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Day: October 27, 2012

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Christian Witness, Homilies, , , ,

Reflection for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Go your way.
Your way is my way Lord.

“Jesus told him, ‘Go your way; your faith has saved you.’ Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.

Bartimeus literally means Bar-Timeus – the son of Timeus. People saw the son of Timeus as a man without hope. He sat along the road, a blind beggar.

Bartimeus had heard of Jesus and his miracles, and learned that He was passing by. He was filled with hope – he knew that through Jesus, the Messiah, he might recover his eyesight.

Bartimeus came to Jesus for help. As we face the week, and the months ahead, with storms, anxieties, the pressures of holidays (imposed by the world’s view of what the holidays are – not the Church’s view), and other stresses, we must know that we may come to Jesus with the same hope that Bartimeus had – hope for help.

Like Bartimeus, we have heard of Jesus, and we know His miracles. We know that He isn’t just passing by, but is with us at every moment. Like Bartimeus we have every right to call out to Him in hope. “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

God truly delivers help and healing. He delivered Israel from bondage and brought them back. They left in tears and sinfulness and returned on level roads rejoicing. Likewise He gathers us in, protects us, and delivers us when we call out to Him.

As Jesus called to Bartimeus, He calls to us. Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The gracious call of Jesus gives us hope to come to him in our need. If we come to him in hope we shall have what we came for. He will open our eyes to the miracles and wonders guaranteed to His children.

Bartimeus cast aside his garments. We too must cast away the garment of self-sufficiency, and free of the weight of doubt we may go forward with clear eyes. Jesus clears our vision, lifting all the weights that bear down on us.

Now it is up to us. Jesus told Bartimeus – receive your sight, be it unto you as you desire. “Go your way,” that is, to your own house, about your own business.

Bartimeus was given the choice that is in front of all of us. Jesus gives us what we ask for and gives us the opportunity to see clearly. Bartimeus saw clearly and chose to follow Jesus – to Jerusalem and beyond.

Bartimeus saw not just physically, but with the eyes of faith. As we face our anxieties, let us ask Jesus for the help we hope for, the hope He has guaranteed. Then let us respond with eyes of faith to follow Him.

Christian Witness, Perspective, Political, , ,

Unemployment and Re-employment

Unemployment Benefits Reduce Poverty

The Congressional Research Service released a report on the: Antipoverty Effects of Unemployment Insurance (UI) [pdf].

This report examines the antipoverty effects of unemployment insurance benefits during the past recession and the economic recovery. The analysis highlights the impact of the additional and expanded unemployment insurance (UI) benefits available to unemployed workers through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program. In 2011, approximately 56% of all unemployed individuals were receiving UI benefits (down from a high of 66% in 2010). UI benefits appear to have a large poverty-reducing effect among unemployed workers who receive them. Given the extended length of unemployment among jobless workers, the additional weeks of UI benefits beyond the regular program’s 26-week limit appear to have had an especially important effect in poverty reduction.

The report’s analysis shows that UI benefits appear to reduce the prevalance of poverty significantly among the population that receives them. The UI benefits’ poverty reduction effects appear to be especially important during and immediately after recessions. The analysis also finds that there was a markedly higher impact on poverty in the most recent recession than in the previous two recessionary periods. The estimated antipoverty effects of UI benefits in 2011 were about 50% higher than that of two previous peak years of unemployment — 1993 and 2003.

In 2011, over one quarter (26.5%) of unemployed people who received UI benefits would have been considered poor prior to taking UI benefits into account; after counting UI benefits, their poverty rate decreased by just under half, to 13.8%.

NELP Reports on the Value of the Public Re-Employment Services

The National Employment Law Project (NELP) recently issued a briefing paper titled: Getting Real: Time to Re- Invest in the Public Employment Service [pdf].

The paper highlights the value of reemployment services. Their briefing calls for a “renewed focus on reemployment services,” with substantial increases in federal funding for the Employment Service. According to NELP, increased funding for the Employment Services would allow states to provide more services to job seekers such as: job placement services, in-person job search assistance, and pre-training counseling. In addition to increased federal funding, NELP recommends prioritizing those who are receiving unemployment insurance.

PNCC, ,

Enjoying the Fall Foliage

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Fall foliage experts say region could still get some brilliant color

Forget that bet over whether this summer’s early drought or late rain will make fall leaves brighter or duller.

Those hues are mostly up to the weather ahead, according to leaf expert Marc Abrams, professor of forest ecology and physiology at Penn State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences. For brilliant leaves, hope for sunny days with cold crisp nights.

The Rev. Mark Swoger, pastor of Holy Trinity Polish National Catholic Church in Washington, walks hand-in-hand with his wife, Miriam, through the Ebenezer covered bridge in Mingo Creek Park in Nottingham on Wednesday afternoon.
“This has been a very complicated year,” he said. “The Pittsburgh area had significantly more drought than we had in Central and Eastern Pennsylvania, and I think the drought is going to be a factor against the best fall colors that are possible. But my guess is that most of your trees held up OK.”

What’s most important, from here on out, is dry weather with night temperatures dipping into the 40s and 30s, but not freezing, said Mr. Abrams, who devoted his career to studying how weather affects fall colors.

“Earlier in September we had some nice, cool temperatures that started to bring out the color. I would like that to continue,” he said. “What would be most worrisome would be a continuation of warm weather into the second week in October and not getting the cool-down that we need.”

Dave Jackson, a forest resources educator with Penn State Extension Service, says that the most spectacular foliage in Pennsylvania is north of Interstate 80, in places such as the Allegheny National Forest. That’s because the hardwoods, such as cherry and sugar maple, that thrive there offer a greater variety of spectacular colors than the duller oaks and predominant red maples in the southern part of the state.

Look for the northern hardwoods to start turning in mid-October, the southern oaks in late October, he said.

“The oaks will have more of the oranges and not so much of the brilliant reds,” he said…

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