#comeseethegood

...left by my local sign angel...

12/2020

by Laura A. Cassell, CEO

Not long ago, I wrote about a “Stop Littering” sign planted by someone on a busy street near my home. Well, my Sign Angel is at it again – this time with the simple message, “Don’t Give Up.”  For starters, it warms my heart that there are average people who care enough to share messages of hope with total strangers.  And boy, do we need hope after a year with COVID and so much other upheaval!

It also got me thinking about Advent and about the ultimate message of hope that we just celebrated – the Birth of Christ.  For more than 2,000 years people’s distressed spirits have been buoyed by the humble birth of an infant in a stable. Through all types of hardship, many worse than the recent pandemic – whether it be famine, depression, pestilence, disease, world wars – at year’s end, people have found their hope renewed by simply recounting what happened on that cold, quiet  night in Bethlehem so long ago.  This same birth is here for us now if only we can find a way to ease our restlessness and open our hearts to His power.

It’s telling that our Lord was NOT born into a situation of grandeur, or ease or even remote normalcy; as if to assure us – 2,000 years into the future – that when things look their bleakest we should turn our eyes to heaven and look for His star.  Indeed, our Savior was born into despair. His mother and father were traveling as strangers in a land that held no relations, gave them nowhere to rest, and promised only danger for their newborn child.  Yet the Holy family found solace that first holy night in the angels and the poor shepherds who came in from the fields. And lucky for us and for humanity, they did not lose hope.

While we tend to visualize Christ as the young carpenter who literally carried the cross to His own crucifixion, Advent reminds us that He first revealed Himself as a vulnerable baby with a powerful message of hope:  With God, there is always room for new beginnings and for that second chance. This belief is central to the mission of Catholic Charities.  For more than 60 years we’ve served neighbors who turn to our Church in their struggles – frail seniors, pregnant women, young mothers, veterans, immigrants, people with addictions and mental illness, developmental disabilities and many other challenges.  This past year, COVID brought many more to our doorstep with sickness, loss of loved ones, loss of jobs and even dreams.  And just like the innkeeper of Bethlehem, we opened our doors and made room, keeping hope alive and well in their hearts.  

This year that message is one we all ought to fervently cling to, individually and collectively, as a community of believers.  It’s been a year of trial on so many levels that it would be easy for us to throw up our hands and surrender but the infant Jesus won’t let us.  He promises us a new beginning and the opportunity to keep striving in His footsteps.  Advent is His personal invitation to renew our covenant with Him and not even COVID can limit us when we unite our hearts to unleash His HOPE on the world!

I am so grateful to my stealth, “Sign Angel” for the well-timed, covert inspiration. That little, road-side sign reminds each of us to use the power of the Holy season to ignite hope in the hearts of all people of goodwill throughout our country and the world.  

1 John 2:15

An Advent reflection for 12/30/2020: The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas - by Laura A. Cassell, CEO

                Do not love the world or the things of the world…

In a year dominated by the COVID pandemic, John’s caution not to love “the things of this world” carries particular weight, especially as we’re forced to contemplate the reality of those words in our day-to-day lives. To be sure, the virus has changed virtually every facet of how we behave and with whom we interact. For many of us, it has uncomfortably exposed the all too significant degree of attachment we have for the things of this world. Not only have we forgone communal events like concerts, movies, and shows of every kind, we’ve also had to sacrifice large weddings, baptisms and virtually all the personal gatherings we once took for granted. Simple things like a lunch with coworkers or a day at the beach have become carefully-executed and exceedingly rare projects if they even happen at all.  

Meanwhile, the practices of social distancing and mask wearing have had even more profound impacts. These necessary but heartbreaking restrictions have reduced our personal contact with each other while also leaving us with a tangible, emotional disconnect. We avoid all but the most necessary visits and our masks block the beauty of facial expressions which are so vital to true communication. All the Zoom meetings and Skype calls in the world could never match the authenticity of the human face.  

So while it’s clear that most of us have spent this year unhappily relinquishing “the things of this world,” I can’t help but wonder if we’ve used the time wisely. Have we spent these months lamenting these burdensome circumstances? Or, have we used this time to grow closer to God? This forced intermission in our ever-more busy lives might be considered an opportunity to re-evaluate what really matters. Clearly, our dependence on a loving and merciful God is on the minds of many. Will we simply forget this profound truth when this is all over?  

10/2020

by Laura A. Cassell, CEO

If anyone ever designs a time machine, let’s remind them to skip 2020.

All kidding aside, it’s certainly been a daunting year and that’s coming from Catholic Charities, an organization designed to tackle challenging problems.  To be sure, we’ve navigated a fair share in our 63-year history, everything from 9-11 to Superstorm Sandy. However, a worldwide pandemic, nonstop political unrest, and now hurricane power outages have left all but the toughest Long Islanders feeling overwhelmed.  Even the warm weather we patiently waited for brought an uptick of sharks prowling our beaches!  

So I wanted to take this opportunity to finally share a bit of good news from earlier in the year.  Back in February we decided to breathe some new life into our ministries by introducing an updated agency graphic and a refreshed mission statement (found below). With those in hand, we then changed our name from, Catholic Charities of Rockville Centre to Catholic Charities of Long Island. Remarkably, despite our long, local history at more than 60 locations from Elmont to the East End, many people still didn’t realize we serve all of Long Island. We knew this name change would be a tremendous undertaking but that it was also somewhat overdue. Unfortunately, just as we were poised to unveil our new identity, COVID-19 struck our beloved island.

As you well know, outside of New York City, Nassau and Suffolk were among the hardest hit counties in the country but as always, Long Islanders leapt into action. Our hospitals constructed enormous medical tents and invented makeshift ventilators, beach parking lots became high-volume testing centers, doctors and nurses came out of retirement and everyday people started sewing masks. At Charities, we joined the fight too. We immediately instituted telehealth appointments, set up electronic benefits filing and offered online psychological consults. We made weekly calls to the hundreds of seniors unable to attend our senior centers and delivered Meals-on-Wheels and groceries to hundreds more. Most important, we continued round-the-clock, face-to-face care in our homes for developmental disabilities, mental illness, frail seniors and single, pregnant young moms and their babies. Our team at Catholic Charities never stopped caring for our neighbors and when the virus got in the way, we found new ways to deliver services and to reassure them that they were not alone.  

Looking back on those first, few, tumultuous months it’s clear we made the right choice.  Our phones were ringing off the hook because Long Islanders instinctively knew the Church would be there for them. And every time we responded, “Catholic Charities of Long Island” we could sense the relief of our callers.  But we’ve always been here. We responded when the towers fell and we rebuilt our communities after Superstorm Sandy. Naturally, we’re going to be here to pick up the pandemic pieces. Catholic Charities is part of Long Island, and Long Island is a part of us. We are your friends, family, and neighbors and all that we do, we do together with you as one community. That’s what makes us Catholic Charities of Long Island and that’s why no other name fits so perfectly.

12/2019

by Laura A. Cassell, CEO 

A few months ago, one of the cellular phone carriers aired a television commercial that touched my heart. It featured a grandmother who was transformed by a smart phone that was imposed upon her by family. While Grandma was initially reluctant to even fiddle with this new-fangled gadget, she quickly progressed to texting, taking selfies, playing games and communicating with her grandchildren more than ever before. Eventually one of her granddaughters even helped Grandma post photos from her youth. They revealed to the entire younger generation the remarkable beauty, joy, heartache, trials and countless memorable experiences of their grandmother’s amazing life. The message was punctuated by the statement, “everyone realized they had been so worried about HOW grandma was, they had never stopped to ask WHO she was.”  

What a remarkable observation! We are once again reminded that in today’s fast paced world that it’s way too easy to reduce life to a checklist of tasks rather than to live and love in each precious moment.  This is an especially significant realization as Christmas and all its hustle and bustle fast approaches.  Perhaps you’re already wondering how you’ll finish all the shopping and dreaded gift-wrapping. Maybe it’s how you’ll find time to write cards, bake or cook. Or you might be geared up for the day after Thanksgiving and are already planning how to decorate your home. It’s natural to be a bit overwhelmed, but that’s what robs us of the season’s meaning and joy.  

Advent is our time to anticipate the gift of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Everything else is just a distraction from that one singular, most important to-do. So this year I respectfully suggest we heed the message of that wireless commercial and stay focused on the WHO of this Holy season. But HOW can that be done?

Well, we can begin by focusing on those words.  Just move the W and suddenly HOW becomes WHO. Then gradually go through your Christmas to-do list and replace the HOW with WHO.  WHO is the recipient of this greeting, this gift, these treats?  WHO will be around my Christmas table? WHO will be missing but be in our hearts? WHO will delight in the lights and décor? You’ll find that as we pen each card, wrap each package and bake each batch of cookies, the season will become a time of true appreciation for our loved ones. And gratitude flows from appreciation.        

This simple exercise will also help us see the reflection of Jesus in their familiar faces. Every kindness we share, each thoughtful message we write, every embrace will be a celebration of His love for us.  By keeping those we love in the bull’s eye of our preparations and celebrations, we keep Jesus at the center as well.  And that’s really the whole point of this holy season.

10/2019

by Laura A. Cassell, CEO

There’s been an outbreak of joy at my parish that started several months ago.  I would have missed how it all began if I hadn’t been seated directly behind a particular family at Mass one weekend.  This familiar young couple is often at the same service that my husband and I attend and I can recall when they were expecting the adorable baby boy they now held in their arms.  Just a few months old and already quite alert their son was making remarkable eye contact with everyone around him and accompanied his brilliant gaze with an even more brilliant smile.  The gentle coos that escaped from him simply added a bit of garnish to his charm.  And it’s this happy fellow that started this wave of gladness.

At every mass since, much to the delight of anybody in the pews around him, he showers fellow parishioners with intent gazes and glorious grins that never seem to fade.  This little guy exudes joy and it’s absolutely contagious! And each week it’s easy to narrow down where this happy, wide-eyed child of God is.  All you have to do is look for the beaming faces together in one pew and there he is in front of them. These days the whole church looks for him, no doubt to get a dose of the cheerfulness he radiates.  This littlest person has unwittingly set a marvelous tone for our worship.  

Now this beloved bundle could not possibly understand the words of the liturgy or the sacredness of the place he occupies. Yet, somehow he seems to appreciate the spirit of the ceremony, the proclamation of the Word in prayer and song and the absolute love that surrounds him from his parents to all those with whom he connects. Every aspect of the Mass delights him and he undeniably derives some satisfaction from being part of this special community.

While observing this phenomenon it occurred to me that God bestows the gift of the mass on everyone – young and old and everyone in between.  It is just as important to our Lord that even the littlest child find solace in Him as it is that we do.  And scripture tells us that Christ’s love for every one of us is so abundant, so all-encompassing that we can’t begin to imagine how deep it is.  Jesus said, “Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid.” (Luke 12:7)

So maybe it’s our familiarity with going to Mass for so many years that blinds us to just how great a gift it is.  Maybe we’ve lost sight of the fact that in receiving communion that we receive Christ Himself.  But what a wonderful reminder children like this are for us! At Mass we experience the very real presence of our Lord and Savior in the sacrament of the Eucharist. We are not in any way thwarted or blocked from access to God.  In fact, we are each personally invited to enter directly into communion with Him! What could possibly bring us more joy than that? Imagine, we can’t get a reservation at a fancy restaurant somewhere, but there’s nothing stopping us from experiencing the tenderness of our creator firsthand.  

by Laura A. Cassell, CEO

If you’re like many New Yorkers, you feel like you just got punched in the gut. Newly-elected New York State senators had barely found the way to their offices in the capital when they enthusiastically voted to pass the dishonestly named Reproductive Health Act.  

Let’s get to brass tacks and call it what it really is: a brazenly dangerous expansion of late-term abortion. The State of New York now officially allows abortions right up to the moment of birth. And if you think that’s a medical doctor’s decision, guess again.  This ill-conceived legislation permits non-physicians to perform the procedure. So if a mother or unborn child was suddenly in mortal danger at this last moment, a non-doctor could be making these life and death calls.  As a result, penal code protections for pregnant women and their unborn children were eliminated as well. So if someone attacks or batters a pregnant woman and causes a miscarriage, there will no longer be criminal penalties.    

To rub salt in this gaping wound, Gov. Cuomo signed this loathsome act into law on the 46th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. These out-of-touch politicians then had the audacity to celebrate this tragedy by illuminating both the Freedom Tower and the Alfred E. Smith Building in Albany in pink light – the first, a sacred place that actually memorializes the lives of unborn children who died in their mothers' wombs on 9/11 and the latter, named for a man who publicly proclaimed his Catholic values as former NY Governor and Democratic candidate for President in 1928.  Abortion, once considered an avenue of last resort, has now inconceivably become a badge of pride.  

To that end #ShoutYourAbortion is a viral movement that encourages women to boldly proclaim their abortion stories. Go online and you can watch painful videos of women angrily shouting the gruesome details of their abortions to crowds of onlookers.  There are also thousands of written posts, all defiantly shouting variations of, “YES! I murdered my child!”  Ironically, one entitled, “No Shame” claimed, “I am here to say that I do NOT regret my abortion and I am not ashamed!” Yet the author signed it, “Anonymous.”

How did we get to such an ugly place? In the 46 years since Roe v. Wade, we’ve witnessed extraordinary technological advances. Back in 1973, many women wouldn’t even suspect pregnancy until at least a month in, yet today it can be detected almost immediately.  Sophisticated images reveal the amazing development of the fetus as it advances from embryo to its first heartbeat in week five, budding hands and feet in week seven and the formation of lovely fingernails at week ten. Had these clear and vivid signs of life – precious and undeniable – been available back then, perhaps the abortion argument wouldn’t have gained traction.  

Yet, here we are, wondering how a once agonizing decision that prompted tears and heartache became cause for celebration.  This didn’t happen overnight but we must snap out of our complacency immediately because we’re now plunging even deeper into a culture of death. Just this month, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam revealed the ugly truth about unfettered access to abortion. He described with chilling detachment how a baby that was already delivered after a failed abortion would be kept “comfortable” while mother and provider actually decided whether to save that life.  My friends, no matter how people try to explain this away with double-talk, it’s nothing more than legalized infanticide.  

      Don’t you just love the vivid palette of the summer season; the happy yellows of brilliant sunsets, the soothing turquoise of sun-kissed waters and of course, the satisfying greens of lush lawns? Let’s not forget the reds, whites and blues that literally parade in on Memorial Day and remain to set the stage for our July 4th festivities. To be sure, there’s a thread of Americana that weaves its way throughout these summer days and that got me thinking about this month’s column.     

      One need only take a short drive on a sunny afternoon to find American flags proudly displayed on homes and businesses throughout our Long Island neighborhoods. With more than 100,000 veterans living on Long Island it comes as no surprise. For those of us with family members who are veterans, in active service, or sadly, who have been lost in battle, Old Glory holds an even deeper significance.

     I guess that’s why there is such a visceral reaction by some folks to “taking a knee” during the National Anthem. Now I realize that this is a touchy subject, but I thought it’d be worth exploring together, especially through the lens of our Catholic faith.

     You see, every day at Catholic Charities, we open our doors to neighbors in difficulty. Some have suffered unfortunate circumstances while others have made and continue to make serious mistakes that directly contribute to their dire situations. They all find welcome with us. We meet each person where they are and accompany them as they navigate past the hurdles, the pain or shame. Even when loved ones have given up on them and friends have turned their backs, our staff and volunteers offer God’s merciful love to them on behalf of our whole Church. Why? It’s simple – our mission is the “go forth and live out the Gospel” instruction that we hear at the conclusion of every Mass.

    Pope Francis summed it up saying, “Even if the life of a person has been a disaster, even if it is destroyed by vices, drugs or anything else - God is in this person's life. You can - you must - try to seek God in every human life.”

    We believe that wholeheartedly and fueled by this love of Christ, we do all we can to bring forth the dignity of every person and help them rediscover the spark of the divine within them. Do we make mistakes? Of course! Do we do this perfectly? No way! Are we always successful? Not really. But we keep at it despite our shortcomings because, just like those we serve, we choose love and forgiveness. We choose to be united as followers of Jesus rather than to be alone, bitter and judgmental.

    Unity is also what holds a country of individuals together. The United States, like any nation, has a checkered history with chapters that include everything from heartbreaking ugliness and prejudice to noble goodness and grace. Just like individuals, our nation has made mistakes that have contributed directly to our own strife. Yet, there have also been times of extraordinary leadership, compassion and concern, not just for our homeland, but for people around the world.

    In that light, we might choose to accept our country with the same optimism and hope that our faith asks us to show our brothers and sisters – realistic enough to see flaws but open to the redemptive goodness that resides here as well.  And I think that’s what patriotism is all about – being united with others who believe in overcoming our flaws and choosing love over hatred, hope over despair.

If I look at the mass, I will never act.  If I look at the one, I will.” – Mother Teresa

Last week a handwritten sign mysteriously appeared alongside the entry ramp onto the parkway that I take to work in the morning. Neatly written in indelible marker, it simply said, “Please stop littering.”  Wow, did that get my attention!  I’m not sure exactly when I started becoming accustomed to trash scattered along the road, but that earnest request, offered so gently, put me to shame.  Suddenly my eyes were wide open to all of the rubbish that I whizzed by each day.  When did it become OK to throw cans, paper, plastic bags and assorted wrappings out the window as we rush about?  

We all know that littering is against the law, right? I even looked up local county and town codes just to confirm that it was indeed prohibited and discovered the penalties include fines and even possible imprisonment.  Why then does debris pepper our streets?  In Suffolk County there has been much attention paid to a case charging a construction company with illegal dumping, but when was the last time you heard about individuals being cited?  And yet, most of the rubbish we see in public places has likely been tossed by ordinary folks.  

Care for the environment is clearly on the minds and hearts of many.  For most Long Islanders, the discipline of sorting household garbage for recycling has become commonplace. Certainly, media coverage about climate change regularly captures our attention.  Pope Francis frequently reminds us of our responsibility to be good stewards of the earth and to walk gently upon her.  In his encyclical, Laudato Si’, the Holy Father calls all people to acknowledge the urgent environmental challenges we face and join him embarking on a new path. Yet lots of people, including family, friends and neighbors, continue to hurl trash into the streets.  

Do we need more laws? Heftier penalties?  More aggressive enforcement? While the thought is momentarily satisfying, it’s probably not the best use of limited law-enforcement resources.  The obvious answer, as is often the case, seems to circle back to good old-fashioned love and values – the foundation upon which people of faith stand.  When I consider the wellbeing of others, littering does not figure into the equation.  Reducing one’s carbon footprint is about caring for creation, including one another.  And going green is more than a trend – it’s about living modestly and passing the blessings of this planet on to our children – also known as common sense.  Remember when our parents insisted that we “not take more than we could chew”? Well, I recall many an evening that I lingered at the dinner table long after my brothers had been excused to finish food taken with “eyes bigger than my stomach”!  

I share all this because of that unassuming, hand-written sign on the highway. Its author decided to do something, however small it may have seemed. And that modest action inspired me to do my part with this column and hopefully, I’ve encouraged you.  The process reminds us that solutions to many of our world’s problems lie within us and can be revealed if we each exercise personal responsibility and accountability. Just like most of the trash on that highway was the negative result of individuals, so too can it be its positive cure.