Looking for Joy In All The Right Places

We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.

---Anne Frank

This past weekend, I spent time on Sunday with two very different groups of people, and yet, I came away thinking how much they have in common.

I started the day at a Catholic Mass, offered in part to dedicate a pipe organ to the late Father Dennis Burns. Fr. Burns heard of this organ in a church in New Hampshire that was closing and with the help of some friends, it was relocated to St. John's in Swampscott. The process of bringing the organ to St. John's, having it installed and renovating the church to accommodate it was long and difficult. 

Tempers flared, there were complications, pieces were lost, and deadlines were blown. It came from New Hampshire in hundreds of pieces that spent months spread out in the church basement. Throughout the process a friend of mine who was involved in it kept saying, "don't worry, it will happen, it's gonna be fine."   And he was right.  He also aged several years during the process and has only just stopped twitching every time he hears hammering.

After the dedication I headed into the city for a concert by the Boston Gay Men's Chorus. If you haven't seen this group perform, then you are missing an outstanding group of men taking music to a whole new level. 

One of the songs they performed was  "Grateful." The lyrics spoke of going through difficult times and yet still being able to find something to be grateful for, even if it was just a warm blanket. The group has rehearsed this piece for a long time, as they have with all of the music they performed and it showed. I thought of how grateful the parishioners were for their new organ, for the music it provided at weddings, funerals and masses. How happy the priests were that their church had such a beautiful instrument.

And here I was listening to and enjoying music from a group of men that same church would not accept. Well, to be more specific, they do not accept or condone the loving relationships many of these men have.

They do not accept that these men can marry and have families. They do not  accept that these men should have the same rights as any other person, the right to be legally joined to the person they love. And they sure don't want any of these men serving God in their backyard. I can't imagine why, what's the worst that could happen?  Show tunes at high Mass?

Not for nothing, the Catholic Church has had its share of trouble, everyone knows that.

The quote from Anne Frank at the top of this column really sums it up for me. We all go through our lives wanting the most basic situation. To be happy. To love someone, to have someone love us. Some find that as Father Burns did, with the Church. He was loved by many for his work and his faith. Some find it as my friend the organist does, with his beautiful wife and child. 

And then there are the chorus boys.  Through their music they bring joy to their audiences. They hold outreach programs for young people whom, as we have seen lately, sometimes suffer greatly simply because of who they are. Their holiday program this year was aptly titled "Joy."

The newly dedicated organ will bring joy to the parishioners and guests of St. John's. The Boston Gay Men's Chorus is bringing joy to their audiences and to countless young people through their outreach programs. 

I remember Father Burns speaking about the abuse scandal several years ago. He had great compassion for the victims and in the face of the anger and resentment directed at the Church he called for patience and perseverance. That the Church would heal, that it would get better. That is the same message the chorus tries to convey...It will get better.

During this holiday season, here's hoping that we all come to know the peace and joy that we deserve, wherever we find it.