Shamika getting her hair done. Barbados
“Where’s your tan?” friends and acquaintances asked me incredulously. For sure my skin burns redder than a cooked lobster so my lack of a tan proves that I know how to use SPF 70 sunblock. However, it doesn’t prove that I went to Barbados last week. I guess these photos are all I’ve got as proof of my time under the Bajan sun: http://georgegoss.com/index.php?c=40
“For the poor you have always with you, but you do not always have me”
I don’t want to imagine what it is like to sleep on the streets of New York in the middle of winter. Cold concrete with no place to call home. These home-less are the forgotten veterans of Vietnam and other conflicts waged for America’s protection. They are Marines, Army Rangers, and damn fine soldiers who, I don’t have a clue, but maybe they feel like they are Prisoners of War in their own nation. But even without much more than the clothes on their backs they have dignity. So it’s probably just me complaining for them. There are also artists who, once again it’s me talking…have been let down by a world that has failed to “see” their art. There are illegals who, perhaps they came in search of streets paved with gold, but never “made it happen.” Women who are drug addicts or victims with crosses casting shadows too black for a simple mind to comprehend.
East Village, NYC. December, 2011.
…but as you know photographers normally don’t get a picture of themselves. With the Archbishop making great strides to embrace/bear hug every soul present in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral there was plenty of JOY experienced by ALL at tonight’s young adult mass.
After hearing that the congregants were invited to a post-mass party at a bar named Rosie O’Gradie’s, Cardinal-Designate Dolan couldn’t help quipping: I used to date Rosie O’Grady.
And that was just a warm-up for many of his spirited interactions with his New York flock. One Wisconsin native, Susie Duecker, gently reminded Dolan that he was indeed the man who confirmed her. In deadpan fashion he asked, “Did it work?”
Susie Duecker being bear-hugged by Archbishop of New York, Timothy Dolan
Sharing the Laughter, Sharing the Joy
World Youth Day in Madrid, 2011
The next World Youth Day will be held in Rio de Janeiro. For more info go to: http://wyd.catholicpilgrimoffice.com/
Also, to see more of my photos from World Youth Day in Madrid go to: http://www.georgegoss.com/index.php?c=34
The Kings are Coming...
The Feast of the Epiphany: Celebration of the Three Kings coming to pay homage to the King of All Kings.
Moveable Feast: A Feast Day, the time of which is not always fixed to a particular day.
In the United States, Roman Catholics are celebrating the [Moveable] Feast of Epiphany tomorrow (January 8th).
My hope is that like the Magi, each of us will acknowledge the presence of Emmanuel in our lives. He is with us, every moment, we just need the eyes to see Him!
God becomes an infant baby for us. What a gift!
Today is my mom’s birthday, which she acknowledges is almost always the day when everyone has to go back to work. After mass at Saint Joseph’s [www.washingtonsquarecatholic.org] one long-time parishioner explained how she took down all of her Christmas decorations, even the wreath on her door. With Christmas trees strewn about the streets many people seem to concur that Christmas is over. But they are wrong. Okay, I must admit that I didn’t really know either, although I would have guessed the Feast of the Epiphany; and after checking with a priest friend that is the official end of the Christmas season. For all the Roman Catholics out there the Feast of the Epiphany is on January 8th which means the Christmas party “ain’t over yet.” Merry Christmas everybody!
I am trying to get back in an NYC photo groove after Christmas and New Year’s in New England. Driving back last night from Connecticut I felt like I was in an episode of the Twilight Zone. The city felt as foreign as a completely different universe. Today I went out on the winding, West Village streets with camera in hand. I know that I have a million creative projects that I should be working on, but with many of the city’s dwellers still recovering from the weekend it was fun to just take some snaps.
A Short Prayer on the Eve of Advent:
Thank-you God for the great gift of Life. Of blessing me with the grace of encountering the Beauty of your Creation. As I enter the Season of Advent may your Spirit guide me to use my talents to give praise to you, My Creator. I am sorry for the sins I have committed against you and against Life. Enkindle the fire of joy in my soul anew and make of it a fitting and true Temple for You.
Immaculee Ilibagiza and Douglas Dewey
On October 4th I had the honor of listening to Immaculee, a survivor of the Rwandan Genocide.
If you are interested in hearing her story and how she came to forgive the killers of her family I suggest that you listen to what she has to say. The following link is a recording of the event: http://www.nymlf.org/audio/Immaculee.mp3 (Copy and paste the above link. Apologies for the inconvenience!)
Also here are two more powerful stories dealing with the Rwandan Genocide. The first is a short clip about forgiveness and the second is a full-length feature film about how the Genocide unfolded.
Emmanuel’s Story: http://vimeo.com/22001048
Shooting Dogs: http://youtu.be/EaXnip5DNRI
