Mattie J. T. Stepanek: American Poet and Peacemaker
Mattie Stepanek, an American poet and peace activist, was born near Rockville, MD in July 1990. During his life he wrote seven best-selling books of poetry and peace essays. And he did it all before he turned fourteen. In June 2004, Mattie died of a rare form of muscular dystrophy. This illness also took the lives of his three older siblings.
Mattie’s hero was former president Jimmy Carter who said of him, “he was the most extraordinary person whom I have ever known.” After Mattie’s death, Carter edited his final book entitled Just Peace: A Message of Hope. Carter wasn’t Mattie’s only admirer. Mattie first appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show when he was eleven and the two became good friends. (see video below) Oprah named Mattie one of her all-time most memorable guests. Both she and Jimmy Carter spoke at Mattie’s funeral Mass. Carter called Mattie “a messenger from God.” And what was Mattie’s message? Said Carter, he called everyone to be “a peace seeker, a peace maker, a peace bringer.”
Mattie’s parents divorced after he was born. He lived with his mother who suffered from muscular dystrophy too. She was not diagnosed until she unknowingly passed the illness on to her four children. From an early age, Mattie was active in his parish. After making his First Communion, he served both as a lector and a catechist. One of his personal maxims in life was this: Life brings storms, but “remember to play after every storm.”
Mattie’s poems were eventually set to music. Billy Gilman, a young country music artist, was chosen to sing some of those poems. Gilman was 2 years older than Mattie and was himself a “young phenom.” His single hit “One Voice” was released when he was only twelve! Both Mattie and Billy became good friends. Billy even sang some of Mattie’s songs at his funeral Mass.
This week, we in the U.S. celebrate the Fourth of July, our Independence Day. It seems fitting that we also celebrate the life of this remarkable young American who worked tirelessly for peace throughout his short life. His poetry, essays, talks, and the example of his personal life have inspired millions of people all over the world. I hope Mattie might encourage and inspire all of us too.
For reflection: Let us look for little opportunities this week to be a bringer of peace for others… by our attention to others’ needs… by our words… by our tone of voice… by our smile… by our gentleness… by our patience… by our calm… by our prayer…
I am offering two videos for your inspiration and enjoyment today. The first is a 5 min. video by Oprah Winfrey. The second is one of Mattie’s poems sung by Billy Gilman. (I’m sorry but I could not find videos with captions.)
#1: In this video you will actually meet Mattie… hear excerpts from his interview with Oprah… meet his amazing mother… and catch glimpses of Mattie’s funeral.
#2: This video is Billy Gilman singing Mattie’s poem “I Am.” The song begins with: “I am black, I am white, and all colors in between… I am scrawny, I am well-fed… I am smart, I am challenged… It continues: “I am scrawny, I am well-fed… I am able, I am weak… I am shadow, I am glory… I am hero, I am loser…” The chorus is: “The color of sky is blues and grays… the color of earth is greens and browns… the color of hope is rainbows and purples… the color of peace is people together.”
I welcome your comments below to this reflection on Mattie Stepanek.
PS: I am posting this blog on Sunday July 3, hoping it will reach all my subscribers by Monday or Tuesday. We’re still having difficulties with my blog. Thank you!
Quotations Filed under “T”
As many of you know, I’ve been collecting quotations ever since I was in high school. I write them on 3″ X 5″ cards and file them away in alphabetical order. Every now and than I devote this blog to one of the topics in that file or one of the letters. Today we’re visiting some of the quotes filed under the letter “T.” Here goes…
1. Tact: “Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy.” Howard Newton
2. Tagore: This great Indian poet wrote: “Only let me make my life simple and straight
like a flute of reed for Thee to fill with music.”
3. Teach: “To teach is to learn twice.” Joseph Joubert
4. Teach: “I am not a teacher—only a fellow traveler of whom you asked the way. I pointed ahead—ahead of myself as well as of you.” George Bernard Shaw
5. Teach: “The art of teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theater.” Gail Godwin
6. Temptation: “There are several good protections against temptation, but the surest is cowardice.” Mark Twain
7. Thanksgiving: “To be a saint is to be fueled by gratitude, nothing more and nothing less.” Richard Rohr
8. Thirst: “How poor a life is in which there is not thirst. Craving and longing and the restlessness which goes with them are a sort of consolation in themselves and a hint of likeness with God.” Janet Stuart
9. Time: “Nothing is worth more than this day.” Anonymous
10. Time: “I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.” John Burrows
11: Time: “Three o’clock in the afternoon is always too late or too early for anything you want to do.” Jean-Paul Sartre.
12. Time: “Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got.” Art Buchwald
13: Tongue twister: The most difficult tongue twister in the English language is supposed to be: “The sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep is sick.” (Try it!)
14. Tradition: “Tradition means passing on the flame—not worshipping the ashes.” Gustav Mahler
15. Tradition: “Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes: our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking around.” G. K. Chesterton
16. Trust: “Do we trust God to act in all the events of our lives, or only the ones that meet our approval?” Barbara Brown Taylor
17. Trust: “Better to be occasionally cheated than perpetually suspicious.” B. C. Forbes
18. Trust: “Those who trust us educate us.” George Eliot
19. Trust: “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” Corrie ten Boom
20. Truth: “The pursuit of truth is like picking raspberries. You miss a lot if you approach it from only one angle.” Randal Marlin
21. Truth: “The obvious is never the whole truth.” Carolyn Myss
22. Truth: “There are two ways to slide easily through life: to believe everything or to doubt everything. Both ways save us from thinking.” Alfred Karzybski
23. Truth: When someone asked how one can improve the moral atmosphere of an entire country, Aleksandr Solzenitsyn said, “…by never permitting falsehood of any kind to invade their conversation, professional work, meetings, writing.”
24: Truth: “Keep the company of those who seek the truth, and run away from those who have found it.” Vaclav Havel
25. Truth: “The truth will ouch.” Arnold Glasow
For reflection:
Are there any quotes that stood out for you? If so, which one(s) and why?
Are there any you would modify or rewrite? If so, which and why?
PS: Last week I wrote about getting a dose of beauty each day. I want to share with you some beauty that’s in my living room: my little pink African violet. Isn’t she pretty?! I bought her in Kentucky while visiting a friend down there. On the drive home, she fell over on the floor and some of her dirt spilled out. She was scraggly the first couple of months, but now look at her! She reminds me that major changes in our life can be traumatic. But given time and care, we can blossom once again.
Since some of the quotes were about time, I chose the song “Time in a Bottle” by Jim Croce. I know this song is an oldie, but it’s one I’ve always liked. Croce wrote the song circa 1970 when his wife told him she was pregnant. It focuses on love, especially so-called “romantic love.” But it is about other kinds of love too. My favorite line is, “You’re the one I want to go through time with.” We can say these words to our friends, family members, and even God, not so? As you listen to the song, give thanks for those individuals you are happy to be going through time with…
I welcome your comments below!
Have You Had Your Dose of Beauty for Today?
The old proverb says, “If you have only two coins left, use one to buy a loaf of bread, and the other one to buy a hyacinth.” I like that! It reminds us that having beauty in our life can be just as important as having food. We need a regular dose of beauty to counterbalance the ugly, stressful, and depressing things we may see on any given day.
In my book, The Grace of Beauty, I devote several chapters to beauty’s positive influence on our brain, physical health, and spiritual life. I also try to show that beauty comes in a wide variety of forms. Take creation. Many of us are quick to find beauty in the natural world. We frequent parks, we putter in our gardens, we play with our pets, we feed the birds, we take time to enjoy a sunset, we look up at the stars at night.
Some of us find beauty in words. I am one of those rare individuals who really, really likes Melville’s Moby Dick. From the first sentence (“Call me Ishmael”) to the last (“It was the devious-cruising Rachel, that in her retracing search after her missing children, only found another orphan”). Others of us find beauty in poetry, plays, movies, bands or orchestras. Some of us prefer the visual arts and go to art museums where we get lost in Impressionist paintings, Indian pottery, or contemporary photography.
There’s beauty even in sports. For example, I love the grace and precision of a well-turned double play. Or a receiver zig-zagging the full 100 yards to return a punt. Or the gracefulness of a successful 19 yard putt. There’s beauty to be found just about anywhere—in science, medicine, construction, cooking, crafts, religion, and (of course) in people. The secret is to notice, pause, and enjoy.
How does beauty work her positive magic on our psyche and soul? Here are a few ways:
Beauty grounds us. It demands our full attention. When we are entranced by beauty, we can’t be ruing the past or worrying about the future; we are rooted in the here and now.
Beauty affirms life. In his book, Beauty and the Soul, Piero Ferrucci writes, “The more we can perceive beauty in our surroundings and also inside us, the more we feel at home and glad to exist.”
Beauty stimulates the imagination. When we feel overwhelmed by our problems or imprisoned by circumstances, beauty can activate our imagination. It can lead us to see things differently and to envision new possibilities.
Beauty eases our sense of aloneness. We feel more connected with others when we are experiencing something beautiful. And many times we may even feel more connected to the Other, namely, God, the ultimate source of all Beauty.
Speaking of God, let me tell you of this incident with my father. My dad always had a big garden. Every day, even before he retired, he would spend hours out there weeding, watering, and caring for everything he grew: asparagus, peas, tomatoes, peppers, beans, spinach, basil, cauliflower, broccoli, corn, squash, watermelons—you get the idea. One birthday, my sister gave him a small plaque which said, “I never feel closer to God than when I’m in my garden.” When Dad unwrapped it and read it, he smiled and said, “This is exactly how I feel too!”
Prayer…
Beautiful God, help me to grow in my awareness of the beauty all around me: in creation, in people, in myself, and in human-made beauty expressed in color, line, texture, word, symbol, sound, gesture, and movement. Help me to grow in my appreciation of beauty’s mystery, power, delight, and absolute necessity in my life. Give me the grace to contribute my own particular beauty into this world—especially through beauty’s highest expression: selfless loving. I ask these things of you, “O Beauty ever ancient, ever new.” Amen.
For reflection:
Where do you find beauty in your everyday life?
Recall an incident where a few moments of beauty “nourished your soul.” Could you share it with us?
What other effects of beauty (beside the ones listed above) have you experienced?
PS: I big thank you for your prayers for last week’s retreat with the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, KS. The Sisters and I appreciated your support! And I want to send out a special thank you to two of their sisters: Sisters Noreen and Judy who helped me so much all week. Noreen was my DJ and more, and Judy was my Uber driver and more!
And now I have a real treat for you: an 8 minute dose of beauty! The video features an artist, Jay Lee, painting a field of sunflowers! The video includes some lovely relaxing music too. Watch as the artist paints not only with a brush, but also with some unusual utensils! It’s amazing!
I encourage you to add a comment below. I love hearing from you!
“Something’s Trapped Inside the Dumpster!”
Sister Annie was taking a walk outside after supper. As she emerged from the woods, she passed the dumpster behind our elementary school. As she did, she heard, “THUMP!… THUMP-THUMP!…. THUMP!… THUMP!” She stopped. “Something’s trapped inside the dumpster!” she thought. Was it a bird, perhaps?
She went to the dumpster and carefully lifted the lid a few inches. Immediately the thumping stopped. If it was a bird trapped inside, then surely it would fly out. But nothing happened. And the dumpster was too tall for her to see inside. After a few minutes she put the lid down (it was heavy!) and went to the side of the dumpster where there was a sliding door. Cautiously she slid open the door a little and peered into the darkness. And there it was on the floor of the empty dumpster: a small furry creature only about 6 inches long. When Annie saw his bushy tail, she was relieved. At least it wasn’t a rat.
But the most distinctive thing about the animal were his eyes. They were very large. Annie concluded, whatever (or whoever) this creature was, he was nocturnal—and was probably alarmed by the light Annie had let into the dumpster. Immediately she knew what to do. She went back to the edge of the woods where she spotted a long, dead branch caught in one of the evergreens. Perfect! She yanked it from the tree. The tree was probably happy to have it removed from its branches, she thought. Then Annie quickly returned to the dumpster. She carefully placed the branch inside the dumpster, one end resting on the floor, the other end sticking out the door. She had made the animal a bridge to freedom! Then Annie stood nearby and watched. Nothing happened. That’s when she realized that the nocturnal animal was probably not going to venture out into the light. He would wait until dark to emerge from his prison.
Meanwhile, Annie went inside to her computer. She looked up animals in northeast Ohio and, after a little while, discovered exactly who her little friend was: a southern flying squirrel (glaucomys volans)! She was surprised to learn this type of squirrel is the most common squirrel in Ohio—but very few people know this! (Annie and I didn’t!) And very few Ohioans have ever seen one—because they are nocturnal!
Southern flying squirrels don’t really fly, of course. They glide using the membrane that stretches from their wrists to their ankles. Ordinarily they glide between 30 and 40 feet. But in one documented glide, a particular southern flying squirrel “flew” (drum roll, please!) a whopping 240 feet! They are extremely agile in “flight,” even being able to do U-turns in mid air! (See videos below).
This story of the southern flying squirrel trapped in a dumpster ends happily. The next morning Sister Annie went to the dumpster and looked inside. The squirrel was gone. She was elated. One of God’s little creatures was saved from probable death by the chance passing of a Sister—who also happened to be a caring and creative human being!
This story reminds me of how little we know of the world we inhabit… how amazing this particular little being really is… and how our respect and care must reach out to our entire earth community.
For reflection:
What does this story say to you?
Is there anything in particular that strikes you?
Have you ever had a similar experience where you helped someone other than a human being? Would you share your story below?
PS: Sister Annie really loves and respects all animals. She’s been a vegan for over six years. I wrote about her on my Oct. 1, 2018 post entitled “Interview with a Vegan.” You can access that post by typing the title or date in the search box at the top on the right.
PS #2: I ask your prayers for a retreat I’ll be giving this week for the Sisters of Charity in Leavenworth, KS. The theme of the retreat is “Hanging onto Hope in Our Beautiful and Imperfect World.” The sisters and I appreciate the support of your prayers!
Here are two short videos. The first is from “Animal Diaries” (11 mins.) and features southern flying squirrels at a animal refuge. This video shows flying squirrels in action (they’re so quick!) and also interacting with their caregiver. You’ll also see two tiny baby southern flying squirrels. They certainly merit a 10 on the cuteness scale! The second video (2 mins.) from the BBC features larger flying squirrels. David Attenborough narrates and shows these squirrels flying in the woods at night. Wow! These videos are well worth 13 minutes of your life!
Video #1: Animal Refuge
Video #2: BBC
Please leave a comment below! We welcome your input!
Some Fun with Patron Saints
A patron saint is a saint who is considered a heavenly advocate or special helper of a nation, place, occupation, activity, clan, family, or person. Some well-known patron saints include these: Mary under the title of “Immaculate Conception” (USA), St. Patrick (Ireland), St. Nicholas (children), St. Gerard Majella (expectant mothers), and St. Luke and Saints Cosmas and Damien (doctors).
When I was having computer problems a while ago, I wondered if the Church had named a patron saint for the internet. Though there’s no “official” patron saint of the internet, there is an “unofficial” one. It’s St. Isidore of Seville who lived in the 7th Century. Now how could a guy who lived 14 Centuries ago be the patron saint of the internet? I decided to look him up (fittingly) on the internet. Isidore was born in Spain in 560 and eventually became an archbishop. He was considered “the most learned man of his age.” In fact, he is credited with writing the first “encyclopedia.” It was a 20 volume work called Etymologiae, and it was the Wikipedia of his day. In his massive work, Isidore tried to summarize all the knowledge of the 7th Century—at least in the West. So he wrote about math, music, science, medicine, law, philosophy, history, geography, etc. In doing so, he cited very few sources. And much of what he wrote was based more on his opinion than actual research. (Sound familiar?)
But St. Isidore is not the only holy person “connected” to the internet. In 2006, an Italian teenager named Carlo Acutis died of leukemia at age 15. Described as a “computer geek,” this young man was an amateur computer programmer. More than that, he used the internet in service of the gospel. He was beatified in 2020 and has been dubbed the patron saint of the internet. So, if you’re having computer or internet problems, try calling on Isi or Carlo. (I bet they get a lot of “prayers”!)
Here are a few more more patron saints of occupations, places, conditions. Some I will just name. Others I’ll say a word or two about. Here goes—in alphabetical order:
apple orchards: St. Charles Borromeo; astronauts: St. Joseph Cupertino (he levitated frequently); barbers: St. Martin de Porres; book trade: St. John of God; button makers: St. Louis, the King of France; he is also the patron saint of soldiers; cab drivers: St. Joseph (he “taxied” Mary to Bethlehem and later Mary and baby Jesus to Egypt. And he turned the meter off both times!)
dieticians: St. Martha (she cooked meals for the most important friend/guest in human history: Jesus. I bet he wasn’t a fussy eater either!); drought and other natural disasters: St. Genevieve ( she preserved her city from Attila by encouraging the people to pray and fast); falling: St. Venantius, a third century Italian martyr. (Part of his torture was being thrown off a high cliff—which he somehow survived. But in the end, he was beheaded); grandparents: Saints Joachim and Anne (They are, according to legend, Mary’s parents, Jesus’ grandparents); in-law problems: too many saints to list!; law suits; St. Agia
libraries, librarians: St. Jerome (he translated the scriptures into Latin), St. Catherine of Alexandria (a very learned woman); lost articles: St. Anthony of Padua (If you lose something, just say this little couplet: “Tony, Tony, come around, something’s lost and can’t be found!); mechanics: St. Catherine of Alexandria—again! (She’s often pictured with a spoked wheel which was the instrument of torture her executioners tried [unsuccessfully] to use on her); St. Eligius (a mastercraftsman who is often shown with a hammer and anvil)
paratroopers: St. Michael the Archangel (I guess that makes sense…); pets: Anthony the Abbot (he is also the patron of farm animals. Some farmers put his image above their barn doors); photography: St. Veronica (when Jesus was carrying his cross, legend says she wiped his face with her veil. The image of his face appeared on her veil: the first “photograph” in history! This story is not found in scripture); plumbers and builders: St. Vincent Ferrer (a Dominican who lived during the time there were three popes! I guess he cleaned the clogged pipes of church leadership and helped re-build the Church!); politicians: St. Thomas More (a layman who was chancellor of England during the reign of King Henry VIII. Thomas’ loyalty to his king had limits. Because he refused to accept Henry as leader of the Church, Thomas lost not only his office but also his head.) Popes: St. Peter (one would expect him) and St. Gertrude the Great (she counseled Popes during her life time)
postal workers: St. Gabriel the Archangel (he was entrusted with delivering the most significant “letter” in history: God’s asking Mary to be the mother of Jesus); rheumatoid arthritis sufferers: St. James the Greater, St. Killian, St. Servatus (many people get arthritis, so we need many patron saints here); scientists: St. Albert the Great; seasickness and sailors: Erasmus also known as St. Elmo… (I wonder if he was ticklish?)
silence: St. John Nepomucene (a popular Czech saint, a priest, who refused to reveal what the Queen of Bohemia had said in confession. Tradition says he was killed because of this); stock brokers: St. Matthew (makes sense); teachers: Pope St. Gregory the Great, St. John Baptist de la Salle (founder of the Christian Brothers), St. Angela Merici (founder of the Ursulines), St. Julie Billiart (founder of the Sisters of Notre Dame), and others;
television: St. Clare (the legend says one day she was too ill to attend Mass in chapel. But the sounds and images of the entire Mass appeared on the wall of her room. I bet it was hi-def too!); toothaches and dentists: Apollonia (it alludes to the way she was tortured before being martyred. I won’t go into detail) ; zoos: St. Francis of Assisi (you probably could have guessed that).
For reflection:
Did anything stand out for you in this reflection?
Do you ever pray to the saints? If so, which one(s) and why? If not, why not?
Do you have a favorite saint?
In honor of Pentecost, I chose this song: “Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God” by Keith and Kristyn Getty. I like it because it names many of the gifts of the Holy Spirit such as faithfulness, joy, gentleness, kindness, peace… I wish all these gifts for all of you, my wonderful readers…
I invite you to comment below on anything related to today’s reflection, song, pictures…
