perspective BY BISHOP BILL MUHM
T
he ongoing COVID crisis limited my travels in summer and early fall. I was able to visit our Catholic communities, celebrate Sunday Mass, confirm, and shepherd our priests in Baumholder, Landstuhl, Daenner Kaserne, Vogelweh, Ramstein, Wiesbaden, Grafenwoehr, Vilseck, Stuttgart, Ansbach, Hohenfels, Garmisch, Spangdahlem, and Geilenkirchen, Germany; in Vicenza, Aviano, and Naples, Italy; and in Lakenheath, Alconbury, and Croughton, England. I was disappointed that I was unable to visit our AMS priests and Catholic communities in other locations. However, in times of disappointment, seeing things in perspective helps. St. Teresa of Calcutta pointed out that many developing nations endure material poverty but enjoy spiritual richness: intact nuclear families, strong faith, and strong cultural traditions. On the other hand, she said, many developed nations on earth enjoy material wealth but endure spiritual poverty. One cause of our wealthy society’s spiritual poverty is that we cannot just walk outside on any night and see a sky full of stars. Our ancestors could easily do that, but most of us today have to travel long distances to escape city lights in order to see the night sky in all its splendor. Seeing the night sky has no practical benefit—it will not pay the rent or mortgage, nor will it put food on the table. But seeing the beauty and majesty of the night sky is good for the soul. It puts things into perspective! continued on page 26 Fall 2020
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