your community? In 2015, no one needs to go hungry. Hunger is a basic human right.

Next time your hand brings a piece of food to your mouth, remember the words of Mother Teresa, “for the least of these.”

How are your hands being used so no one else’s hands shake with hunger?

(Editors note. There was a similar conference in Albuquerque in May 2015. Read more here)

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No Catch Cod is Branded

1:26 PM in Aqua, branded, catch, cod, is, no

Sustainable seafood firm adds cod brand
by Jennifer Whitehead Marketing 24 May 2006

LONDON - Johnson Sustainable Seafoods is launching a fresh fish brand called No Catch ...Just Cod, targeting ethically aware, health-conscious shoppers.

No Catch, which will be available in Tesco from 29 May, comes from the worlds biggest cod hatchery in Shetland. The fish are fed offcuts of fish already harvested and have no contact with pesticides or dyes.

The packaging, through brand and design consultancy Bryt, is a departure from traditional fish branding and highlights the brands ethical credentials. The packaging emphasises the products origins and that it is "tasty, totally natural fish". It adds that it is the worlds first organic, sustainable cod and uses the line "Good for you, great for fish".

Although cod is a favourite among consumers, there has been concern about its rapidly diminishing stocks, leading to restrictions on cod fishing in the Irish Sea, North Sea and off West Scotland.

Source: DesignBulletin

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