A Home Without Music

Last week as I watched the Eternal Word Television Network's (EWTN's) coverage of Pope Benedict's visit to Bavaria, Germany and listening to all the music that accompanied his various stops, I was filled with a sense of nostalgia.

I am of German heritage (Bavarian [Father] and Southwestern, German [Mother]) and music was an integral part of my family life. Music resonated through my home as a youth. My uncle who lived with us built a full size pipe organ, (the pipes at least), and installed it in the upstairs room he occupied. He was an accomplished organist who for years was the parish organist and at one time arranged and transcribed the church music for the Milwaukee Archdiocese. One of my elder brothers was an accomplished pianist who played the family pump organ. My dad had a powerful, resilient base voice--he sang in our parish male choir and in his early manhood sang professionally. My mom before she married played the harp. My sisters all had beautiful voices and before they married were member's of the Northwestern Mutual Life's choral group and finally all my brothers enjoyed singing.

As a youth I recall lying upstairs on my bed listening to my brother play the pump organ downstairs, or falling to sleep listening to my uncle play his pipe organ. The chore of doing the supper dishes was greatly lightened in our home as my sisters usually sang in harmony while completing the chore. Until I was old enough to help, I enjoyed just sitting there listening to them sing and giggle. My dad's brothers visited us on many Sunday afternoons. After a beer or two, they all would gather around the pump organ with either my uncle or brother playing the organ they sang the old barbershop type songs and old time love songs still popular at the time. When there was no one to entertain us, my sister and I often cranked up our family's old victrola and listen to the classic records my parents owned. As I grew older, in our boy's bedroom I listened to the "new" 78's, and 33 1/3 lps my brother purchased playing them on his portable phonograph. As a teen I began to collect and play the popular 45's of the day.

Music continually flowed through my childhood. Humorously, some neighbors even told us that hearing the pipe organ music flow out through the open windows into the night on the warm Milwaukee summer nights and hearing our family pray our evening prayers that they originally thought the house must be a church.

Already as a youth I found music soothing. To this day I find music, at the proper volume, welcoming and conducive to visiting, relaxing and reflecting. I am so blessed to have been raised in a home where the beauty and joy of music was appreciated, taught and shared. I am so happy that many of my siblings' children and grandchildren are being raised in this same atmosphere.

I feel sorry for those children whose lives are deprived of this exposure. I am convinced that children so deprived, will grow up with a great loss. They are missing one of the great joys of life. I hope your home isn't "A Home Without Music".

Answer to Trivia Question #1--Who Am I?

Who am I? I am a highly respected American Catholic theologian, a Jesuit (the order of the Society of Jesus) and though not a bishop, a Cardinal of the Catholic Church.
I am a convert to the Catholic Faith. I am the first American born theologian who is not a bishop to be named a cardinal. I served in the US Navy in world War II and as a liaison to the French Navy. I am the son of a preeminent US Secretary of State. Who am I?
(The answer to be posted next Wednesday or Thursday.)

The answer to the trivia question posted on August 30th is: Avery Robert Cardinal Dulles, S.J. His father is the well known U.S. Secretary of State, John foster Dulles. Other prominent people in his family include 1. His Great Grandfather, John W. Foster, and his Great Uncle, Robert Lansing, both of whom were U.S Secretary of States and 2. His Uncle, Allen welsh Dulles, the civilian Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

In Your Face!!!

"In Your Face--Not!!!" Today in our country it appears that some people advocate that having "an attitude" is a good thing. This is something I have difficulty understanding. Remember the old saying that goes something like "more bees are drawn by honey than vinegar". I believe this saying still holds true.

I've been asked if I had any ideas on "evangelizing"; well my number one suggestion is to remember the above phrase as, I believe, it's a rarity when an "in your face" approach will be productive. I don't know all I need regarding evangelization but a few suggestions I can come up with include--"smile". A smile can open many conversations and talking comes in handy when you are evangelizing, though silence can say more than words. Also, practice what you believe--as the saying goes walk the walk as you talk the talk. The Catholic Answers organization (www.catholic.com) has a good concise pamphlet on the subject titled "12 Painless Ways to Evangelize" by Karl Keating. Like some others, the San Antonio Archdiocese has an Office of Evangelization, its director is Martha Fernandez-Sardina at MFernandez-Sardina@archdiosa.org. She has a short flyer, also with 12 suggestions on how evangelize.

A few suggestions that I have picked up and implemented from various sources include: A. Praying for a person immediately. When someone asks me to pray for a special need, I agree and I ask the person if we could say a short prayer right at the moment, I mean short, e.g., "Dear Lord please help .... in his/her need". This approach was suggested by Martha Fernandez-Sardina as the immediacy of the prayers demonstrates real concern for the person and, we are less likely to forget to pray for the person in the future.
B. Writing a short statement on the back envelopes when paying bills, etc., e.g. "Please, Support Life from Conception to Natural Death". Did you ever consider how many people handle/see the correspondence you mail?
C. Carrying a publication, one actually read, when ordering and waiting for a take out meal. Recently I ordered a pizza at the local Pizza Hut and I had an issue of "This Rock" with me. A waiter saw the cover and asked me how he could order/buy the magazine.
D. Carrying a coin size religious medallion in a pocket. The other day while picking up an take out lunch from a local Italian restaurant, I pulled out my change, in my hand was my half dollar size "Sacred Heart of Jesus" medallion that I keep amongst the coins. Yep, you guessed it, the young cashier saw the medallion and stated; "What a beautiful coin, can I see it?" As she studied the medallion I explained to her the significance of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in my life.
E. Making the "Sign of the Cross" in public places at meals etc. Traditionally, Catholics begin and end their prayers with the "Sign of the Cross" while reciting "In The Name of The Father, And the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen." Yet I, as many Catholics, am hesitant to say this prayer in public, e.g., at restaurants, etc. Ironically, the sign of the Cross it is one of the oldest prayers in Christendom. During the earliest days of Christian martyrdom when they were executed in the Roman arenas, it is recorded that many made a sign of the cross on their foreheads, thus demonstrating their belief in the Blessed Trinity and differenciating themselves from the non-Christians being executed beside them. Recently on EWTN-TV, a priest who converted to Catholicism noted that the seed for his conversion goes back to when he was in fifth grade and a classmate, the only Catholic in the class, made the Sign of the the Cross before a classroom prayer. The classmate explained to him why he made the Sign of the Cross and its significance--this seed germinated years later while the now priest was in college.
F. Respecting the other person's beliefs and knowing when to stop talking. I try to remember saying less is better than saying too much. I believe in the old saying--a person leaving the table should be a little hungry for more; prompting a return to the table.
G. Finally, welcoming further questioning. When saying goodbye, I attempt to ensure the person knows I'm available to talk more about the subject when the person is ready and I insure they have a way of contacting me.

Evangelizing is easy though at times it may take courage. Inadequate as we may feel, we are all called to evangelize, evangelizing with love and respect of the other person. All I can suggest, when evangelizing remember "honey and the bees".

Jesus Christ said "Go and make disciples of all the nations..." (Matt 28:19),
Pope Paul VI wrote "The Church exists in order to evangelize" (Evangeli nuntiandi, 14)
Pope John Paul II wrote "Evangelization is the supreme duty of every baptized Christian" (Redemptoris missio, 77).