Jesus said to
the crowds, "The realm of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field.
The one who finds it buries it again; and so happy is he that he goes and sells
everything he has in order to buy that field.
Again the realm of heaven is like a trader who is looking for fine pearls. Once
he has found a pearl of exceptional quality, he goes away, sells everything
and buys it.
Matthew 13:44-46
The first of October begins our tenth
year on Polk Street. I am often asked two questions on our anniversary: first,
"How much longer can you do this hard work?" and second, "What
have you learned?"
First, whether it be Polk Street, Granville Street in Vancouver, Stark Street
in Portland, or Hollywood in Los Angles, this is not a job for me, it is a vocation,
a calling, a way of life. It is in living and working on the margins that I
have found the pearl of exceptional quality. In the daily struggles and reality
of life on the streets I find Jesus, it is here where I meet him. In the past
few weeks I have been doing the Exercises of St. Ignatius and as they have progressed
I have known without a doubt that this work for me is the pearl of exceptional
quality.
And what have I learned?
** I have learned that intrinsic to the journey of discipleship is the cross. The story of Jesus in the Gospels is our story if we choose his way. To follow the call of Jesus is not for sissies. To put oneself out is to be open to rejection and suffering. But in that journey there is also joy. One can not have the joy without the cross.
** I have learned that 98% of ministry, as in life, is "just showing up." Many times, more often than not, as I leave home just to be going out, I find myself annoyed. No matter the time of day or night, the moment I walk out of my door there is always someone making a request. I get annoyed after being asked a third, fourth or sometimes fifth time for something by the same person. One day as I apologized to one young man for getting angry, he looked at me with a smile and said, "But River, you are still here." It is the "showing up," the faithfulness that matters.
** I have learned that ultimately God in Jesus is all that we have. As I get older, and see time getting narrower and narrower, I find myself realizing how insignificant our ambitions and our cravings for money and status are, for in the end there is only Jesus.
In conclusion, these have been a
glorious nine years, filled with more fun than hardship. I would like to thank
you for your journey with us, and in the words of the Apostle Paul: forgetting
what is behind me, I race forward and run towards the goal, my eyes on the prize
to which God has called us from above in Christ Jesus.
Deo Gratis!
Thanks be to God!
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The Weekly Eucharist
Weekly Eucharist at
Hemlock Alley
Sundays at 7:00 p.m.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thursday Meals
We continue to provide a hot meal
at:
Polk Street Needle Exchange
Thursday nights 7:00 - 9:00
If you would like to volunteer call
Fr. River
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We Are Beggars
Income:
$3106.37 - Donations July/August 15.
$2899.11 - Fr. River - spiritual direction / consulting
________
$6005.48
Expenses:
$5096.18
Cash on Hand:
$909.30 - as of August 15, 2003
Needed to Make Budget each Month:
$3877.51
Monthly Income: $3002.74
As always, we are beggars, depending on the goodness and grace of others. This past month you have been Christ to many, thank you for your kindness.
If you would like to donate by credit-card go on- line to our website - www.temenos.org and use our Paypal feature.
If you have donated to us through
United Way and have not received a thank you card from us please contact us
and them. With their recent problems, we have not been receiving all of our
donations.
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Temenos is . . .
. . . a Greek word for an area that is cut off or separated. Harry Hay referred to it as "the edge of the village," a dwelling place designated by some ancient societies for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgenders, prostitutes, lepers, and other outcasts.
Oasis is . . .
. . . a Greek word for a fertile or green area in an arid region; something providing relief or refuge.
Thank you for helping Temenos Catholic
Worker be an Oasis for so many.
________________________________________________________________
CELEBRATION:
Day of the Dead
Sunday, November 2nd
2:00 p.m.
On All Soul's Day, November 2nd, we will remember those who have died from drug related causes and from violence related to those causes. We will have a rally at Civic Center where we will have an Altar of Remembrance of those who have died.
Our guest speaker will be the Reverend
Edwin Sanders, pastor of the Metropolitan Interdenominational Church in Nashville,
Tennessee. Rev. Sanders is Chair of Religious Leaders for a More Compassionate
Drug Policy, serves on the Center for Disease Control Advisory Committee on
HIV and STD Prevention, and was a candidate for Governor of Tennessee in 1992.
Most importantly, he is a man of great compassion.
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HIROSHIMA FAST
On the morning of August 6, 1945,
the first Atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. Beginning on August 6th,
2003, Fr. River began to observe a moderate fast, that of eating one light vegetarian
meal a day, in remembrance of those who died that day, and all who have died
since through senseless violence. He will continue the fast through October
3, 2003.
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It's All in the Bag
St. Vincent de Paul of San Rafael,
through the efforts of Robert Ringo, has developed a sleeping bag that weighs
under fifteen ounces and stores in a stuff-sack so small its cord is easily
fastened to a belt loop. For homeless people who sleep in their cars, an 8 x
6 foot, ultra thin sheet has been developed to provide a heat conserving canopy
inside the vehicle. These items are made out of the material employed as a protective
thermal insulation intended for sophisticated vehicles in deep space. Most of
us are familiar with this simple form of technology found in the ubiquitous
silver Mylar Emergency blankets found in most first aid and earthquake kits.
We are privileged to share these products with our people and are very thankful
to Mr. Ringo for his support in helping provide comfort for those who have no
housing.
____________________________________________________________________
NEW INTERN BEGINS
Greetings. My name is Thom Longino,
a "senior" at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA; previous
to arriving at PSR in 2000, I lived in South Carolina, which is where I was
raised. I have worked with the Faithful Fools Street Ministry, and visit inmates
at San Quentin. Realizing in high school that my sexuality was to be embraced,
I left the Southern Baptist tradition and became a Unitarian Universalist. My
personal hero is Bayard Rustin, a gay, African American Quaker civil and human
rights activist who was the intellectual engineer behind much of the activism
for civil rights in the 1950s and '60s. Working with Fr. River this year, I
seek to deepen my understanding of what it means to walk the path of Christ.
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IMPROVED WEBSITE
We give thanks to Joel Spring of San Antonio, Texas for managing our web-site:
He has made many improvements. Fr. River is also keeping a journal on blogger.com which is published on our web site. So take a look.
(Editor's note: my toolbar on Internet Explorer was too large, so the options on the home page did not appear. If you have a similar problem, try decreasing your overhead!)
For a small taste of what you might find there under the Alien Street Priest Journal, a short excerpt from the blogger entry for August 28th:
". . .he was feeling alone.
very dirty, very lonely. we talked for several hours and i let him rest at my
place during that time. he struggles with trying simply to keep it together
and in talking to him, as with all the others the past two days, the most healing
thing is that we "touch" each one in some way -- for they are untouchable
to most people and often feel so disowned unless their bodies are being used.
when Jesus healed the women, like in Matthew 5:25-34 he was touching the untouchable,
the social outcasts. the word cured has the greek root from which we get 'therapies'
and it literally means to 'heal the strengthless spirits.' everyone of my kids
are just that-- 'strengthless spirits.'"
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The Duty of Hospitality
1. People who are in need
and are not afraid to beg
give to people not in need
the occasion to do good
for goodness'sake.
2. Modern society calls the beggar
bum and panhandler
and gives him the bum's rush.
But the Greeks used to say
that people in need
are the ambassadors of the gods.
3. Although you may be called
bums and panhandlers
you are in fact
the Ambassadors of God.
4. As God's Ambassadors
you should be given food,
clothing and shelter
by those who are able to give it.
5. Mahometan teachers tell us
that God commands hospitality,
and hospitality is still practiced
in Mahometan countries.
6. But the duty of hospitality
is neither taught nor practiced
in Christian countries.
One of many "Easy Essays"
by Peter Maurin, co-founder of the Catholic Worker movement
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LET TAX REBATE DO JUSTICE
How can a tax cut which gives 29 percent of its benefits to the top 1 percent of the wealthiest Americans do justice? How can a tax rebate that gives a check for up to $400 per child to families with above average income, while the lower 49 percent of all tax payers will not receive any child credit check, bring good news to the poor?
If you are one of the fortunate people who received a child credit check this summer, you can make a statement about this tax policy by putting that money where you think it really needs to be. Use your check to feed hungry people, house homeless people, educate children, to provide a little hospitality to the outcasts of our world. Consider donating part or all of your check to Temenos Catholic Worker or some other non-profit that you feel does justice, brings good news to the poor.