Category: Saints

#7- I (Who Have Nothing)- Tom Jones

I already owned a couple of Tom Jones albums when I (Who Have Nothing) was released in 1970.  The album had 2 singles that made the charts (The title song and Daughter of Darkness), and in retrospect, contain a number of tunes that are now regarded as classics, notably The Bee Gee’s “To Love Somebody” John Fogerty’s “Lodi”, Ray Charles “I Can’t Stop Loving You”, Burt Bacharach’s “What The World Needs Now”, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “I Have Dreamed” and the definitive song from the Great Depression era “Brother Can You Spare a Dime”.  This album had the effect of broadening my musical taste, but that is not why I love it.

Save cigarette smoking, there is no one interest of mine that received as much ridicule from friends and acquaintances as my passion for the music of Tom Jones.  During my early years in Livermore (ages 11-15), my sister Cindy was merciless in her criticism.  Her opinion was heartily shared by most people our age. To the average adolescent/ preadolescent in Livermore in the 1970’s there was nothing cool about Tom Jones.

Coincidentally, at that time there was nothing cool about me either.  I was late to puberty and my body was far behind my love for sports.  I was a late pick in pick-up games with the boys and off the list of first boyfriend candidates with the girls.  I had been in a couple of school plays in junior high, but they did little to improve my social standing.  I entered high school 5”1” and 150 pounds.  Bill Whalen had nicknamed me steamboat, fire hydrant would have been equally appropriate.  I had an identity, but not a lot of confidence in it.

I took a drama class the first semester of my freshman year because despite the lack of recognition, I knew I did that well.  One of our first assignments was to lip-sync a song.  Those of you who remember me from that time will recall that I was an antagonist.  One by one students went up to perform their songs and one by one I let them know their flaws during the review session that followed.  “Why would you pull a flute out of mid-air?” was one of my criticisms.   Near the end of the exercise came my turn.  I remember Ms. Williams, the teacher saying “We’ve been waiting for this” when I walked to the record player.  So was I.  It was me and Tom Jones, “the Voice”, about to express the pain of “I (Who Have Nothing”).  I was the only one in the room who expected the result.  When I finished, 30 people who wanted to tear me apart, stood up and clapped.

That moment was watershed for me because I had confirmed evidence that I could trust myself.  It didn’t matter that I was short, or that I had the interests of a kid raised in an ethnic blue-collar neighborhood in Chicago.  At that moment I knew that when I was good, I was good anywhere.  Ultimately, that self-confidence made me a better friend, a better worker, a better father.  Tom Jones affected my life.

Full Top 10 Album Challenge

#8 New York- Lou Reed

One of the great contributions of popular music in America has been its ability to raise social awareness.   Carrying on the mantle of literary authors and poets like Carl Sandburg, who’s dogeared volume of “Chicago Poems” still finds it’s way into my hands about once a month, folk artists like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and Ramblin’ Jack Elliot joined a host of blues artists to give us insight into the plight of the common man struggling through the American experience in the 30’s 40’s and 50’s.  Bob Dylan brought this flavor from folk to rock in the 60’s and the tradition carries on today into hip hop and rap through albums like Dr.Dre’s “The Chronic 2001” which was the competition for my final #8 selection.

My favorite example of this artistry is Lou Reed’s 1989 discourse on the underbelly of New York where we meet the outcasts, the extreme, the marginalized citizens of the last pre-Social Media influencer of the world.  As NYC follows its inevitable path to having the modern-day influence of Sears Roebuck in this new digital world, Reed gives us a glimpse of what it was at its apex through stories of those at the bottom in the classic “Dirty Blvd.” and a dozen other musically alive and thought-provoking stories. He then takes shots at those at the top, including himself, in the search for common ground in “Good Evening Mr. Waldheim” and the judgmental “Strawman” where the popular and material people responsible for this mess are proclaimed as “going straight to hell”.  I’ve always found Reed’s music fun to listen to, and at the times I felt like listening deeply, substantial food for thought.  “New York” is a great example of the power music possesses to simultaneously entertain and educate.

Full Top 10 Album Challenge

#9 Nights of Fire- Benise

Spanish Guitar in its various forms has been a favorite of mine for years.  A client of mine gave me a DVD for Benise’s Emmy Award-winning PBS Special “Night’s on Fire” in 2006 and I was instantly a fan.  I saw him live a few months later, not knowing his career would directly intersect with my life. 

In 2010 I was looking for musicians to play at a 50^th Birthday Party I was throwing for my wife and a friend mentioned he knew Roni Benise’s agent.  I hired Roni and two of his band members, then called and asked if my son Dominick who was studying Classical Guitar as a sophomore in High School could perform at the party with him.  Roni generously agreed.  The party was at the Soho House in Hollywood and the guests all lived near us in the Whittier area so I rented a bus to transport the partygoers ensuring no one would have to drive drunk that evening.  I took the opportunity to use the bus ride to kick off the party by liberally distributing shots of Patron. 

When we arrived at the Soho House, Andy Kwan, a great friend, and partner in our Chinese import business, who was several shots to the good, asked Roni if he’d ever performed in China.  Roni said it was always a dream of his.  “Oh, we can get you into China easy” Andy boasted.  Three days later we met Roni to discuss terms of us representing him for a concert tour in China. I only had one condition, which was that Dominick would perform with the musicians.  Benise agreed. 

Andy and I put a deal together with a promoter in China for a 10 show 8 City tour over 12 days beginning December 22, 2011.  I spent those 12 days as Dominick’s chaperone and as a surrogate roadie for the Benise Troupe.  Dominick, at 16 years old, performed nightly in front of crowds of 3,000, signing autographs for star-struck Chinese girls after the performances and being mentored by the talented professional musicians in Benise’s group.  I had a great time and he had the experience of a lifetime.  He later appeared in an encore performance with Roni in the USA in 2012.

Nights of Fire mixes Spanish Traditional Standards like “Mi Amor”, and add Salsa, Samba, Flamenco and a few of Roni’s own creations.  The music stands on its own, but if you get a chance to watch the video and add the color and passion of the dancers, you are in for an unforgettable experience.  These performances touched my soul in 2006 and my experiences with this music burn in my memory today.

Full Top 10 Album Challenge

Back to Family

#10 Man in Motion- Warren Haynes

Don Imus did a very early morning show on cable about 10 years ago (3 AM Pacific) that introduced me to Warren Haynes.  I’d describe Haynes as a journeyman, lots of nights in clubs, some recorded covers, a general music style where Southern Rock meets Saxophone, but if you listen, you’ll hear Tower of Power, Creedence, the Doobie Brothers, and an occasional Steely Dan riff.  In 2011 God touched him twice and they both ended up on this album.  “Your Wildest Dreams” is, in my view, one of the top 10 songs ever recorded (It might have been #1 if Clarence had played the Sax part).  The song resonates an inescapable pain and drags the listener from a distance, back in time through cause, effect and into permanence.  In the other episode of divine intervention, “Hattiesburg Hustle” takes us through the grinding, haunting days of chasing a dream with its reminder of the drive- “Ego’s a muscle, just add fame and watch it swell.”  The rest of the album is a veteran performer displaying a craft built with time and sweat, a reminder of the work that prepares us for the day a blessing appears.

Full Top 10 Album Challenge

One of the primary feelings a parent has is protectiveness. No one wants to see their kids suffer or hurt and when it happens, the natural instinct is to ease the pain and speed the healing.

Life, however, is not a pain free experience. Sometimes we as parents have to allow our kids to deal with injury and misfortune as a way for them to face their fears and understand their capabilities.

Today I was reminded of an experience my son had that I believe in part has made him a man willing to accept challenges, but more importantly a man who is trusted and relied upon by his colleagues.

I sent my son this text today-

Just got back from 6:30 Mass. Today is the feast day of St. Vincent, who is best remembered for the way he dealt with pain and suffering. I spent the whole mass thinking about the time you hurt your knee in a game for the Bums.
You were a leader on that team and when we took you out, the team lost confidence and was not playing well. Coach Alfred sent you up to hit to try to spark the other players. You hit a ball to the right fielder, but could not run fast and he threw you out. You were disappointed. But Alfred used your AB to inspire the team and they played a lot better the rest of the day.
I know that injury scared you, especially the swelling that came later, but you did your job and tried your best. It was one of many times I was very proud of your efforts.
I learned a lot about you that day. I hope you learned a lot about yourself. You have greatness in you Vince. Call on it when you need it.

This incident happened when my son was around 11 years old. I can’t say that I knew the result would be as positive as it occured.

I remember saying a prayer for him as he made his way to the batters box.

Sometimes you have to leave it in God’s hands.

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I presented the following reflection on Matthew 28: 16-20 at St. Clement’s Church in Chicago this May 22, 2018:

Today’s Gospel reading is one of the shortest of the liturgical year, yet these verses from Matthew touch concepts contemplated by several of our greatest saints over their lifetimes.   In a few short sentences, we are confronted with our Catholic faith’s deepest mysteries and core disciplines.

Restricted both by time and a standing well below saint, I will spend these few minutes scratching the surface from centuries of history concerning two topics:

• the limitations we face as humans, and
• intercessions that allow achievement beyond our individual capacities.
• Read More

I was doing some networking at a charity function recently where a friend graciously described me to a businessman I had not met by saying:

“Carl is creative, aggressive, smart, tough, persistent, and very persuasive.  He is a winner.”

As I reached out to shake the hand of my new acquaintance, I replied: “I’m not sure who the guy fitting that description is, but it would be interesting to meet him.”

As I was returning home that evening, the word “winner” kept flowing through my mind.  I flashed back to a saying I used in early in my career to psyche myself up for business meetings.  “Winners win.”

I’m older now and don’t think like that anymore.  Maturity has changed my focus on winning to exactly what I am trying to win.  Read More

 

Each of us is created with a unique set of gifts.  Identifying how to apply those gifts to their highest and best purpose is a challenge for us all.  Even those of us with the most determined of spirits and mental clarity are exposed to doubts and fears.

John the Baptist was blessed with unique gifts that none of us possess, but there is much for us to learn from the way he used those gifts.  The Baptist fulfilled his purpose in a fearless manner, providing a model of courage we can aspire to emulate as Martin Luther King and Pope John Paul II demonstrated centuries later.  Read More

China will always hold a warm place in my heart, though it did not start out that way.

I remember waiting for my turn through Immigration and Customs the first time arrived at the Beijing Capital International Airport.  I was worrying if having the Beatles song “Revolution” on my iPod was going to cause difficulties.  I had the verse “if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao, you ain’t gonna to make it with anyone anyhow” nervously streaming through my consciousness- ultimately for no good reason. Read More

 

None of us has a crystal ball.  Our inability to definitively know how our actions will impact the future brings anxiety, hesitation, and doubt.  Ultimately, the ability to leap comes from some element of trust.  Trust your experience, trust your logic, trust your instincts, trust God.  Wouldn’t it be nice to know?

I am here to contend that knowing doesn’t make it any easier.  I will cite two incidents from the Bible in defense of that premise.

Case #1- Moses Read More

 

Most of us have drawers, boxes or closets full of things we no longer use that seemed at the time of purchase to be the greatest thing we ever acquired.  Usually, we get bored, or styles change, or something even more special makes our “can’t live without” acquisition obsolete.  The human appetite for “things” is insatiable because no thing we can acquire can satisfy us indefinitely.  The same can be said for wealth, power, and status.  We reach a point where what we accumulate is not satisfying enough.  Self-indulgence is a never ending quest… “If only there was something more, something new”

Ultimately, most of the people I know who have found contentment and happiness have realized that those feelings are much more about giving than getting.  Finding a higher purpose than self, developing and using our skills to achieve higher aims, creating a legacy that makes the world a better place long after your time has passed.  Having the courage to aim high and developing the discipline and persistence to gain ground are the tried and tested ways to a fulfilling life.

I have found many people in history who demonstrated this path to a life of purpose, but none as motivating to me as St. Benedict. Read More

 

The following is a reflection I had the honor to present at St. Clement Church in Lincoln Park on Tuesday, July 18, 2017.

Like many of you, I have had thousands of conversations about religion in my life- perhaps tens of thousands. But today, for the first time in my 58 years, I am asked to lead a reflection for an educated and spiritually developed group of men on a passage from the Bible. I guess there is a first time for everything so- deep breath- here goes.

I had some thoughts on what I wanted to say, but it seemed prudent to find out what could be learned from a more experienced and insightful mind. Thanks to the suggestion of my friend, Paul Link, I decided to begin by searching the homilies of Bishop Robert Baron.

I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. Bishop Baron’s focus was very similar to mine. I don’t know if that means “great minds think alike” or “even a blind squirrel finds an acorn on occasion”. In either case, let me begin by sharing some of what the Bishop had to say. Read More

Sometimes I get caught up in trying to prove I’m right. I want to win an argument so badly that my message can’t get through. Logic is impressive, but an action is meaningful. Saint Peter Canisius shows us how openness, charity, and humility may be more important in winning the day than the most compelling prose. Believe what I do.

Peter Canisius lived at a time of great friction among Christians. The chasm between Protestants and Catholics had become violent and bitter, much like the factions in our society today. Possessing a brilliant mind that would gain him recognition as a Doctor of the Church, Peter ultimately won the respect of all sides through deeds.

Peter was one of the earliest members of the Jesuit order, instrumental in forming several colleges and universities, a major influence in the emergence of the Catholic press and author of Catechisms of the Catholic faith that could be embraced by common people and children. As importantly, Peter set an example for Christian living through his acts of caring for the sick and visiting prisoners even with demanding responsibilities and a hectic schedule.  These actions broke down the polarizing attitudes of the day and left people open to his message. Peter engaged non-Catholics with openness and compassion.

“it is plainly wrong to meet non-Catholics with bitterness or to treat them with discourtesy. For this is nothing else than the reverse of Christ’s example because it breaks the bruised reed and quenches the smoking flax. We ought to instruct with meekness those whom heresy has made bitter and suspicious, and has estranged from orthodox Catholics, especially from our fellow Jesuits.

A tireless spirit, Peter is believed to have traveled over 20,000 miles on horseback and by foot during his lifetime. Peter once wrote, “If you have too much to do, with God’s help you will find time to do it all”.

His brilliance became evident at an early age when he authored books on Leo the Great and Saint Cyril that became quite popular. In 1547 he attended the Council of Trent and was instrumental in delivering the Council’s decrees to the eastern Bishops and throughout Germany. The decision to use Peter for the task came after an earlier attempt to deliver these volumes had ended in violence and theft. Peter was chosen because he was known to be respected.

His Catechism focused on three primary pillars, wisdom, justice, and the sacraments. The concepts of faith, hope, charity and performing good vs. evil were important messages for followers to comprehend in the combative tenor of the age.

Peter had deep faith in Catholicism and God’s intervention. “The fear of many people is greater than necessary because they look for human and not divine help: they act in despair instead of praying with holy confidence for the oppressed Church.”

Peter Canisius had many talents, but his ability to set an example of faith and love through his actions made him effective at breaking down barriers so his message could be heard. His efforts were instrumental in the Catholic Renewal and the conversion of many Protestants in Austria, Bavaria, and Bohemia. For all of his contributions, Peter became known as the Second Apostle of Germany for spreading the faith there in a manner rivaled only by Saint Boniface.

Peter Canisius stands as a shining example of a life well lived and well loved.  He is a model for dealing effectively with polarizing times, like the world we live in today.

 

Each of us is faced with trials and setbacks.  Though we do not control the hand we are dealt, we can determine how we play our cards.  St. Ephram the Syrian, uneducated and living on the wrong side of the current events of his day, found a voice that inspired the people of his time and those of the millenniums that followed.  He is an example of our ability to rise above our circumstance with our thoughts and words.

St. Ephram was subjected to the same type of mass relocation that many Christians in the Middle East are facing today.  In the year 363, his lifetime home of Nisibis fell to the Persians forcing Ephram to Edessa (in present day Iraq) where he lived in a cave in monastic seclusion and experienced the most fruitful and productive years of his life.

St. Ephram became known as “the Harp of the Holy Ghost” and composed a prolific number of poems and religious hymns as a pioneer in the use of these forms for theological expression.  He applied his verse to music in his efforts to combat some of the heresies of the day and address mysteries like the Immaculate Conception of Mary and the Incarnation.  His descriptions of death, the Last Judgement, heaven, and hell later influenced Dante and his work.  Some of his prayers and hymns are recited and sung regularly to this day. Read More

 

Think about the courage it would take to stand, armed with only words, and try to convince the leader one of the most savage armies in history to spare your city. Need help facing your fears or getting ready to take on something difficult? Reflect on Leo the Great.

Leo the Great was recognized as a peacemaker and unifier during an age where the Church and its people were in desperate need of both. The decaying Roman empire was in a state of collapse, leaving room for many forms of heresy to spread and barbarian armies to infiltrate. Leo faced these challenges head on.

“Virtue is nothing without the trial of temptation, for there is no conflict without an enemy, no victory without strife” Read More

 

How often does duty get in the way of our desires?  Need an example of how putting our wishes aside can make this world a better place?  Examine the life of Gregory the Great.

Gregory lived from 540 to 604 and was a man for his turbulent times.  The Roman Empire had fallen, Rome had been sacked several times and most of its grand buildings were in ruins.  War, famine and the plague were prevalent throughout Rome and large sections of Europe.  The world needed organized, disciplined and visionary leadership.  Gregory responded, setting aside personal desires for a detached, secluded life and his impact is felt to this very day.  Read More

 

When I was young, it was common to see men wearing a St. Christopher medal affixed to a chain around their necks.  Known as the patron saint of travelers, his likeness also appeared on the dashboard of motorists as they gained comfort from his intercession over their safe passage to and from their destinations.

Christopher was known as a martyr who died in the third century under Decius.  Though there were many conflicting stories about his journey to notoriety, he became famous for an event that was ultimately determined to be unproven.  Since the details of his life are so conflicting, undocumented and cloudy, I will describe it the way I tell the story when someone asks me why I wear his medal today.

“Christopher was a big dopey guy who lived 200 years after Christ died.  He was a huge man, almost giant-like.  Because of his size, he was given the job of carrying people across the river by the town where he lived.  One night the Christ child appeared before him and asked to cross the river.  Christopher took him about half way across when he realized that baby Jesus had become incredibly heavy.  It took all his strength to complete the journey and bring Jesus with the weight of the world safely to the opposite shore.  Read More

 

I saw a news article recently about two relatively new accounting firms embroiled in a battle over rights to the name Arthur Andersen.  Both pale in comparison to the original firm, who’s unfortunate demise changed many things about doing business in this millennium.

I owe my plunge into entrepreneurship nearly 20 years ago to Arthur Andersen.

Arthur Andersen is to this day, in my estimation, the greatest Public Accounting Firm that ever existed. I attended a multi-day seminar on Entrepreneurship that they hosted for clients in the late 1990’s.  Among the more notable speakers at the seminar were Jeffrey Bleustien, the CEO of Harley Davidson and Franco Harris, the Hall of Fame Running Back for the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Read More

 

 

Parenting often entails making sacrifices for the benefit of the children.  A great number of these sacrifices are opportunity costs,  I’ve had many conversations with parent friends of mine over the years where they lamented things they could not do because they had kids.

In March of 2009, I was engaged in a text conversation with a friend who was having a hard time dealing with these forgone opportunities.  To my surprise, she saved my comments and sent them back to me last year.  They do capture my feelings, albeit a bit less eloquently in their off the cuff delivery.

“Why have I dealt for over 10 years with what you are feeling such frustration over this past month?  I know these three people who are incredibly special.  Each different in many ways but it is their similar traits that amaze me.  They are blessed with physical and intellectual talent.  They have learned to be caring people, concerned for others and interested in dedicating their efforts to making the world they live in a better place.  I do not know what they will accomplish in life, but I see that if they are allowed to grow to their potential, each of them can leave a very special legacy.  I do believe that helping them realize their true potential is worth any amount of sacrifice I may be asked to make.  My contribution to this world will be the things I did to prepare them for their life’s journey.

Because I believe in them, the painful things I endure are tolerable.  I can accept the absence of things I’d like in my life knowing that absence is indirectly helping them along.

I probably won’t live to see most of what they achieve in life, but that is not really important.  People who I will never meet, who are not even alive today will benefit and be blessed for the sacrifices I make now for my children.  That thought makes each of those sacrifices worth it to me. It’s my way of leaving something good and healthy behind this life I’ve been given.”

 

Recently, I was reminded of an encounter way back in 2008 that left a lasting impression on my friend Tony.

We were in Shanghai having a quick lunch at a restaurant on a business trip.  The table conversation was unremarkable, centering on preparations for a presentation of a technology solution we were offering to a large media company.  We were slightly jet lagged, tired, moderately stressed and a long way from home.

When the plates were empty and the afternoon’s tasks had been discussed and divided, we got up to leave.  Tony forced his chair back from the table, stood and started to walk away.  I stopped him.  Read More