Greatest Historical Events of My Lifetime (last 74 years)

To celebrate today my 74th birthday, I consider with thanksgiving and praise the greatest events of my historical period.

1. The lives of the holy ones. John Paul and Theresa of Calcutta stand over this time as the twin domininating figures. I saw the Pope twice and met Mother. They loom over my life as the leading lights. So many others: Solanus Casey, Katherine Drexel, Dorothy Day, Catherine Doughterty, Adrienne von Speyr, Caryll Houselander, Madeleine DelBrel, Stanley Routher, John 23, Padre Pio, Oscar Romero, Paul 6. In addition, all the martyrs who suffered persecution and death especially in Islamic and Communist countries. So many of these, so invisible to us, so holy!

2.Vatican II, for me as Catholic, is not disruptive or discontinuous, but an event of immense significance in organic continuity with the Church of the centuries...the fathers and doctors, Trent, Vatican I...and particularly the developments during my childhood after the War including Resoursement theology, personalism, phenomenology, the ecumenical, liturgical, biblical movements. The Council recevied definitive, authoritative interpretation in the pontificates of John Paul and Benedict and the development of their (and Balthasar's) Communio theology.

3.The lay renewal movements which enfleshed the vision of the Council: for me personally the charismatic renewal and for my family the Neocatechumenal way and Communion and Liberation as well as the more modest, local Our Lady's Missionaries of the Eucharist.

4. The global reach of the Pentecostal and Evangelical movements. Even, as in South America, where this entailed a loss to the Catholic Church, I herald it as so many came to know Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior. The fervor, zeal, enthusiasm of these movements is glorious.

5. The fall of Soviet Communism and the attainment of freedoms of religion, speech, assembly, etc. thanks to John Paul, Solidarity, and Ronald Regan.

6. As an American, the dazzling triumph of the Civil Rights Movement and the deconstruction of overt systems of racism.

7. The 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonmous as a spiritual, communal path to interior freedom and serenity for those entrapped in addictions.

8. Finally, with reservations, we must acknowledge as blessings, if mixed blessing, the enormous advancements in technology, especially medical, but also communications, computers, engineering, and the benefits of global capitalism, free markets and initiative. As we appreciate them, we also see the darker consequences.

This has been an exciting, momentous time to life: Thanks be to God!