Sunday, June 14, 2009

On His 49th Year as Priest


June 11, 2009 4:31 am

According to the Korean way of calculating

I was 32 when I came here

Im 81, now, Whats the same?

And whats changed?

Nothings the same

And nothings changed.

The really me inside,

that Essence

the consciousness inside

that mud from Eden

that we now know as star dust.

A star dies, explodes, its dust

gives shape and form to us.

Out of space and silence

Comes --- us. The shapes we have

at age two, thirty-two, eighty-one.

But those shapes and

concretions added to us since

our first appearance here,

whether healthy body, active mind,

bad decisions, good works,

unhappy failures, joyous accomplishments

none of these things are us.

The I that is me

The conscious awareness

is separate from all these things

it cant be labeled

anymore than what we label God

can be labeled

nor can it pass away

any more than where-it-comes-from

can pass away.

Philosophers, theologians, Hindu holy men,

sibyls, oracles, holy women,

thinkers of all shapes and sizes

And often very varying opinions, all are

consciousnesses! (Theres a word

to tell you how difficult it is

to try to place a name on it - )

The Buddhists say God has

nine billion names;

Saint John said it better: God is love,

Which is as easily graspable as how many

billion stars are in the sky.

Love: you and I, he and she, we and they

all related, interconnected

(hooray for DNA) not only

to each other, but to apes and peacocks,

taro roots and lily pads,

dirt, mud, ice, water, steam

every-thing that is part of us,

from exploding stars

big bang, before, after, Space, Silence,

Two, thirty-two, eighty-one

Past and future are mere mental constructions.

The joy

is now this moment now forever

all inter-connected, God is love.

Thoughts early on a June morning

49th anniversary of ordination.

James Sinnott, MM


To learn more about Father Sinnott and his years in Korea click here.