Peace on Earth – I Wish

 

A little over a year ago, I was in the Holy Land touring its historic and religious sites. After returning home, many were curious about the trip and asked me lots of questions.

I repeatedly emphasized to anyone who inquired that if they ever get the chance to go to Israel, do so. You will be forever changed.

Historically, you can almost trace humanity’s existence over the millennia there.

For those who are Christians, it roots your faith in a tangible setting. Geographically, everything was right where the Bible said it was. Americans tend to believe that we are at the center of the universe, but to see believers from every corner of the world, of various races and ethnicities in all types of garb, all there for the same reason, put into perspective the universality of Christ’s message and God’s presence in the world.

After having been on the tour, I now know what the flowers look like on Mt. Tabor, how rocky the terrain is, how brightly the sun shines there. I can still feel the silky dried salt on my skin from the Dead Sea and the heat of the dessert on my neck at Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. I not only looked back to the past there, but I also looked toward the future, as we gazed out over the beautiful Jezreel Valley, where the battle of Armageddon is prophesied to take place at the end of the age.

Gazing out over the Jezreel Valley.

Ed at Qumran.

I told someone that to me Jerusalem is the earth’s belly button. It seems as if the umbilical cord from heaven terminates there on earth and connects us to that which is not of this world.

One of the other questions I was frequently asked was, How safe were you there? And I repeatedly told people that never once did I feel unsafe. In fact, as I was getting on the elevator on our last night in Jerusalem, another group of Americans got on with me, and one of them asked me if I’d been to the Western Wall that day. When I said yes, he replied, “You know they shot and killed someone there this morning?” Surprised, I told them we were there in the afternoon. Apparently, some man had come to the Wall and was acting strangely. When security questioned him, he attacked the soldiers patrolling the area with a knife and he was shot. “Wow,” I said. “You never know what’s going to happen.” 

“Well,” another American said, “Last night was Halloween back home, and in Chicago 14 people were shot. No one pays attention to that.”

Well, since the October 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas, everyone is paying attention now and no one feels safe. After having been to Israel, I feel extremely sad about the violence happening there and wonder how our Catholic tour guide is faring, and all the Israelis we met, as well as the little Palestinian kids who waved to us on our tour bus as they stripped olives from the trees in their back yards. The violence all seems so unreal and unnecessary.

                                 

   The "Glory to God in the Highest" arch entering Shepherd's Field.

One of the first places we visited on the tour was Bethlehem. And next to the Shepherds’ Field is a church called the Chapel of the Angels. Like many churches there, it was designed by architect Antonio Barluzzi, and it is situated near the remains of a 4th-century church that was originally on the site where the heavenly host brought their “good tidings of great joy” to the shepherds minding their flocks.

                                           

 Chapel of the Angels designed by Antonio Barluzzi.

Inside the church, that was designed to look like a field tent much like the shepherds would use, are murals depicting the scenes of the angels coming to the shepherds to announce the birth of the Savior. Around the dome is the inscription: Gloria Excelsis Deo, et in Terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. 

 

                                               

 The inscription on the dome inside the chapel.

 

These were the words of the angelic host and translates from the Latin to say: Gloria to God in the Highest and in Earth peace to men of Good Will.

There are some who say that it should be translated as Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men.

There is a difference between the two translations. In the first, the peace extended to Earth is only experienced by those with good will in their hearts and the latter extends peace to all.

No matter how you translate it, Israel and the rest of us on earth could really use some peace this Christmas season. 

This article originally appeared in the December issue of Northern Connection magazine.

Where Was I - I Get It!

By Janice Lane Palko

With the coming holidays and the turning of the new year, I’ve already started to think about some resolutions for 2020. I mulled over the same old objectives: get in shape, spend less, pray more, etc. Recently, however, I think I’ve come across a key that may supersede all of those imperatives and prove to be more fruitful and more life-changing in the end.

Recently, I attended the Harvest Festival at the Block Northway. In addition to a fun afternoon spent with my granddaughters, I was given a buy-one-get-one pizza coupon for Blaze Pizza. As my husband had been traveling for work all week and was due to arrive home around dinner, I thought I’d cash in on that Blaze pizza offer before heading home.

As I expected, the place was crowded with all the doings going on at the mall, but the workers were hustling and serving customers as quickly as possible. When I got to the end of line where you wait for your pizza to come out of the oven, I couldn’t help but notice the young man plating the pizzas for those dining in and boxing those for takeout. He was doing his job with such joy, enthusiasm, and kindness, that it made me think. I go to a lot of stores and restaurants, and he was a standout among service employees.

What did he have that the others didn’t?

He was too busy to ask, but it was apparent that he had a different attitude toward his work. He had what I’ve come to call a “get-to” rather than an “I have to” attitude. Instead of becoming surly from the volume of work and “having to” wait on people, he flipped that and was working with gratitude and appreciation that he got to work.

Lately, I’ve made a concerted effort to change my “have to” attitude to an I “get to” one. Sometimes that’s not easy, but to boost my mood when I’m really not enthusiastic about doing something, I’ve decided to cite three positive things about an undesirable task to reinforce my attitude. For instance, I had to go to the doctors for a check-up. Instead of thinking I have to go to the doctors, I corrected myself and said I get to go to the doctors. I get to take care of myself. I get to enjoy excellent medical care. I get to ignore my cell phone for a while!

As I’ve been practicing the “get to” attitude, I’ve noticed I’ve become less irritated with the little daily annoyances we all must endure. So, this year instead of a list of resolutions, I’m going with one: turning my “have tos” into “get tos.” I’m so thankful that I get to wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah & Happy New Year!

This originally appeared in the December 2019 edition of Northern Connection magazine.

Where Was I . . . The Code of the Universe

If I get up at night to visit the bathroom, I pass three windows on my way. My house sits high on a hill, and when I glance out those windows, I can see across a small valley to the next street over where the light from a gas lamp pierces the darkness and sends out rays of light, shining like a star. For some reason, that small light always makes me feel better.

After the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue, I’ve been thinking a lot about light. The tragedy happened at the darkest time of the year, making the grief and sorrow that has descended upon those living here seem that much bleaker. Dwelling in darkness is not comfortable, and I believe a longing for light has been encoded into our souls because ever since we’ve discovered fire and the sun, humanity has been attracted to light. 

Most every religion, ancient or otherwise, celebrates or incorporates light into its practices. The ancient Druids had several light festivals. Hindus, Jains and Sikhs celebrate the festival of light known as Diwali.  Jews celebrate Hanukkah, which commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, when a miracle happened. Even though they only had enough oil to keep the Menorah lit for one day, the lamp burned for eight days. Christians light candles, Christmas trees and decorate their homes with light at Christmastime.

The sacred books are filled with references to light. In fact, the third verse of the Old Testament tells us that one of the first things God created was light saying, “Let there be light.” In John’s Gospel in the New Testament, he tells us in the Nativity narrative that, “What has come into being in him was life, life that was the light of men; and light shines in darkness, and darkness could not overpower it."

A few nights after the shooting at Tree of Life it occurred to me why that small light I see in the middle of the night gives me hope and comfort. It’s because no matter how dark it may get, light cannot be vanquished by the darkness.  But light can defeat darkness. In the midst of a bright summer day, have you ever seen a patch of darkness? No. However, you can see light shining in the darkness, but you will never see a patch of darkness penetrating the light. Not only are we created to embrace the light, it is foreordained that light overcomes the darkness. Therefore, no matter how dark it may feel this December whether from the loss of daylight, genuine sorrow or sadness, know that in the end the light always triumphs—it’s written into the code of the universe. 

Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas!

This originally appeared in the December 2018 issue of  Northern Connection magazine.

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