New Yorkers-Busy, Culturally Stimulated and Reaching Out to God

Some good news coming out of New York. For those of us who live here we know that New York is a culturally rich and religiously rich and stimulating place to live. If you are bored in New York, it's no one's fault but your own. There's a lot to do, throughout New York State and of course in the city as well. I recently went on a day trip to The Cloisters, located in Fort Tyron Park in NYC. It is a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. God bless John D. Rockefeller Jr. for his generosity and vision in promoting and establishing this museum through his charitable work. He donated his collection of medieval art to the museum that he endowed as well. I had been there many years ago, but during this visit I was awestruck by the beauty of the medieval cloisters, that have been reconstructed in the museum, as well as the art from medieval Europe. After visiting The Cloisters, which provided enough cultural stimulation for a week for me, there was more. The day trip included a guided tour of Central Park, another gem in the city.

So I wasn't surprised when I read an article recently that New York suicide rates are the lowest in the country. There are states that rank higher in levels of well being or happiness but when it comes to suicide, apparently we're the lowest. There's a lot of diversity, stimulation and things to do here, which I'm not sure has anything to do with the statistics, but I know if someone is depressed, there's certainly a lot to take their mind off their problems here.

Also, there are a lot of houses of worship here, with Masses, prayer services and religious services throughout the day. All the major world religions are well represented in New York and it's a well known fact that belief, prayer and belonging to a faith community helps people feel better and lessens anxiety and feelings of hopelessness. (According to studies I've read, people who believe in God and pray also live longer.) Believing in God and praying helps people to feel better and also gives people a sense of purpose and hope, even in the midst of problems and despair. So perhaps that has something to do with it as well. Also, of course, prayer connects us to God and opens us to grace and blessings. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, we're created for fullness of life and joy, it's so sad when people fall into despair and don't realize that.

NJA

Jesus said, I have come that you might have life and have it to the full.

The Picasso Exhibit

One of the many things I love about living in New York, not far from the city, is easy access to Manhattan. I love museums, most especially the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It has great art collections and the building itself is awesome. On a recent afternoon, I was happy my family accompanied me to the museum. Some extended family members came as well, so we were a big group.  The main purpose of the outing was to see the Picasso Exhibit. It is a landmark exhibition by the Spanish artist and genius, Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). It features 300 works of art-paintings, drawings, sculptures and ceramics. Picasso was a "multi-sided genius." He had a long and successful career as an artist. 

 The museum was very crowded and so we each viewed the exhibit at our own pace. While waiting right outside the exhibit for everyone to finish viewing it, I found myself surrounded by magnificent works of biblical art. The Annunciation, the Assumption, the suffering Christ (a personal devotion piece), all deeply moving pieces of religious art. The museum has a stunning collection of religious art. Just sitting, waiting for the others, surrounded by magnificent works of art.....a great aspect of living in New York. (I didn't sit for very long, naturally religious art interests me too!)

A book I'm reading about the craft of writing suggests that self-enrichment is important for writers (and everyone else too).  Julia Cameron, the author, suggests you make an "artist date" with yourself. (You can bring others along as I did.) Making time to view good art, or visiting a new park, or a cathedral,  listening to a good piece of music or walking on the beach,  helps creativity to flourish.  What's interesting is that it doesn't have to relate to a project or writing piece you are working on. A variety of cultural or natural experiences is good for the soul and good for developing creativity. This is obviously something I'm very curious about.

I'm spending a few days on retreat. I love being on retreat, praying more, focusing on being calm and relaxing more. It's also nice being around people who are looking for the same thing, people who are willing to spend the time to grow closer to God, to get priorities in order, to reflect on what's really important in life.

Family time, viewing art masterpieces, The MET, self-enrichment, prayer, Mass, walking in nature, going on retreat, eating frozen yogurt, charity work, meeting friends for lunch, reading and writing....these are the things that make my life fulfilled. Having a spiritual life has made all the difference in the world.

NJA 

America My Home

I have a great love and appreciation for the country of my birth, the United States of America. I know I'm blessed to have been born here. Yesterday I spent the day with three of my young cousins, which always gives me joy. I was discussing with the two older ones the blessings we have in America.  Most middle-class and upper class children in America have no idea how blessed they are, (for the most part) and how fortunate they are to have been born in a great, first-world country, like the U.S. Like all children, they don't realize how most children in the world live, especially those in third world countries. When I asked my cousins (7 years old and 11) if they knew that many children in Haiti are living in tents, they couldn't quite understand that or what it meant. Tents are for camping, not for living in for long periods of time. It's hard for them to visualize that. And they're not alone. Years ago when I was teaching teenage girls in a Catholic high school in Brooklyn, I showed them a video about Mother Teresa of Calcutta and the Missionaries of Charity. The girls were in disbelief. They couldn't believe that some people actually lived in those horrific conditions. They doubted what they were seeing. We take a lot for granted. 

So as the July 4th weekend begins, I thank God for the "land of the free and the home of the brave" (The National Anthem). And I thank God my Italian immigrant grandparents  made the arduous trip to America and settled here in New York. New York City, one of the greatest cities in the world, with a dynamic and creative energy that must be experienced to be fully understood. 

Sadly, America is going through a difficult time. We need an ourpouring of God's grace. When I heard yesterday (as the stock market plunged on Tuesday) that consumer confidence was down, it was no surprise to me. Confidence is down period, everywhere, not only for consumers, but also for job seekers, for retirees, for the people in the Gulf region of the U.S., for Europeans and many Americans as well. 

The massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico continues. That's surreal in itself. And then there's all the job losses in America, so many people out of work, that may never work again. 

How do people live without prayer, hope and belief in God? I can't imagine, that's a mystery to me. I always have hope for a better tomorrow which stems from my deep faith and my relationship with God. Being a Christian means having hope in God's saving plan. America has always been a blessed country, many people feel that way, not just me. It's a country built on religious values and truths, religious freedom and belief. 

Happy July 4th Weekend! May God's grace be with us. It's needed.

NJA

The Archbishop, His Mother and New York

I have a newspaper cartoon which I cut out years ago and hung up in my basement. It pictures two men sitting on a mountaintop, one saying to the other, "I'd have attained enlightenment long ago if only I had listened to my mother." I thought of it, when I listened to Archbishop Timothy Dolan's first interview on the steps of St. Patrick's Cathedral on Monday. He told news reporters, that his mother told him, regarding his big move to New York, "Trust in God and just be yourself and you'll be fine." Good motherly advice. But this is New York so I would add the following advice, "Choose your words wisely, the world is listening." 

I enjoyed watching the video of the news conference. I think the archbishop will be great for New York, he has a great style and a good sense of humor. In my humble opinion, he should get out there with the people, walk the streets of NY and get a feel for the amazing energy and diversity in the city, which makes it one of the greatest cities in the world, if not the greatest.

I go into the city often as I love art museums and New York is a great cultural city. Recently I went to the International Center for Photography on the Avenue of the Americas. I saw the exhibit of the photographer-Edward Steichen: In High Fashion-The Conde Nast Years-1923-1937. (I love old photographs and I have a great photograph of my father when he was a child, as well as others, that I cherish.) This exhibit contained 175 works from the Conde Nast archives. There were vintage photographs of writers, movie stars, models and movie directors. I was especially interested in studying the faces of the writers. They had a different look, deep and penetrating facial expressions, which fascinated me. 

Walking the streets of New York will be an education in itself, if the new Archbishop decides to do that. People watching is a great pastime in New York and you can learn a lot from just observing New Yorkers. It won't take long before the Archbishop realizes there are young people from all over the U.S. and the world living in New York neighborhoods. They are everywhere and as I've mentioned before , some are Catholic, as everyone knows. Now whether they are practicing Catholics is another story. So that is one great challenge for the new Archbishop..... how is he going to reach out to the thousands of young people living in Manhattan neighborhoods, right near him? Of course, he also has to reach out to the people Upstate, in S.I., and elsewhere in his archdiocese. But the young people of Manhattan, who've moved from the boroughs, the suburbs and from towns and cities around the country and elsewhere are busy working and doing lots of interesting and fun things in Manhattan...but are they practicing their faith? A fair question and a great challenge. I believe we have to offer prayer experiences for young adults that would appeal to them, such as evening prayer, lectio divina and also social justice projects. I'm sure parishes are already doing creative things to attract young adults in their midst. 

God is very much alive in New York City. Faith and belief has always been important to New Yorkers. New York is important to people of various religions. There is tremendous faith in NY. But there is also secularism and it's part of the culture here too. And sadly, it's growing. I'm not sure how to do it, but evangelization efforts need to concentrate on young people living in New York. They're creative, intelligent, young, with lots of energy...if all that energy could be utilized for good, for social justice projects, for building and deepening faith, then that would be a great thing!

NJA

An interesting quote-

If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.     (John D. Rockefeller, industrialist, philanthropist-1839-1937)