For the past two weeks, I've had to take the subway system into Boston each morning and home during the late afternoon. I am impressed. During rush hour, I've been able to board a train within three to five minutes of my arrival. The trains are standing room only and the passengers are accommodating. The ride along the Red Line for six stops has been efficient and smooth.
The ride home has been equally smooth and efficient. Even in the midst of hot, humid weather, the trains are well air-conditioned and on-time. The city moves people well and the transit system is well-used. A diversity of people ride the subways trains, which are reliable. I am edified to know how well the city works to move people efficiently. Questions remain about how much more growth it can handle, but for the time being, I give the city high marks.
Tuesday, August 28, 2018
Thursday, August 16, 2018
Good Morning
The other day, I boarded Boston's MBTA Red line on my way into the city. The woman announcer starts to speak on the Public Address System. She says something like this:
"Good morning, friends. I hope you are having a good day. It is quite a good day and I wish you blessings, peace, and much happiness. I hope good things come your way today and that you are able to turn to your neighbor and wish them a good morning as well."
People giggled and shook their heads, not in disgust, but in disbelief.
"She continued. We are neighbors and it is always better when we see each other as fellow travelers that we can wish well. Enjoy your day, and greet your neighbor."
She signed off and people laughed. They turned to their neighbors to check their expression and within seconds everyone was talking with each other and laughing.
"Good morning, friends. I hope you are having a good day. It is quite a good day and I wish you blessings, peace, and much happiness. I hope good things come your way today and that you are able to turn to your neighbor and wish them a good morning as well."
People giggled and shook their heads, not in disgust, but in disbelief.
"She continued. We are neighbors and it is always better when we see each other as fellow travelers that we can wish well. Enjoy your day, and greet your neighbor."
She signed off and people laughed. They turned to their neighbors to check their expression and within seconds everyone was talking with each other and laughing.
Saturday, August 4, 2018
A Month in Omaha
A month in Omaha has passed so quickly, and I'm amazed at how much I fit into a short period of time. My time teaching in the Spirituality program at Creighton continues to be rewarding. The class on "Prayer and Christian Spirituality" keeps getting better. Of course, having excellent students makes it that much more enjoyable.
Omaha is a city on the move. The Old Market is expanding northward and westward. Hotels are now lining the blocks near the stadia and performance centers, and the Capitol District is setting itself up to become a prime entertainment destination. The Farmer's Markets in the Old Market have really gained steamed and many patrons visit regularly.
I'm amazed at the amount of construction and renovation that is moving from the Old Market to Mid-Town. The Thursday night music festivals regularly attracts thousands of fans. I would imagine the corridor connecting the two sections of town will be a major boulevard of high-end shops in two to three years. Creighton, likewise, is expanding and filling in the property leading from the school down to the ballparks.
The city has about 400,000 residents with 8 Fortune 500 companies. A lot of money resides in this town, and of course, Warren Buffett continues to live in his modest once-suburban house. Many sections of town are highly desirable: Dundee, Benson, and the western edges of town. Creighton continues to be the big university in the town, though University of Nebraska has a large student enrollment.
St. John Church, a diocesan church run by the Jesuits, is the place to worship. Omaha is a big blue dot in the red state.
I stay with the Jesuits who live in Creighton Hall, the main residence, and Ignatius House, a smaller community of two townhouses. The space is well-designed and it is quite easy to interact with the guys in the community. They are very welcoming and hospitable and I just enjoy my time with them.
I like worshiping with them and having nice meals together.
The Dean of the program where I teach is a good friend, Eileen Burke-Sullivan. She is a good administrator and a wealth of ideas and counsel. She has assembled a good team of teachers and we work diligently at forming a community while we are present.
The students are a nice mixture of priests, sisters, and lay men and women. They are dedicated to the church and they travel internationally to participate in this program. While the CSP is forming hearts and minds, another group called the Institute for Priestly Formation runs a month-long program.
I met many friends in the city and we enjoyed some time together: from visiting a friend's home, to seeing the location of the Cloisters on the Platte and the Holy Family shrine, to eating at famed ice cream places, like Zesto's, Dolci, and Ted and Wally's, to eating burgers at local haunts, visiting artist galleries and museums, to seeing films at Film Streams, and of course, going to the zoo. There's much to do in town, and it is walkable, which I like to do.
I thoroughly enjoyed my students and I was very pleased they were moved by the prayer class. I returned home to Boston today, but there are many people for whom I will pray during this next year. I feel blessed to have run into so many neat people.
Omaha is a city on the move. The Old Market is expanding northward and westward. Hotels are now lining the blocks near the stadia and performance centers, and the Capitol District is setting itself up to become a prime entertainment destination. The Farmer's Markets in the Old Market have really gained steamed and many patrons visit regularly.
I'm amazed at the amount of construction and renovation that is moving from the Old Market to Mid-Town. The Thursday night music festivals regularly attracts thousands of fans. I would imagine the corridor connecting the two sections of town will be a major boulevard of high-end shops in two to three years. Creighton, likewise, is expanding and filling in the property leading from the school down to the ballparks.
The city has about 400,000 residents with 8 Fortune 500 companies. A lot of money resides in this town, and of course, Warren Buffett continues to live in his modest once-suburban house. Many sections of town are highly desirable: Dundee, Benson, and the western edges of town. Creighton continues to be the big university in the town, though University of Nebraska has a large student enrollment.
St. John Church, a diocesan church run by the Jesuits, is the place to worship. Omaha is a big blue dot in the red state.
I stay with the Jesuits who live in Creighton Hall, the main residence, and Ignatius House, a smaller community of two townhouses. The space is well-designed and it is quite easy to interact with the guys in the community. They are very welcoming and hospitable and I just enjoy my time with them.
I like worshiping with them and having nice meals together.
The Dean of the program where I teach is a good friend, Eileen Burke-Sullivan. She is a good administrator and a wealth of ideas and counsel. She has assembled a good team of teachers and we work diligently at forming a community while we are present.
The students are a nice mixture of priests, sisters, and lay men and women. They are dedicated to the church and they travel internationally to participate in this program. While the CSP is forming hearts and minds, another group called the Institute for Priestly Formation runs a month-long program.
I met many friends in the city and we enjoyed some time together: from visiting a friend's home, to seeing the location of the Cloisters on the Platte and the Holy Family shrine, to eating at famed ice cream places, like Zesto's, Dolci, and Ted and Wally's, to eating burgers at local haunts, visiting artist galleries and museums, to seeing films at Film Streams, and of course, going to the zoo. There's much to do in town, and it is walkable, which I like to do.
I thoroughly enjoyed my students and I was very pleased they were moved by the prayer class. I returned home to Boston today, but there are many people for whom I will pray during this next year. I feel blessed to have run into so many neat people.
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