Between Heaven and Earth - Chaplain's Blog

Chaplain's Blog

For those of you who have been waiting for four years, the wait is over and the 2010 World Cup has begun. We all who are into soccer (or football as it is being called outside the US) hope to catch a glimpse of at least some games wherever and whenever possible. I was very nicely surprised when I found a large TV in the restaurant section of Terminal 4. Thank you Emirates!

The Church in South Africa is really having a ball and is on the ball, especially if you follow their official web site: www.churchontheball.com. They were even able to put together  the World Cup Prayer Book with all essential and some very interesting additional prayers. You can download it HERE>>

Chaplain's Blog

The day is coming to an end. For many is just a part of a long Memorial Day weekend, which in a sense overshadows the day when we should be soaking in the mystery of the Holy Trinity. Since last night I preached about the Trinity 4 times and let me tell you that as much as I love to preach about it, it soooo difficult to do it. Why? Because it is tough to give people some real life-based references, something that could be done, could be experienced or introduced in life. So what do I think? I am not satisfied tonight. Although I need to wait another year for an opportunity to preach on the Trinity again, I am not settled with it. At leas my head is not happy with it. Yet, I just recalled one of the most ways of getting as close to the Holy Trinity as possible: "The Shack" by William P. Young.

For those of you, who would like to be really captured by a many thought-provoking ideas or even truly renewed spiritually: please read the book. We have no words to describe the mystery of the Holy Trinity, but we have symbols, examples, parables and stories. The Shack is probably one of the most God-near-us masterpieces you can imagine. Just read and you will understand. Thank God for William Young and his way of preaching...

For more from William, you follow his blog at windrumors.com

Chaplain's Blog

Recently I was saying a Mass at Our Lady of the Skies. Nothing unusual so far. However, as I was preaching and saying all the prayers, one of the women was somewhat more moved than other people who were attending the service. I mean, you know how goes: people are either focused on prayer or lost in their thoughts, or -oh yes, I know that- bored. So, anyway, she wasn't like that. She was very present to everything I was saying. After the service was over we started first to chat at the door of the chapel and later on we moved to our office. In the course of our very nice conversation I learned that she was going back to Doha, Qatar, although she was originally from India. The reason she was so present to everything I was saying at Mass was that there is only ONE Catholic church in entire country of Qatar: Our Lady of the Rosary. It is located in the desert and obviously she can't make it very often there. That is why she was soaking in every word, every prayer, every gesture, because she can't have much of that on weekly basis.

And we complain, that our churches are too far, to small, too hot or too cold and so on, and so forth... A statement of such person like my new Qatari friend can put you right back in the proper spot. Since it happened, I am reminded what I should be thankful for...

By the way, pray for her and her and our Qatari brothers and sisters.

Chaplain's Blog

Those of you who are familiar with our Chapel and office, know very well a corner (which is not particularly attractive) right between our office and the synagogue. You can see the airport employees walking in and out through a typical commercial door. Sometimes right in the corner you can see some employees hiding from everybody else to have some quiet time for lunch. Anyway, yesterday in the afternoon, in this very spot P. Diddi was shooting a picture which apparently will be featured on the cover of his next CD. Really. No kidding. I wonder why there and now? He should have come a week earlier, help some stranded passengers and take a few pics in the meantime. It would have been a nice entertainment for those who did not know what to do with their time... For those of you who are wondering: no, he did not ask for confession. However, I am sure I can claim now that P. Diddi is one of my parishioners. Don't you think?