As we approach this wondrous celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I marvel at the fact that God sent His Son to become one of us - divinity mixing with humanity. Jesus experienced everything we experience, or so say the Gospels.
Really? I wonder what happened when his right knee swelled up to the point he had truble with stairs, and finding a comfortable position sleeping at night? That thought occured to me as I sat in the doctor's office yesterday getting FOUR vials of fluid drained and a shot of cortesone injected. For me to go to a doc means it must be getting bad, and when my balky knee locked during the funeral Mass yesterday morning, I broke down and called - more because I feared not being able to do Christmas Masses if it got worse, than anything. The doc worked his magic and I was able to tie my shoes and wipe my feet after my morning shower once again this morning. Hooray!
But I also knew what Jesus felt when I heard of a family who was only going to have pasta for Christmas dinner because that was all they could afford this year. So I gave them the turkey in my freezer and bought some fixings for them and gave them a couple of gift cards to buy a couple of presents for the kids, and the daughter asked her mom on the way home how cool it was that Fr. Nick and St. Nick had the same name!
I think humanity mixed with divinity when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but I also think divinty mixes with humanity every time we continue the work of Jesus in the word around us! Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
Charitable Tradition
One of the long-time traditions here at St. Thomas is to donate 200 food baskets to the needy of our local community for Christmas every year. It is quite an undertaking. We solicit donations of non-perishable food items and frozen turkeys from parishioners beginning in November. Gulf Shrimp generously stores the turkeys for us. Then, the weekend before Christmas, volunteers gather to make up the food baskets and deliver them to individual residences provided by the Social Services Agency in town.
While I was aware of this endeavor, I had never really watched the process unfold until this year. It is quite amazing, a well-oiled machine! In forty-five minutes, all two hundred boxes were filled with the same ingredients, and set aside according to pre-determined route numbers. The next morning, after gathering for Mass, these volunteers loaded up vans, cars and trucks, added a frozen turkey per box, and went out to deliver a Christmas meal to 200 families. In a few hours, the mission was accomplished!
A huge 'thank-you' goes out to Stan Magairie who coordinates the effort, Mark Dreschler who takes the turkeys from our freezers to Gulf Shrimp a few times per week, and the many, many people who do the 'leg work' that will truly help make this Christmas a bit merrier for some within our wonderful community!
While I was aware of this endeavor, I had never really watched the process unfold until this year. It is quite amazing, a well-oiled machine! In forty-five minutes, all two hundred boxes were filled with the same ingredients, and set aside according to pre-determined route numbers. The next morning, after gathering for Mass, these volunteers loaded up vans, cars and trucks, added a frozen turkey per box, and went out to deliver a Christmas meal to 200 families. In a few hours, the mission was accomplished!
A huge 'thank-you' goes out to Stan Magairie who coordinates the effort, Mark Dreschler who takes the turkeys from our freezers to Gulf Shrimp a few times per week, and the many, many people who do the 'leg work' that will truly help make this Christmas a bit merrier for some within our wonderful community!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
in a rush
I couldn't help but think of all those who rush out of church before Mass is over because they fear the buffet line will be too long if they stay til the end;
or those who claim they are too busy to make it church every week.
Just last Saturday I was talking to a regular Vigil Mass attendee who had just returned from visiting her daughter in England.
On Sunday she was carrying Christmas decorations up from her basement when she fell back down the stairs and died. We celebrated her funeral this morning.
It was a poigniant reminder to me to make sure my priorities are where they should be. What I might deem most important at any moment is really not, unless it helps get me closer to eternal life. For when God calls, we cannot say 'no', even for a buffet line!
or those who claim they are too busy to make it church every week.
Just last Saturday I was talking to a regular Vigil Mass attendee who had just returned from visiting her daughter in England.
On Sunday she was carrying Christmas decorations up from her basement when she fell back down the stairs and died. We celebrated her funeral this morning.
It was a poigniant reminder to me to make sure my priorities are where they should be. What I might deem most important at any moment is really not, unless it helps get me closer to eternal life. For when God calls, we cannot say 'no', even for a buffet line!
Saturday, December 3, 2011
...and with your spirit
So now that I have a full week of the revised translation of the Roman Missal under my belt - as have those who attend daily Mass - I must say that we are getting used to it, for the most part. Psychologists tell us that doing something six times is needed to make it a habit. So, the 3rd Edition of the Roman Missal wording should be a habit now for many of us. (OK, so maybe I don't form habits as easily as most!)
It has been interesting to recognize some of the changes as coming from Sacred Scripture. Monday morning's Mass, the 2nd day of the new Missal, used the Gospel passage of the centurion approaching Jesus to cure his son, saying he did not feel worthy for Jesus to 'come under my roof'. And there it was again, in the people's response just before receiving Holy Communion!
But the one that seems most problematic, even though it has been the one example most frequently given over the past year of the changes to the Missal, is the response to the priest saying, 'The Lord be with you'.
I even found myself reverting to the old form of that response when the deacon proclaims the Gospel. It just 'naturally' comes out: 'And also with you!'. So why this change?
First of all, it IS scripturally based. It is inspired by the passages that conclude 2Timothy, Galations, Philippians and Philemon. And in these passages, St. Paul is addressing the Christian community, not any one person, or group of people. The priest, through his ordination, represents Christ at Mass. The Holy Spirit has come to him in a special way, and thus the response is really saying: 'And with you, His minister.'
One of the 'benefits' of the new wording has been that I have had to take much more time preparing for Mass than before. I have to spend time with each of the prayers for Mass beforehand, so that they can come across in a meaningful and understandable way - and also so that I wont revert back to the wording as I have learned it over the past twenty-eight years.
Hopefully, the congregation is getting a renewed appreciation for what takes place at Mass as well, and is spending more time preparing for Mass beforehand. I know some have said they find it harder to 'say the Mass along with the priest'! My response is that the people are NOT supposed to be 'saying the Mass along with the priest.' The Mass is a dialogue. The priest has his parts. The congregation has their parts. And some prayers are said together. The key is to listen attentively to the prayers the priest is saying, letting them fill our minds and hearts, and then responding as best we can at the appropriate times. In fact, the Memorial Acclamation has been changed to reflect this dynamic. The priest no longer says it with the people because it is the people's response to what the priest has just prayed.
So, as I prepare to preside at the 2nd weekend with this new translation, I do so with a renew appreciation of the great gift the Mass is, and especially the Sacrament of Eucharist! May it draw us ever closer to eternal life in the Father's Kingdom of true and lasting peace!
It has been interesting to recognize some of the changes as coming from Sacred Scripture. Monday morning's Mass, the 2nd day of the new Missal, used the Gospel passage of the centurion approaching Jesus to cure his son, saying he did not feel worthy for Jesus to 'come under my roof'. And there it was again, in the people's response just before receiving Holy Communion!
But the one that seems most problematic, even though it has been the one example most frequently given over the past year of the changes to the Missal, is the response to the priest saying, 'The Lord be with you'.
I even found myself reverting to the old form of that response when the deacon proclaims the Gospel. It just 'naturally' comes out: 'And also with you!'. So why this change?
First of all, it IS scripturally based. It is inspired by the passages that conclude 2Timothy, Galations, Philippians and Philemon. And in these passages, St. Paul is addressing the Christian community, not any one person, or group of people. The priest, through his ordination, represents Christ at Mass. The Holy Spirit has come to him in a special way, and thus the response is really saying: 'And with you, His minister.'
One of the 'benefits' of the new wording has been that I have had to take much more time preparing for Mass than before. I have to spend time with each of the prayers for Mass beforehand, so that they can come across in a meaningful and understandable way - and also so that I wont revert back to the wording as I have learned it over the past twenty-eight years.
Hopefully, the congregation is getting a renewed appreciation for what takes place at Mass as well, and is spending more time preparing for Mass beforehand. I know some have said they find it harder to 'say the Mass along with the priest'! My response is that the people are NOT supposed to be 'saying the Mass along with the priest.' The Mass is a dialogue. The priest has his parts. The congregation has their parts. And some prayers are said together. The key is to listen attentively to the prayers the priest is saying, letting them fill our minds and hearts, and then responding as best we can at the appropriate times. In fact, the Memorial Acclamation has been changed to reflect this dynamic. The priest no longer says it with the people because it is the people's response to what the priest has just prayed.
So, as I prepare to preside at the 2nd weekend with this new translation, I do so with a renew appreciation of the great gift the Mass is, and especially the Sacrament of Eucharist! May it draw us ever closer to eternal life in the Father's Kingdom of true and lasting peace!
Saturday, November 19, 2011
November
I realized last night, when meeting with a couple preparing for marriage, that I hadn't posted a blog in quite some time. They mentioned that they had been to my blog site, and, quite frankly, I was impressed - and a bit guilty that I have been 'away' so long.
As with most of your lives, it has been a virtual whirlwind recently. That freak October snow storm threw most of us for a loop, especially if you were without power for any amount of time. I was VERY fortunate in that we did not lose power, phone, or cable the entire time! But, understanding that all gifts we receive from the Lord are meant to be shared, I DID have 'tenants'. Mateusz spent more than his usual time here since the seminary was without power. My mom moved in, and spent her days cooking for 'a family' once again. It has been years since she had to do that. But, just like riding a bicycle, once you do it, you never forget. And we all appreciated having a hot meal at the end of the day. Another friend stayed, sleeping on the living room couch which pulls out into a bed. And some staff came by to use laundry facilities and get an occasional meal as well.
I also got 'very familiar' with the chainsaw, cutting branches, clearing brush, and stacking firewood to season at my mom's and a couple of friends'. We certainly were blessed with ideal weather for the clean-up, warm, dry days with few bugs.
I was amazed at how Mother Nature 'cleanses' herself every so often, and while we bemoan the lost trees and branches, alot of the vegetation will come back stronger than before. And while we certainly were inconvenienced in alot of ways - I drove for miles the Monday after the storm looking for gas, and finally had to wait 45 minutes to fill up - it was amazing how people pulled together and helped one another out in ways we usually don't see that frequently.
As Thanksgiving approached, I have things to be thankful for that I probably took for granted before. I have a renewed appreciation of the life of those who 'go without' day in and day out. And I have joints and muscles that still need time to recover.
As with most of your lives, it has been a virtual whirlwind recently. That freak October snow storm threw most of us for a loop, especially if you were without power for any amount of time. I was VERY fortunate in that we did not lose power, phone, or cable the entire time! But, understanding that all gifts we receive from the Lord are meant to be shared, I DID have 'tenants'. Mateusz spent more than his usual time here since the seminary was without power. My mom moved in, and spent her days cooking for 'a family' once again. It has been years since she had to do that. But, just like riding a bicycle, once you do it, you never forget. And we all appreciated having a hot meal at the end of the day. Another friend stayed, sleeping on the living room couch which pulls out into a bed. And some staff came by to use laundry facilities and get an occasional meal as well.
I also got 'very familiar' with the chainsaw, cutting branches, clearing brush, and stacking firewood to season at my mom's and a couple of friends'. We certainly were blessed with ideal weather for the clean-up, warm, dry days with few bugs.
I was amazed at how Mother Nature 'cleanses' herself every so often, and while we bemoan the lost trees and branches, alot of the vegetation will come back stronger than before. And while we certainly were inconvenienced in alot of ways - I drove for miles the Monday after the storm looking for gas, and finally had to wait 45 minutes to fill up - it was amazing how people pulled together and helped one another out in ways we usually don't see that frequently.
As Thanksgiving approached, I have things to be thankful for that I probably took for granted before. I have a renewed appreciation of the life of those who 'go without' day in and day out. And I have joints and muscles that still need time to recover.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
retreat day 4
Another sparkling day of retreat, in every way. Beautiful sunshine, and good reflective talks. Today's talks were entitled, 'Notice what God is doing' and 'What's next?'
Fr. Conroy's 1st talk of the retreat repeated the old cliche that 'God is love.' Whenever I hear that I kind of just roll my eyes, because my early experiences of religious education were a bunch of 'warm, fuzzies' that centered around 'God is love.' I remember my parents asking our teachers when we going to learn something!
But, in this instance, when Fr. Conroy spoke of God as love, his point was that the more we love, the more we come to know God. And the more we come to know God, the more we are able to serve Him through all that we say and do. So, the object of our lives must be to love everyone, at all times. That must be our goal, because that is what God does, and when we achieve that, we will know and understand God completely as well.
So, today's 1st talk took us to the suggestion to notice what God is doing.
And we can do that best by being in touch with Jesus' presence in everyone and in every situation.
He shared a story of someone who was at a construction site. Men with wheelbarrows full of bricks were passing him. He stopped the 1st man he saw and asked, 'What are you doing?' The man gritted his teeth and in a very put-out tone said, I...am...pushing...a....wheelbarrow...full...of...bricks.' He stopped the 2nd man he passed and asked him the same question. That man said, 'I have a wife and three children. They need to eat and have clothes to wear. I am just doing my job so I can fill their needs.' A third man passed and was asked the very same question. This man said, with a smile, 'I am building a cathedral!'
When we look for Jesus in every situation we find ourselves in, when we view the world around us through the eyes of God, we get a completely different view of things.
Our 2nd conference continued that theme. In Luke's Gospel, the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus tell us how the disciples were dejected because Jesus had been killed. They were broken and wounded. But they came to recognize the Risen Jesus in the breaking of the bread. And in John's Gospel, Chapter 21, having caught no fish the entire night, the disciples headed back to shore. Someone on shore suggests they cast their nets to the other side, and their nets were filled. They recognized Jesus as that person on the shore. When the disciples were aware of the presence of the Lord, their nets are full. When we can see Jesus in all things and at all times, our nets will be full as well, and the outlook, bleak as it sometimes is, becomes filled with hope and promise.
After evening prayer, we head to our dinner, what is usually an exquisite affair. Sometimes the Archbishop joins us for our last evening's dinner, so we will be on our best behavior.
Fr. Conroy's 1st talk of the retreat repeated the old cliche that 'God is love.' Whenever I hear that I kind of just roll my eyes, because my early experiences of religious education were a bunch of 'warm, fuzzies' that centered around 'God is love.' I remember my parents asking our teachers when we going to learn something!
But, in this instance, when Fr. Conroy spoke of God as love, his point was that the more we love, the more we come to know God. And the more we come to know God, the more we are able to serve Him through all that we say and do. So, the object of our lives must be to love everyone, at all times. That must be our goal, because that is what God does, and when we achieve that, we will know and understand God completely as well.
So, today's 1st talk took us to the suggestion to notice what God is doing.
And we can do that best by being in touch with Jesus' presence in everyone and in every situation.
He shared a story of someone who was at a construction site. Men with wheelbarrows full of bricks were passing him. He stopped the 1st man he saw and asked, 'What are you doing?' The man gritted his teeth and in a very put-out tone said, I...am...pushing...a....wheelbarrow...full...of...bricks.' He stopped the 2nd man he passed and asked him the same question. That man said, 'I have a wife and three children. They need to eat and have clothes to wear. I am just doing my job so I can fill their needs.' A third man passed and was asked the very same question. This man said, with a smile, 'I am building a cathedral!'
When we look for Jesus in every situation we find ourselves in, when we view the world around us through the eyes of God, we get a completely different view of things.
Our 2nd conference continued that theme. In Luke's Gospel, the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus tell us how the disciples were dejected because Jesus had been killed. They were broken and wounded. But they came to recognize the Risen Jesus in the breaking of the bread. And in John's Gospel, Chapter 21, having caught no fish the entire night, the disciples headed back to shore. Someone on shore suggests they cast their nets to the other side, and their nets were filled. They recognized Jesus as that person on the shore. When the disciples were aware of the presence of the Lord, their nets are full. When we can see Jesus in all things and at all times, our nets will be full as well, and the outlook, bleak as it sometimes is, becomes filled with hope and promise.
After evening prayer, we head to our dinner, what is usually an exquisite affair. Sometimes the Archbishop joins us for our last evening's dinner, so we will be on our best behavior.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
retreat day 3
What a difference a sunny day makes. It sure seems easier to pray when the sun is out! Day three was a good day. Our 1st session dealt with sin, and went back to the premise that we cannot look at ourselves through our eyes, but only through God's eyes. When we look through our own eyes, what we see is distorted by all the baggage we carry. And so it is with sin. When people say they have no sins to speak of (I hear that all the time in confession), they are looking through their own eyes. Only when we come to understand the orderliness of God's creation, can we see the disorderliness within ourselves.
When we look at sin in that way, we see we have a part in the problems of this world. For instance, we in America have the capacity to feed the entire world. So how is it that we allow poverty and hunger to persist everywhere we look? Our materialism, our greed, our sense of entitlement keeps us from being in touch with the pervasive nature of evil in the world.
The 1st reading at Mass was the continuing story of Jonah. Jonah tried to run from God, but in so doing, he put not only himself, but many others in great danger. The ship on which he was hiding was about to sink! In the same way, our sins affect not only us but those in the world around us. There is no such thing as a 'personal sin.'
Our 2nd conference dealt with the need for balance within our lives - the four 'legs of the table' that make the table stable or wobbly. Those four areas are physical, psychological, intellectual and spiritual. We need to be healthy in each of these areas and nurture ourselves regularly in these areas.
We ended our day celebrating the sacrament of Reconciliation.
Fr. Youngberg (those from St.Thomas remember him as the priest who led our mission that began our anniversary year) assisted as a confessor.
This afternoon I got a 3 mile power walk in, and then I got to sit in the sun for a couple of hours. I finished reading Jim Stovall's 'The Ultimate Life', the sequell to 'The Ultimate Gift.' I highly recommend it. One of the gifts that the main character has to pass on is the Gift of Gratitude. He is told to find 10 things every day for which he is grateful. My 1st thought was that this is something I already do every day. But then I re-read the passage to discover that the task was to find these 10 things at the start of each day - before you even get out of bed!
I wondered why? After all, it is certainly much easier to do it at the end of the day, isn't it? But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense to me. Instead of beginning the day thinking about the crises and problems awaiting me on the other side of my door, I can leave my room in a positive frame of mind if I have those 10 things in the front of my mind. those negative things no longer seem as burdensome or overwhelming.
This ties back to the theme of the retreat - seeing things through the eyes of God because they are out of focus if I see them through my own eyes. I do not need to focus on what might go wrong, but on what is right!
Anyway, it was a full day, and we have one more full day tomorrow.
Lastly, I leave you with a funny-but-true saying I heard today that I really liked: Remember, it is better to be seen than to be viewed!
When we look at sin in that way, we see we have a part in the problems of this world. For instance, we in America have the capacity to feed the entire world. So how is it that we allow poverty and hunger to persist everywhere we look? Our materialism, our greed, our sense of entitlement keeps us from being in touch with the pervasive nature of evil in the world.
The 1st reading at Mass was the continuing story of Jonah. Jonah tried to run from God, but in so doing, he put not only himself, but many others in great danger. The ship on which he was hiding was about to sink! In the same way, our sins affect not only us but those in the world around us. There is no such thing as a 'personal sin.'
Our 2nd conference dealt with the need for balance within our lives - the four 'legs of the table' that make the table stable or wobbly. Those four areas are physical, psychological, intellectual and spiritual. We need to be healthy in each of these areas and nurture ourselves regularly in these areas.
We ended our day celebrating the sacrament of Reconciliation.
Fr. Youngberg (those from St.Thomas remember him as the priest who led our mission that began our anniversary year) assisted as a confessor.
This afternoon I got a 3 mile power walk in, and then I got to sit in the sun for a couple of hours. I finished reading Jim Stovall's 'The Ultimate Life', the sequell to 'The Ultimate Gift.' I highly recommend it. One of the gifts that the main character has to pass on is the Gift of Gratitude. He is told to find 10 things every day for which he is grateful. My 1st thought was that this is something I already do every day. But then I re-read the passage to discover that the task was to find these 10 things at the start of each day - before you even get out of bed!
I wondered why? After all, it is certainly much easier to do it at the end of the day, isn't it? But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense to me. Instead of beginning the day thinking about the crises and problems awaiting me on the other side of my door, I can leave my room in a positive frame of mind if I have those 10 things in the front of my mind. those negative things no longer seem as burdensome or overwhelming.
This ties back to the theme of the retreat - seeing things through the eyes of God because they are out of focus if I see them through my own eyes. I do not need to focus on what might go wrong, but on what is right!
Anyway, it was a full day, and we have one more full day tomorrow.
Lastly, I leave you with a funny-but-true saying I heard today that I really liked: Remember, it is better to be seen than to be viewed!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
retreat day 2
I am thrilled to have better access to the internet than yesterday and earlier today, and thus I am posting the second blog on my retreat.
I did receive some feedback already regarding my first post. And so let me elaborate a tad. In the Old Testament, in Psalm 139, we hear God saying, 'Before you were formed in your mother's womb, I knew you!' He had great things planned for us even before we came into existence. We are wanted by God! And He desires an intimate relationship with us.
On the flip side, when we stop and reflect on it, do we not also desire an intimate relationship with God? And so THAT should be the object of all our prayer, building that relationship with the God who wants to be completely with us. Prayer is built on desire - God's desire to be with us, and our desire to be with God. Everything else in our life and in our world then flows from that.
As I said, I don't believe in consequences. The Gospel passage the church gave us for Mass today is the story of Jesus visiting the home of his friends Martha and Mary. Martha was busy with all the chores of hospitality while Mary sat listening to Jesus. Martha eventually complains to Jesus that her sister should be helping prepare the meal. But Jesus tells her she has her priorities all wrong. What is of most importance is sitting in the presence of God, building that relationship with the Lord.
Our third session dealt with transition - or that nasty 'c' word: change. Martha was stuck in a rut. Someone once said that no sin is more punishable by nature than resistance to change. Fr. Conroy even brought in the inevitable 'getting older' example. We simply cannot do what we once did. But how do we deal with that? If we live in the presence of the Lord and let Him lead us and guide us into new things and new ways, we can be at peace with where we are. If we resist, we will be as frustrated as Martha.
Our retreat has also been one great meal after another. I was happy to see a few stars in the sky tonight. Hopefully that is a sign of better weather for tomorrow so that I can get out for a walk before I put on too many pounds.
I did receive some feedback already regarding my first post. And so let me elaborate a tad. In the Old Testament, in Psalm 139, we hear God saying, 'Before you were formed in your mother's womb, I knew you!' He had great things planned for us even before we came into existence. We are wanted by God! And He desires an intimate relationship with us.
On the flip side, when we stop and reflect on it, do we not also desire an intimate relationship with God? And so THAT should be the object of all our prayer, building that relationship with the God who wants to be completely with us. Prayer is built on desire - God's desire to be with us, and our desire to be with God. Everything else in our life and in our world then flows from that.
As I said, I don't believe in consequences. The Gospel passage the church gave us for Mass today is the story of Jesus visiting the home of his friends Martha and Mary. Martha was busy with all the chores of hospitality while Mary sat listening to Jesus. Martha eventually complains to Jesus that her sister should be helping prepare the meal. But Jesus tells her she has her priorities all wrong. What is of most importance is sitting in the presence of God, building that relationship with the Lord.
Our third session dealt with transition - or that nasty 'c' word: change. Martha was stuck in a rut. Someone once said that no sin is more punishable by nature than resistance to change. Fr. Conroy even brought in the inevitable 'getting older' example. We simply cannot do what we once did. But how do we deal with that? If we live in the presence of the Lord and let Him lead us and guide us into new things and new ways, we can be at peace with where we are. If we resist, we will be as frustrated as Martha.
Our retreat has also been one great meal after another. I was happy to see a few stars in the sky tonight. Hopefully that is a sign of better weather for tomorrow so that I can get out for a walk before I put on too many pounds.
retreat
I am in the process of making my annual retreat, and wanted to share a few reflections with you. About thirty priests are gathered and are being led by Fr. Jim Conroy, a Jesuit. We began with two sessions yesterday, and had another session this morning. Fr. Conroy is from Pittsburg (a big Steelers and Pirates fan), served in Vietnam before entering seminary, and currently works with an initiative that is promoting the Ignatian Way among lay people so that these spiritual exercises might not become extinct even as the number of priests declines.
Yesterday's sessions focused on prayer. And the one thing that popped out of his talks for me was the possibility that we have 'prayer' all wrong. Our approach to prayer, at least I know that I usually approach prayer this way, is to come to God with our lists. We have lists of things we are thankful for and lists of things we need. And so we enter into prayer - both personal prayer and communal prayer - armed with these lists. Really, we come to God with our agenda.
Perhaps another approach would help us achieve what we are looking for alot more effectively. And that is to leave behind everything that is happening in our world, in our life, in our mind and heart, as we enter prayer. And when we come into the presence of the Lord, simply acknowledge His presence, and feel His love holding us and enveloping us. Scriptures tell us we have been made in the image and likeness of God. Therefore, we are love, just as He is love.
When we can truly feel this, then we can approach anything and everything in life with love. Then, as I say in every homily, will we be on the road to true and lasting peace.
Today's morning session focused on the priesthood as a 'timely vocation'. What he said to us priests is true of all disciples of the Lord. God calls us to follow Him, and above all, be faithful to Him. As in the story of the multiplication of the loaves and fish, Jesus will take whatever we have, no matter how much or how little, and feeds his people with it - IF we are faithful to him and allow him to do it.
Alot to think about and meditate on and pray with. Internet access has been a problem, but I am hoping to blog again during the retreat. Pray for me as I will for you.
Yesterday's sessions focused on prayer. And the one thing that popped out of his talks for me was the possibility that we have 'prayer' all wrong. Our approach to prayer, at least I know that I usually approach prayer this way, is to come to God with our lists. We have lists of things we are thankful for and lists of things we need. And so we enter into prayer - both personal prayer and communal prayer - armed with these lists. Really, we come to God with our agenda.
Perhaps another approach would help us achieve what we are looking for alot more effectively. And that is to leave behind everything that is happening in our world, in our life, in our mind and heart, as we enter prayer. And when we come into the presence of the Lord, simply acknowledge His presence, and feel His love holding us and enveloping us. Scriptures tell us we have been made in the image and likeness of God. Therefore, we are love, just as He is love.
When we can truly feel this, then we can approach anything and everything in life with love. Then, as I say in every homily, will we be on the road to true and lasting peace.
Today's morning session focused on the priesthood as a 'timely vocation'. What he said to us priests is true of all disciples of the Lord. God calls us to follow Him, and above all, be faithful to Him. As in the story of the multiplication of the loaves and fish, Jesus will take whatever we have, no matter how much or how little, and feeds his people with it - IF we are faithful to him and allow him to do it.
Alot to think about and meditate on and pray with. Internet access has been a problem, but I am hoping to blog again during the retreat. Pray for me as I will for you.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Seminarian
Today we welcomed a new seminarian to our parish. His name is Mateusz. He is from Poland, has completed his first year of Theology at Mt. St. Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg MD, and is taking a Pastoral Year. His weeks will be split between working here and taking some courses.
Under the heading of 'It's a Small World', after the last Mass this morning, while greeting the parishioners as they left Mass, one gentleman approached and said that he was visiting from Michigan. He was here on business at ESPN, and was flying back on Monday. I welcomed him, but he continued, saying that there was more to his story.
It seems he had relations with a girl at the age of 17, and she became pregnant. They had the child, a baby boy, and gave him up for adoption. Almost exactly a year ago, he sought out his biological son, and made contact with him. It seems he, also, is a seminarian, studying at Mt. St. Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg MD, and Mateusz knows him! Isn't that something!
But I also got to thinking of another powerful message embedded in this story. We are celebrating Right To Life Month in October. This man and his girlfriend at the time conceived a child even though they were not in a position to care for it. But instead of terminating that precious life, they brought the boy into this world and gave him up for adoption, and because they did that, more than likely we will have one more priest serving our church!
Under the heading of 'It's a Small World', after the last Mass this morning, while greeting the parishioners as they left Mass, one gentleman approached and said that he was visiting from Michigan. He was here on business at ESPN, and was flying back on Monday. I welcomed him, but he continued, saying that there was more to his story.
It seems he had relations with a girl at the age of 17, and she became pregnant. They had the child, a baby boy, and gave him up for adoption. Almost exactly a year ago, he sought out his biological son, and made contact with him. It seems he, also, is a seminarian, studying at Mt. St. Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg MD, and Mateusz knows him! Isn't that something!
But I also got to thinking of another powerful message embedded in this story. We are celebrating Right To Life Month in October. This man and his girlfriend at the time conceived a child even though they were not in a position to care for it. But instead of terminating that precious life, they brought the boy into this world and gave him up for adoption, and because they did that, more than likely we will have one more priest serving our church!
Monday, September 12, 2011
9-11 ten years later
Not only was the 10th anniversary of the tragedies of 9-11-2001 an historic place in time, but the fact that it was on a Sunday was important. Falling on a weekend meant that more people were free to observe this anniversary without having to take time off from work or school. And being the 'Lord's Day' meant that more people would gather in their places of worship to commemorate this date. As a pastor, it gave me an opportunity to lead a greater number of people in reflecting on where we've been, where we are today, and perhaps where we should be heading.
My homily yesterday shared my thoughts that the reading our church selected for the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, to be read at Catholic Mass everywhere in the world, were the perfect readings for such a remembrance. They spoke about forgiveness, the need to forgive, and the healing that comes from unconditional forgiveness, the same forgiveness we receive from Jesus himself. When we allow feelings of anger and hatred to fester, we perpetuate the very behavior we are lashing out against. And years turn into decades which turn into centuries, and nothing positive is accomplished. In fact, even after the initial events are long forgotten, the feelings are still passed on from generation to generation.
I look to many of the countries in the Middle East, whose anger and hatred for neighbors goes back to stories in the Old Testament. I remember watching, a few years back, a newscast in which a young father and his son were caught in a crossfire in his hometown, somewhere in the Middle East. As we watched, the son was hit by several bullets and died in his father's arms. And I suddenly understood how many centuries of such incidents coud lead to the current unrest we know in that part of the world. If that were my son, would I be able to forgive? It's easy for me to answer from where I sit right now. But, what would I do if I were not here at my computer, but rather on that street, holding my dead son?
And yet, someone has to take the first step. Otherwise peace will never become a reality.
Last evening I participated in 'Southington Remembers 9-11'. People of many different faiths came together to remember those who lost their lives ten years ago, and those who still try to put their lives together having lost someone near and dear in 2001. It was a wonderful feeling to be shoulder to shoulder with clergy from other Christian churches, siekhs, rabbis and others to unite our voices in prayer to the same God, asking for the same thing - peace in our hearts, in our community, in our world. May we never stop working to achieve that end, especially in the everyday events of our individual lives.
My homily yesterday shared my thoughts that the reading our church selected for the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, to be read at Catholic Mass everywhere in the world, were the perfect readings for such a remembrance. They spoke about forgiveness, the need to forgive, and the healing that comes from unconditional forgiveness, the same forgiveness we receive from Jesus himself. When we allow feelings of anger and hatred to fester, we perpetuate the very behavior we are lashing out against. And years turn into decades which turn into centuries, and nothing positive is accomplished. In fact, even after the initial events are long forgotten, the feelings are still passed on from generation to generation.
I look to many of the countries in the Middle East, whose anger and hatred for neighbors goes back to stories in the Old Testament. I remember watching, a few years back, a newscast in which a young father and his son were caught in a crossfire in his hometown, somewhere in the Middle East. As we watched, the son was hit by several bullets and died in his father's arms. And I suddenly understood how many centuries of such incidents coud lead to the current unrest we know in that part of the world. If that were my son, would I be able to forgive? It's easy for me to answer from where I sit right now. But, what would I do if I were not here at my computer, but rather on that street, holding my dead son?
And yet, someone has to take the first step. Otherwise peace will never become a reality.
Last evening I participated in 'Southington Remembers 9-11'. People of many different faiths came together to remember those who lost their lives ten years ago, and those who still try to put their lives together having lost someone near and dear in 2001. It was a wonderful feeling to be shoulder to shoulder with clergy from other Christian churches, siekhs, rabbis and others to unite our voices in prayer to the same God, asking for the same thing - peace in our hearts, in our community, in our world. May we never stop working to achieve that end, especially in the everyday events of our individual lives.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Vacation
Back from a week's vacation up in New Hampshire. Unlike my last vacation, this one was not supposed to be strenuous, just relaxing. I have had a group of friends up for many years over Columbus Day weekend, after which I usually drain the water system for the winter. This year, Columbus Day weekend would not work for some in the group, and since the Archdiocese changed the week of our annual Priest's Retreat to the week prior to Columbus Day, it would have been a bit rushed to prepare for so many people arriving the day after I would get up north. So, we decided to try Labor Day weekend, figuring it would be warmer weather and stay light longer. All of which proved to be true - the temperature part certainly helped overcome the dampness of all the rain we had.
On top of that, I had to have some engine repair work done to my car, a process that we all know never goes without a hitch. The first part of my week was beautiful weather, and I got a lot of mowing done in my back field. It took several tries, but I managed to eradicate the yellow-jacket nest that I 'found' when I mowed two weeks ago. Or maybe I should have said THEY found me. And, I uncovered a white-faced hornet nest as well.
Every year, my friends look to do a 'project' when they come up. This year we were attempting to rebuild my picnic table. I had measured the rotting pieces - the legs and most of the supports ahead of time. However, as we dismantled the table, we found even more rot. So, we returned to the lumber yard, and decided to build a whole new table. And since we decided not to cut the 8' pieces and throw away the 'scrap', I now have an 8' table instead of a 5'10" table.
All that is left of my last table are the pieces for the fireplace, and the top which is salvagable.
A man and his toys are not easily separated, and one of my friends brought his outdoor movie projection system. It was like our own private drive-in. We saw 'Salt', a spy-counter spy, suspense thriller that was very good, and a John Candy blast-from-the-past double feature.
I must confess I do NOT have a permit to carry that in my vehicle. Fortunately, I was not stopped by any of the State Police on my way home.
I can assure you it is not loaded! Not too sure what I will do with it, though.
Well, it is back to work. School is in full swing - we have an Open House tonight.
On top of that, I had to have some engine repair work done to my car, a process that we all know never goes without a hitch. The first part of my week was beautiful weather, and I got a lot of mowing done in my back field. It took several tries, but I managed to eradicate the yellow-jacket nest that I 'found' when I mowed two weeks ago. Or maybe I should have said THEY found me. And, I uncovered a white-faced hornet nest as well.
Every year, my friends look to do a 'project' when they come up. This year we were attempting to rebuild my picnic table. I had measured the rotting pieces - the legs and most of the supports ahead of time. However, as we dismantled the table, we found even more rot. So, we returned to the lumber yard, and decided to build a whole new table. And since we decided not to cut the 8' pieces and throw away the 'scrap', I now have an 8' table instead of a 5'10" table.
On Saturday we went to the Hopkinton Fair. It was a steamy hot, humid day, a blast from the summer. That mixed with the animal smells proved interesting. It was not a good day for the diets either, although the price of the deep-fried oreos kept us away from them - a dollar per oreo! Yikes!
My friends never disappoint with the food they bring. I am now the proud owner of a squash like you have never seen before.
I can assure you it is not loaded! Not too sure what I will do with it, though.
Well, it is back to work. School is in full swing - we have an Open House tonight.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Help
I am not much of a movie-goer, but someone last week was absolutely raving about the movie 'The Help', and since it is still summer, and schedules are a bit kicked back, a friend and I went to the matinee the other day. What we saw was a really good movie. It is set in the South before Civil Rights, but was a heart-warming story of what happens when we live by our convictions and remain true to ourselves, even in the face of oppression and cultural pressure. So often it is much easier to go along with the crowd, or water down our standards because we feel we will not be accepted if we maintain the values we hold. Hopefully we all can be empowered to stand up for what we believe, and in the process truly make a difference in the world in which we live and work and play.
This weekend, our 'summer seminarian' bid farewell as he heads back to Washington DC and Year 2 of his preparation for priesthood. However, it seems like he wasn't here that long, and in fact, he wasn't. He had the opportunity to go to the Holy Land and to Rome for a month, and he took advantage of that, returning home this past week. He enjoyed his trip, his experiences in different cultures, and visiting those places we read about in the Scriptures. And, he did not forget his pastor. He came back with a special Red Sox shirt for me - in Hebrew! Maybe that will be my next collection, since I now have Red Sox shirts in English, Italian, and now Hebrew!
This weekend, our 'summer seminarian' bid farewell as he heads back to Washington DC and Year 2 of his preparation for priesthood. However, it seems like he wasn't here that long, and in fact, he wasn't. He had the opportunity to go to the Holy Land and to Rome for a month, and he took advantage of that, returning home this past week. He enjoyed his trip, his experiences in different cultures, and visiting those places we read about in the Scriptures. And, he did not forget his pastor. He came back with a special Red Sox shirt for me - in Hebrew! Maybe that will be my next collection, since I now have Red Sox shirts in English, Italian, and now Hebrew!
Friday, August 5, 2011
Grace
The above picture is of the common area in the hut. The staff worker pictured is checking the sign-in roster regarding the numbers she has to cook dinner for. She is standing at the hut 'store' where one can purchase t-shirts, hats, pins, a toothbrush, and the like. Behind her is the kitchen, to the left is the 'library' and in the foreground is the dining area.
The hut holds 40 people, 26 of which were in our hiking group. Before meals are served, I ask people to join me in offering a prayer of thanks - thanks for bringing us safely through the days's hike, thanks for the hospitality of the 'crew', thanks for the meal, and to ask His blessing upon us all. Over the years, many 'through-hikers' (those who are not part of our group but are staying overnight and continuing on in the morning) have mentioned how nice it is to have someone lead a simple prayer before meals. To me, if you cannot feel a closeness to our Lord in those mountains, you'll never feel a closeness to Him.
This year, after offering a prayer before breakfast, a woman who had come in late for dinner the night before, approached me and said she felt offended by my prayer, and that if I wanted to do such a thing, I should include only those in our group, that not all people have the same beliefs. She obviously was looking for a 'conversation/argument', one which I felt was neither warranted nor appropriate at that time. So I simply said to her, 'Point taken!'
This became the topic of conversation on our hike out that morning, and at the campsite over the weekend. One gentleman who was not in our group, who was a Baptist by faith, approached me before we left and suggested I not let those kinds of sentiments get me down, that what we need today is more people giving witness to their faith. I suggested that what is happening in today's society, as more and more of the vocal minority make it an issue, is a 'freedom FROM religion'. Unfortunately, these people think the founders of our country gave us freedom FROM religion, when in fact they gave us freedom OF religion.
There is a huge difference between the two. As Rabbi Harold Kushner says in his great book 'Who Needs God', every human being has an innate need to know there is a greater power that guides and governs us. Everyone, he says, has a psychological need to know we can turn things over to someone greater than us, especially when they are out of control for us. So we all need religion, because that is how we connect with our God. HOW we connect is up to us. We can choose our religion, for there are different paths that lead to the same end.
We also need to be tolerant of others and the path they have chosen. If someone is praying in their tradition, offering a silent prayer in our heart in the manner in which we pray would be appropriate. It should not offend us that someone is praying in a different way. Rather we should unite our prayer with theirs. After all, we are all brothers and sisters in the Lord!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Hiking Ethan Pond Trail
After a few miles, the trail crossed a very high bridge over the brook.
Before and after, the trail consisted at times of planks across previously marshy stretches. The lack of rainfall made for a drier than expected hike. A mile or so beyond the bridge was a stretch of trail that was carved out of a huge rock slide. Pictures did not do justice to the awesome stretch of rock above and below us.
We spotted a hut off in the distance, on the other side of the ravine, but with only two miles to go, we didn't think it was our hut. (It is a small dot to the right and just above the birch branches.) Turns out it was, and the trail curved in ways I still do not understand.
A few yards past the hut was a huge waterfalls - the Zealand Falls. Having arrived at the hut much sooner than we normally do, we had time to climb the Falls and 'relax' in a pool of 65 degree spring water, overlooking the mountains and valleys! Doesn't get much better than that. Again, pictures don't do it justice, but we all looked at each other and said, 'THIS is why we do this every year!' Here's a view from the front porch of our hut! (The line above the base of that rock face is where the trail traverses when I took the rock slide pictures.)
Sunday, July 24, 2011
What I did on my summer vacation.....
Brings back memories of my school days when the first thing we had to do when we returned to school each September was write that essay.
Well, I will blog again soon about my hiking and NH adventures, when I have some pictures downloaded that I can attach. However, one of the things I DID do was bite the bullet and sign on with Facebook. I posted this link on my Facebook page as well, in hopes that more will read it and maybe comment on it.
Meantime, I am here in Gettysburg surviving the 100+ degree temps each day. Went kayaking on the Susquahena River today. Overheard someone today asking for January/February weather to return. I think they were out in the heat a bit too long!
Brings back memories of my school days when the first thing we had to do when we returned to school each September was write that essay.
Well, I will blog again soon about my hiking and NH adventures, when I have some pictures downloaded that I can attach. However, one of the things I DID do was bite the bullet and sign on with Facebook. I posted this link on my Facebook page as well, in hopes that more will read it and maybe comment on it.
Meantime, I am here in Gettysburg surviving the 100+ degree temps each day. Went kayaking on the Susquahena River today. Overheard someone today asking for January/February weather to return. I think they were out in the heat a bit too long!
Monday, July 11, 2011
ready or not
It is time for the summer vacation, and that means my annual climb in the White Mountains. Unfortunately, I could use another two months of training - or maybe I should have started two months earlier than I did! Anyway, ready-or-not, here it comes! The 'deed' is happening on Thursday and Friday. The forecast, as of now, seems perfect - too good to be true, actually. What's the saying - "If it sounds too good to be true...."? Let's hope not.
While we are not summitting any of the 4000' peaks this year, our hike is much longer than usual - about 7.5 miles the 1st day and over 5 miles the second. We are traversing the Ethan Pond Trail to the Zealand Falls Hut. Although I have been to that hut, I have never overnighted there, so I am looking forward to this experience.
Our base camp is once again in nearby Bartlett, Glen Ellis Campground. After the scattered t-storms tomorrow, the rest of the week looks to be ideal - even Mother Nature's own AC at night!
The second half of my vacation will take me to my sister's and her famiy in Gettysburg, a beautiful part of our country steeped in history. She wants me to bring the rain down her way since they are in a drought. Hard to remember what that is like with all the rain we've had this year!
Please pray for me as I will you. Should have some interesting stories to blog upon my return.
While we are not summitting any of the 4000' peaks this year, our hike is much longer than usual - about 7.5 miles the 1st day and over 5 miles the second. We are traversing the Ethan Pond Trail to the Zealand Falls Hut. Although I have been to that hut, I have never overnighted there, so I am looking forward to this experience.
Our base camp is once again in nearby Bartlett, Glen Ellis Campground. After the scattered t-storms tomorrow, the rest of the week looks to be ideal - even Mother Nature's own AC at night!
The second half of my vacation will take me to my sister's and her famiy in Gettysburg, a beautiful part of our country steeped in history. She wants me to bring the rain down her way since they are in a drought. Hard to remember what that is like with all the rain we've had this year!
Please pray for me as I will you. Should have some interesting stories to blog upon my return.
Monday, June 27, 2011
comments
So, I have heard back from the person who commented on my blog as to how she did it. I will copy in what she wrote, and hopefully that will facilitate more comments:
"Okay . .so – I’m not that savvy either! BUT I figured out that I needed to create an account in order to participate. (upper right followers sign-in) I chose “google account” because that sounded the most familiar to me out the choices – I’m a facebooker – but not twitter – and I don’t have a yahoo account.
"Okay . .so – I’m not that savvy either! BUT I figured out that I needed to create an account in order to participate. (upper right followers sign-in) I chose “google account” because that sounded the most familiar to me out the choices – I’m a facebooker – but not twitter – and I don’t have a yahoo account.
THEN I typed in my comment – selected a profile (from the drop-down list after the comment) – then previewed what I wanted to post – then posted the comment.
I did receive your e-mail to my personal email but not to my google account – ‘cuz I don’t use it! . . . This was truly all hit or miss for me!
I am far from a rocket scientist! But I just flubbed around until it worked! Plus a little prayer for guidance! LOL!
Hope this can help someone out there!"
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Dropping in
I wrote to her and asked her to describe the process. If I can understand it, I will post it to see if others might be able to do the same.
Meantime, we had visitors from outer space one morning. As I went to retrieve the morning paper, I noticed a large pick-up truck pull into the yard and park. This was puzzling - we often get people who want to park overnight, but early in the morning was a bit unusual. The custodian came in and asked if I saw the black pick-up. He thought it was accompanying the 'balloon' he saw as he came in to work. I ventured outside, and sure enough, there it was, trying desperately NOT to hit the convent and awaken the poor sisters!
After five minutes of playing with the gas jets and flame, coaxing the wind which was almost non-existant, they made a safe landing in the parking area just past the convent.
It has been a busy few weeks. School is finally out for the summer. We had our series of 'advancements' for Pre-K, Kindergarten, and grades 1-7. We had graduation for grade 8. We had a farewell party for the two teachers retiring. We had end-of-the-year gatherings for the RCIA team and for the Religious Education staff. And now summer is upon us. Everyone gets to enjoy some R&R - IF the weather cooperates. I have to say we certainly have had more than our share of rain. The good thing about that is I do not have to water my gardens each night!
Today I went to St. Anthony Church in Prospect to share in the festivities for a Priest friend who is celebrating 25 years of ordination. It was a beautiful liturgy. As he is pastor of two parishes, one English-speaking, one Spanish-speaking, the liturgy was multi-lingual, including the prayers and the music.
It was well-done. I admire someone who can do what he is doing with two very diverse parishes. It is truly a gift! May our Lord continue to bless him abundantly!
Monday, May 23, 2011
The End of the World
So, the end of the world has come and gone! That wasn't too bad, was it?
I just kind of chuckle and shake my head when I hear all the commotion regarding the end times and all the predictions as to the day and the hour when this will happen. It gives credence to the saying , 'There's a sucker born every minute!'
To me, the saddest part in all of this is the millions of dollars this scam artist is making, when that money could be spent assisting those most in need in our world. As the Gospels tell us, God does not want us sitting around waiting for His return. Rather, this period of waiting that we are in must be filled with activity - doing the work of the Lord. WE help to bring about the Kingdom whenever we reach out to assist those who need our help.
While part of me says the Law of Averages show that one of these predictions just has to be right (after 2,000 years of wrong predictions, someone's gotta be right!), I also know that whenever the Lord returns should be of little consequence as long as we are ready and prepared. IF we live each and every day as Jesus has taught, then whenever he returns, we can rejoice and go on to the eternal life we so long for.
I just kind of chuckle and shake my head when I hear all the commotion regarding the end times and all the predictions as to the day and the hour when this will happen. It gives credence to the saying , 'There's a sucker born every minute!'
To me, the saddest part in all of this is the millions of dollars this scam artist is making, when that money could be spent assisting those most in need in our world. As the Gospels tell us, God does not want us sitting around waiting for His return. Rather, this period of waiting that we are in must be filled with activity - doing the work of the Lord. WE help to bring about the Kingdom whenever we reach out to assist those who need our help.
While part of me says the Law of Averages show that one of these predictions just has to be right (after 2,000 years of wrong predictions, someone's gotta be right!), I also know that whenever the Lord returns should be of little consequence as long as we are ready and prepared. IF we live each and every day as Jesus has taught, then whenever he returns, we can rejoice and go on to the eternal life we so long for.
tempus fugit
So, it's been two weeks since I blogged. How time flies....sometimes! It seems the sun has not been out since then, and THAT definitely seems like a long, long time! May be I should change the background on this blog! (I chose this background because it reminded me of the weather when climbing in the White Mountains!)
Anyway, since I last blogged, I had a meeting with the Archdiocese's Small Christian Communities Pastors' Team. For those not familiar with Small Christian Communities (SCC's), they are based on the model used in the early church. Small groups of believers met to reflect on the Scriptures and to be a support group for one another. The SCC's today do the same things. They meet weekly to reflect on the Scripture readings for the coming Sunday, to listen to the Word speak to them personally, and to share their thoughts with one another, assisting each other's faith journey.
Brother Bob Moriarty who leads the diocesan office for SCC's is tweaking the model to provide more time for silence within the weekly format. Silence is a beautiful, but under-used thing in our prayer lives. So often we, myself included, tend to fill our prayers with words. And when we do, there is very little space for God to speak to US! When we take the time to quiet ourselves, freeing our hearts and minds of all the 'pressing' things of our day, then GOD can fill us with what HE wants. And then we find that true peace we so desperately seek, because then OUR hearts and minds are in tune with the heart and mind of God. And when that happens, it is truly a beautiful thing.
So, we met for a few hours trying the new format and now we are ready to introduce it to the SCC groups in our parish. Reaction should be interesting!
On Friday the 13th, the school children held a breakfast for me in honor of Pastor Appreciation Day. They all made cards - the older children made individual cards, the younger children made group cards. But the most precious, by far, was the card from Pre-K - a simple 18x24 white piece of construction paper with big blue letters that say 'Pre-K loves Fr. Nick' and a colored fingerprint from each child that was transformed into a ladybug, or a sunshine face, or a flower. It is so cute. A keeper, for sure!
On Wednesday I was treated to a game at Fenway Park. Not sure if 'treated' is necessarily the right word here. I brought winter attire and was glad I did: woolen hat, gloves, neck gaitor and lots of layers! Used it all. And although the rain held off for most of the day/evening, the fog was quite an experience. I could hardly make out the fans on the opposite side of the stadium, and the landmark Cigo sign was not visible either. Fortunately for the Sox, there was 30 minute rain delay in the 7th inning. That got the Tiger's starter out of the game, and the Sox scored the only run of the game the next inning to win 1-0!
Yesterday we celebrated the third and final First Communion for our young people. This time it was the school children. It is always an uplifting occasion for me to preside at these sacraments of initiation - I can recall my own celebration of these sacraments, and how excited I was, and how it led me eventually to ordination. And I hope and pray that the Holy Spirit will work through these children in the same way, drawing them ever closer to a life with Jesus, and in service to their brothers and sisters.
Anyway, since I last blogged, I had a meeting with the Archdiocese's Small Christian Communities Pastors' Team. For those not familiar with Small Christian Communities (SCC's), they are based on the model used in the early church. Small groups of believers met to reflect on the Scriptures and to be a support group for one another. The SCC's today do the same things. They meet weekly to reflect on the Scripture readings for the coming Sunday, to listen to the Word speak to them personally, and to share their thoughts with one another, assisting each other's faith journey.
Brother Bob Moriarty who leads the diocesan office for SCC's is tweaking the model to provide more time for silence within the weekly format. Silence is a beautiful, but under-used thing in our prayer lives. So often we, myself included, tend to fill our prayers with words. And when we do, there is very little space for God to speak to US! When we take the time to quiet ourselves, freeing our hearts and minds of all the 'pressing' things of our day, then GOD can fill us with what HE wants. And then we find that true peace we so desperately seek, because then OUR hearts and minds are in tune with the heart and mind of God. And when that happens, it is truly a beautiful thing.
So, we met for a few hours trying the new format and now we are ready to introduce it to the SCC groups in our parish. Reaction should be interesting!
On Friday the 13th, the school children held a breakfast for me in honor of Pastor Appreciation Day. They all made cards - the older children made individual cards, the younger children made group cards. But the most precious, by far, was the card from Pre-K - a simple 18x24 white piece of construction paper with big blue letters that say 'Pre-K loves Fr. Nick' and a colored fingerprint from each child that was transformed into a ladybug, or a sunshine face, or a flower. It is so cute. A keeper, for sure!
On Wednesday I was treated to a game at Fenway Park. Not sure if 'treated' is necessarily the right word here. I brought winter attire and was glad I did: woolen hat, gloves, neck gaitor and lots of layers! Used it all. And although the rain held off for most of the day/evening, the fog was quite an experience. I could hardly make out the fans on the opposite side of the stadium, and the landmark Cigo sign was not visible either. Fortunately for the Sox, there was 30 minute rain delay in the 7th inning. That got the Tiger's starter out of the game, and the Sox scored the only run of the game the next inning to win 1-0!
Yesterday we celebrated the third and final First Communion for our young people. This time it was the school children. It is always an uplifting occasion for me to preside at these sacraments of initiation - I can recall my own celebration of these sacraments, and how excited I was, and how it led me eventually to ordination. And I hope and pray that the Holy Spirit will work through these children in the same way, drawing them ever closer to a life with Jesus, and in service to their brothers and sisters.
Monday, May 9, 2011
meetings
Today was a really gorgeous spring day! Bright sunshine, temps in the low 70's, a slight breeze - the kind of day where I am jealous of people who work outdoors for a living. While I did manage to get over an hour of walking in at noontime, I still had to spend most of the day indoors at meetings.
Our Business Manager, and two members of our Finance Council and I met with representatives from one of our banks to discuss our portfolio of investments for the Parish Cemetery. Portfolios are not my forte; in fact I know next to nothing about them, and that lack of knowledge has me a bit scared of them as well. Luckily, I have people who DO know more than a little about these things to assist me and make recommendations, which is why we asked the banking reps in to explain where we are and where we are headed and to ask for some new possible proposals for investing. I must admit we learned nothing of these things in seminary!
Following that meeting, I met with our Principal to interview a prospective teacher for our 8th grade for next year. We have a couple of long-time faculty retiring at the end of the current year, and so we are interviewing interested candidates. These candidates are pre-approved by the Office of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese. While I leave the ultimate decision for hiring to the Principal since she has to work with her faculty every day and is responsible for the everyday running of the school, I still like to meet those she interviews and is interested in hiring. The interview went well.
Tonight we had our Pastoral Council meeting, the last one before summer. The three newly elected members joined us for the first time, and they brought an enthusiasm that was not present recently. They volunteered for new committees and are excited to be part of the workings of our parish. It is heart-warming to see people step forward and take ownership of their church; people who are willing to give of their time/talent/treasure to advance the work of our parish.
While our guest speaker took ill today and was not able to join us, we did have good discussions on many topics ranging from the possible purchase of a defibrilator machine, to our 150th anniversary book, to a revision of the Council By-Laws. I know that I left that meeting feeling we had accomplished something.
Now I hope to catch an inning or two of the Sox before going to bed. Hope they can get closer to .500!
Our Business Manager, and two members of our Finance Council and I met with representatives from one of our banks to discuss our portfolio of investments for the Parish Cemetery. Portfolios are not my forte; in fact I know next to nothing about them, and that lack of knowledge has me a bit scared of them as well. Luckily, I have people who DO know more than a little about these things to assist me and make recommendations, which is why we asked the banking reps in to explain where we are and where we are headed and to ask for some new possible proposals for investing. I must admit we learned nothing of these things in seminary!
Following that meeting, I met with our Principal to interview a prospective teacher for our 8th grade for next year. We have a couple of long-time faculty retiring at the end of the current year, and so we are interviewing interested candidates. These candidates are pre-approved by the Office of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese. While I leave the ultimate decision for hiring to the Principal since she has to work with her faculty every day and is responsible for the everyday running of the school, I still like to meet those she interviews and is interested in hiring. The interview went well.
Tonight we had our Pastoral Council meeting, the last one before summer. The three newly elected members joined us for the first time, and they brought an enthusiasm that was not present recently. They volunteered for new committees and are excited to be part of the workings of our parish. It is heart-warming to see people step forward and take ownership of their church; people who are willing to give of their time/talent/treasure to advance the work of our parish.
While our guest speaker took ill today and was not able to join us, we did have good discussions on many topics ranging from the possible purchase of a defibrilator machine, to our 150th anniversary book, to a revision of the Council By-Laws. I know that I left that meeting feeling we had accomplished something.
Now I hope to catch an inning or two of the Sox before going to bed. Hope they can get closer to .500!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Faith
Today was a busy day. In the morning I presided at a funeral for a parishioner who was a woman of very deep faith. She had kept a diary for most of her almost 90 years. I have never been a 'diary person', though they had been recommended numerous times in my seminary years. It had always seemed too personal, for some reason. But now that I think about it, is it really any different from blogging?
Anyway, the entries this woman made, including one from 1945 when she was almost 23 years old that was shared at her funeral, were deeply inspiring. She had entered into a conversation with some acquaintance who did not believe in the things she did - the divinity of Jesus, the divine revelation that is the Bible, a personal God, etc. She wrote, 'When I told him he didn't know what he was missing, he said, 'Well then, what's the difference?'' And she ended the entry saying, 'Thank you God for giving me faith. Help me to keep it!'
Indeed she struggled at times to keep that faith, especially in her later years dealing with numerous medical and illness issues. But, she always knew the Lord was there with her, leading her and guiding her. What a remarkable legacy she has left for those privileged to have shared life with her.
Then this evening Archbishop Mansell came to confer the sacrament of confirmation on our young people. As he prayed over them and for them, invoking the gifts of the Holy Spirit, I couldn't help but think these were the very same gifts of faith that this woman nurtured and utilized in her life. And, hopefully, this same Holy Spirit will allow these young people to go forth as people of faith as well, and truly make a difference in their corner of the world.
Anyway, the entries this woman made, including one from 1945 when she was almost 23 years old that was shared at her funeral, were deeply inspiring. She had entered into a conversation with some acquaintance who did not believe in the things she did - the divinity of Jesus, the divine revelation that is the Bible, a personal God, etc. She wrote, 'When I told him he didn't know what he was missing, he said, 'Well then, what's the difference?'' And she ended the entry saying, 'Thank you God for giving me faith. Help me to keep it!'
Indeed she struggled at times to keep that faith, especially in her later years dealing with numerous medical and illness issues. But, she always knew the Lord was there with her, leading her and guiding her. What a remarkable legacy she has left for those privileged to have shared life with her.
Then this evening Archbishop Mansell came to confer the sacrament of confirmation on our young people. As he prayed over them and for them, invoking the gifts of the Holy Spirit, I couldn't help but think these were the very same gifts of faith that this woman nurtured and utilized in her life. And, hopefully, this same Holy Spirit will allow these young people to go forth as people of faith as well, and truly make a difference in their corner of the world.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
retreat
Today I went for luch to Our Lady of Calvary Retreat House in Farmington where some women of our parish were making their annual retreat.
A retreat is such a wonderful time because it allows one to 'get away' from all the pressures of everyday life for a brief time, to listen to the voice of God, and to be rejuvenated to re-enter 'life' with a renewed sense of energy and purpose. I look forward to my own retreat every Fall, and these women clearly were benefitting from this weekend away.
Many people view retreats as something for 'holy rollers' or hours spent in deep, quiet prayer. While it IS a time for prayer and reflection, it is also a time for relaxing and socializing. When I arrived, the retreatants had gathered in small groups and were discussing a talk that had just been presented to them. The conversation centered around the practice of saying 'God bless you' after one sneezes, and what that really meant, how one asks the Lord to bless the person who has sneezed. I am told one's heart actually stops momentarily when a sneeze occurs, and so the practice began of asking the Lord to bless that person and allow his/her heart to resume beating once again.
From there the talk went to parents who bless their children as they leave for school, or one mother who had offered a blessing to her son who was off for yet another job interview, and how he actually returned later that day to say he got the job. Also mentioned was the age-old practice of saying a prayer before embarking on a longer trip, and even saying a prayer when an ambulance passes with its lights and sirens blaring. All of these practices, many that were popular in previous generations but have lost popularity in recent years, can have the effect of keeping in mind that the Lord walks with us always, and, if we allow Him, He can and will lead us and keep us safe.
Then it was on to lunch - soup, salad and make-your-own sandwiches. But the best part was the homemade chocolate chip cookies, and the chance to chat informally with parishioners who I usually only see in the 'formal' setting of liturgy. I found myself returning for my usual Saturday afternoon of confessions and Mass with a renewed sense of energy myself.
And, I was given a unique gift by Sr. Tirasina - a small clay 'figure' from Peru of eight figures carrying on their shoulders a huge cross, a depiction of what happens in Peruvian villages when they erect a new church. The villagers carry the cross to the top of the hill on which the church is to be built and 'plant' the cross there amid prayers and songs, asking the Lord and their patron saint to bless them.
May God bless you all, especially as we continue in this joyous Easter season!
A retreat is such a wonderful time because it allows one to 'get away' from all the pressures of everyday life for a brief time, to listen to the voice of God, and to be rejuvenated to re-enter 'life' with a renewed sense of energy and purpose. I look forward to my own retreat every Fall, and these women clearly were benefitting from this weekend away.
Many people view retreats as something for 'holy rollers' or hours spent in deep, quiet prayer. While it IS a time for prayer and reflection, it is also a time for relaxing and socializing. When I arrived, the retreatants had gathered in small groups and were discussing a talk that had just been presented to them. The conversation centered around the practice of saying 'God bless you' after one sneezes, and what that really meant, how one asks the Lord to bless the person who has sneezed. I am told one's heart actually stops momentarily when a sneeze occurs, and so the practice began of asking the Lord to bless that person and allow his/her heart to resume beating once again.
From there the talk went to parents who bless their children as they leave for school, or one mother who had offered a blessing to her son who was off for yet another job interview, and how he actually returned later that day to say he got the job. Also mentioned was the age-old practice of saying a prayer before embarking on a longer trip, and even saying a prayer when an ambulance passes with its lights and sirens blaring. All of these practices, many that were popular in previous generations but have lost popularity in recent years, can have the effect of keeping in mind that the Lord walks with us always, and, if we allow Him, He can and will lead us and keep us safe.
Then it was on to lunch - soup, salad and make-your-own sandwiches. But the best part was the homemade chocolate chip cookies, and the chance to chat informally with parishioners who I usually only see in the 'formal' setting of liturgy. I found myself returning for my usual Saturday afternoon of confessions and Mass with a renewed sense of energy myself.
And, I was given a unique gift by Sr. Tirasina - a small clay 'figure' from Peru of eight figures carrying on their shoulders a huge cross, a depiction of what happens in Peruvian villages when they erect a new church. The villagers carry the cross to the top of the hill on which the church is to be built and 'plant' the cross there amid prayers and songs, asking the Lord and their patron saint to bless them.
May God bless you all, especially as we continue in this joyous Easter season!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Happy Easter
Happy Easter! Alleluia! He is Risen! Buona Pasqua!
As I sit here at my computer putting the last few touches on the preparations for the Easter Vigil, I look out my window, into my courtyard, and see what Easter is truly all about. It is a grey, dreary, foggy day. The rain has stopped, the birds are chirpping, and my garden is coming to life after a LONG winter!
Daffodils are in full bloom. Hyacinth are almost done. Violets and primrose are sporting their wonderful colors. Tulips - five of them - are preparing to unfurl. Lillies and pampras grass push their greens skyward. Rose bushes have sprouted leaves. Everywhere, there is new life, even amid the gloomy weather conditions of the day.
Just two days ago, on Holy Thursday, I gathered with Archbishop Mansell and 30 other priests for our annual Celebration of Priesthood Luncheon. There were 1,010 years of priesthood there!
Then I returned to celebrate the Mass of the Last Supper. One of the most moving parts, for me, is the Washing of Feet ceremony. It reminds me why I have become a priest in the first place - to serve the people of God, and to continue the work Jesus began over 2,000 years ago. Two of the people actually thanked me after I washed their feet; that kind of startled me, because I do not do what I do to be thanked, but because this is what God has called me to do. And yet, it WAS nice to be thanked.
Yesterday, I presided at the Good Friday services, reading the Passion, unveiling the Cross, and leading in the veneration of the Cross. What an awesome God we have - one who was willing to die for me, and for every person, of all time! How can I ever repay Him? The best I can do is try to live that same love every day.
And now, the culmination of all of this - the Easter Vigil! It is my privilege to baptize three people into our church this evening, and to welcome two others, already baptized in different faiths, into our church. I also get to confer the sacrament of confirmation, something usually reserved for the bishop. But because it is done in the context of the Easter Vigil, I have permission to confirm this evening - a special time for me as well as for the five becoming Catholic! It will be a long ceremony, but one that is so moving and filled with such dramatic imagery.
The church will be in total darkness as we begin, and the light of the new Easter candle will illumine the entire church! It doesn't get any better than that - to SEE how the light of Christ enlightens us all!
By tomorrow afternoon, I will be totally drained, but it will be a good tired, for knowing it is Easter makes all the difference in the world!
Happy Easter!
As I sit here at my computer putting the last few touches on the preparations for the Easter Vigil, I look out my window, into my courtyard, and see what Easter is truly all about. It is a grey, dreary, foggy day. The rain has stopped, the birds are chirpping, and my garden is coming to life after a LONG winter!
Daffodils are in full bloom. Hyacinth are almost done. Violets and primrose are sporting their wonderful colors. Tulips - five of them - are preparing to unfurl. Lillies and pampras grass push their greens skyward. Rose bushes have sprouted leaves. Everywhere, there is new life, even amid the gloomy weather conditions of the day.
Just two days ago, on Holy Thursday, I gathered with Archbishop Mansell and 30 other priests for our annual Celebration of Priesthood Luncheon. There were 1,010 years of priesthood there!
Then I returned to celebrate the Mass of the Last Supper. One of the most moving parts, for me, is the Washing of Feet ceremony. It reminds me why I have become a priest in the first place - to serve the people of God, and to continue the work Jesus began over 2,000 years ago. Two of the people actually thanked me after I washed their feet; that kind of startled me, because I do not do what I do to be thanked, but because this is what God has called me to do. And yet, it WAS nice to be thanked.
Yesterday, I presided at the Good Friday services, reading the Passion, unveiling the Cross, and leading in the veneration of the Cross. What an awesome God we have - one who was willing to die for me, and for every person, of all time! How can I ever repay Him? The best I can do is try to live that same love every day.
And now, the culmination of all of this - the Easter Vigil! It is my privilege to baptize three people into our church this evening, and to welcome two others, already baptized in different faiths, into our church. I also get to confer the sacrament of confirmation, something usually reserved for the bishop. But because it is done in the context of the Easter Vigil, I have permission to confirm this evening - a special time for me as well as for the five becoming Catholic! It will be a long ceremony, but one that is so moving and filled with such dramatic imagery.
The church will be in total darkness as we begin, and the light of the new Easter candle will illumine the entire church! It doesn't get any better than that - to SEE how the light of Christ enlightens us all!
By tomorrow afternoon, I will be totally drained, but it will be a good tired, for knowing it is Easter makes all the difference in the world!
Happy Easter!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Palm Sunday
So we begin Holy Week, the most sacred time for us Catholic Christians.
We started with the 'long' Mass today - tiring, but a 'good tired', from my vantage point. It takes alot emotionally to preside over these liturgies.
But it is also an honor and a privilege, and I try my best to make each liturgy, even if it is a 'repeat' for me, as special as the one before, knowing that it is the first and only liturgy for those in attendance.
We began with the blessing of palm branches and the 'special' Gospel reading proclaiming Jesus' triumpant entry into Jersualem. The crowds intended to make him their king! But Jesus knew differently how it would all turn out.
And sure enough, in a few short minutes, we joined together in playing the various parts of the Passion Narrative, depicting Jesus' suffering and death. Life is so unpredictable, isn't it. We never know what lies in store for us from one minute to the next, no matter how well we think we have it planned out.
So we are challenged to simply put it all in the hands of the Lord, and to - as Mother Teresa was so fond of saying - simply live faithfully each and every day: faithful to where the Lord is asking us to go. Then the rest will take care of itself.
This afternoon I watched the Passion Play as presented by members of our community. It is a wonderful tradition in this parish to present the Passion Play each Holy Week. It is a true labor of love; men, women and children from near and far, who have been rehearsing since January for this special time of the year. And although some of the scenes have been modified this year, it is still as poignant and powerful as ever. It is a treat to be able to witness this at the beginning of this Holy Week. I will return on Good Friday to see it once again. In the meantime, the next few days will be filled with the behind-the-scenes preparations for Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday!
We started with the 'long' Mass today - tiring, but a 'good tired', from my vantage point. It takes alot emotionally to preside over these liturgies.
But it is also an honor and a privilege, and I try my best to make each liturgy, even if it is a 'repeat' for me, as special as the one before, knowing that it is the first and only liturgy for those in attendance.
We began with the blessing of palm branches and the 'special' Gospel reading proclaiming Jesus' triumpant entry into Jersualem. The crowds intended to make him their king! But Jesus knew differently how it would all turn out.
And sure enough, in a few short minutes, we joined together in playing the various parts of the Passion Narrative, depicting Jesus' suffering and death. Life is so unpredictable, isn't it. We never know what lies in store for us from one minute to the next, no matter how well we think we have it planned out.
So we are challenged to simply put it all in the hands of the Lord, and to - as Mother Teresa was so fond of saying - simply live faithfully each and every day: faithful to where the Lord is asking us to go. Then the rest will take care of itself.
This afternoon I watched the Passion Play as presented by members of our community. It is a wonderful tradition in this parish to present the Passion Play each Holy Week. It is a true labor of love; men, women and children from near and far, who have been rehearsing since January for this special time of the year. And although some of the scenes have been modified this year, it is still as poignant and powerful as ever. It is a treat to be able to witness this at the beginning of this Holy Week. I will return on Good Friday to see it once again. In the meantime, the next few days will be filled with the behind-the-scenes preparations for Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Final Four
While the basketball results were not what I had hoped, the trip to Indianapolis was a good one. The guided tour of the city provided some historical background. The city is somewhat in disrepair infrastructure-wise because they are beautifying for the next Super Bowl. Apparently, the Women's Final Four is not on par with the NFL....which, surprisingly is not in the same universe as the Indy 500, which draws over 425,000 people!!!
Where DOES everyone park? That's alot of people for a one-day event, although there IS a massive party associated with the actual race which starts well before and goes on long after the actual event.
We were treated to a guided tour of the Speedway, and even got to go onto the track, view the finish line from the spotter's booth in the pagoda, and sit in the broadcast booth. Pretty fascinating.
And while the women's team lost in the semi-finals, those on the trip gathered at the hotel to watch the men's team beat Butler, whose campus we toured that day decked out in our finest UConn gear!
Friday, April 1, 2011
Indianapolis
The Final Four is an awesome experience witnessed in person. I have been fortunate to have gone to the Final Four that the UConn Women's Basketball team has participated in in Philadelphia, St. Louis, Atlanta and Tampa. While Philadelphia and Atlanta were much more joyous because UConn emerged as National Champions, it was still a great environment, and a nice experience to see different cities in our nation.
Unfortunately, the Final Four often coincides with Holy Week or Easter.
Last year, for instance, where a National Championship was a foregone conclusion, the Final Four was held in San Antonio, an absolutely beautiful city I am told, beginning on Easter Sunday Night. I figured people might be a tad upset if they showed up for Easter Sunday Mass and found a 'Closed - Gone to Basketball Game' sign on the front door. Next year the Final Four falls on Palm Sunday and Holy Week. So that is out as well.
But this year, because Easter is as late as it can be, I prayed really hard for UConn to make it to the Final Four. And my prayers were answered.
And so I am taking the opportunity to head to Indianapolis - where the 'off' evenings will be spent with other UConn fans watching the men's team in Houston on tv - and I get to witness my fifth Final Four.
Having never been to Indianapolis, there is a tour arranged, complete with a trip to the Brickyard. And although the forecast doesn't promise any sun until the day we head home, temperatures should be in the 60's a couple of the days. And most importantly, no signs of snow!
Go Huskies!
Unfortunately, the Final Four often coincides with Holy Week or Easter.
Last year, for instance, where a National Championship was a foregone conclusion, the Final Four was held in San Antonio, an absolutely beautiful city I am told, beginning on Easter Sunday Night. I figured people might be a tad upset if they showed up for Easter Sunday Mass and found a 'Closed - Gone to Basketball Game' sign on the front door. Next year the Final Four falls on Palm Sunday and Holy Week. So that is out as well.
But this year, because Easter is as late as it can be, I prayed really hard for UConn to make it to the Final Four. And my prayers were answered.
And so I am taking the opportunity to head to Indianapolis - where the 'off' evenings will be spent with other UConn fans watching the men's team in Houston on tv - and I get to witness my fifth Final Four.
Having never been to Indianapolis, there is a tour arranged, complete with a trip to the Brickyard. And although the forecast doesn't promise any sun until the day we head home, temperatures should be in the 60's a couple of the days. And most importantly, no signs of snow!
Go Huskies!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Japan
I received an email yesterday that was impressive - so much so that I wanted to share it with you. We in this country obviously have a lot to learn from the people of Japan. While we continue to pray for them as they recover from this horrible tragedy, we must pray for ourselves as well, that we might respond to future crises in similar fashion.
Ten Important Things To Learn From Japan
1. The CALM. Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief. Sorrow itself has been elevated.
2. The DIGNITY. Disciplined queues for water and groceries. Not a rough word or crude gesture.
3. The ABILITY. The incredible architects, for instance. Building swayed but didn't fall.
4. The GRACE. People bought only what they needed for the present so everybody could get something.
5. The ORDER. No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on the roads. Just understanding.
6. The SACRIFICE. Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the N-reactors. How will they ever be repaid?
7. The TENDERNESS. Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM is left alone. The strong care for the weak.
8. The TRAINING. The old and the children, everyone knew exactly what to do. And they did just that.
9. The MEDIA. They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins. No silly reporters. Only calm reportage.
10. The CONSCIENCE. When the power went off in a store, people put things back on the shelves and left quietly.
Ten Important Things To Learn From Japan
1. The CALM. Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief. Sorrow itself has been elevated.
2. The DIGNITY. Disciplined queues for water and groceries. Not a rough word or crude gesture.
3. The ABILITY. The incredible architects, for instance. Building swayed but didn't fall.
4. The GRACE. People bought only what they needed for the present so everybody could get something.
5. The ORDER. No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on the roads. Just understanding.
6. The SACRIFICE. Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the N-reactors. How will they ever be repaid?
7. The TENDERNESS. Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM is left alone. The strong care for the weak.
8. The TRAINING. The old and the children, everyone knew exactly what to do. And they did just that.
9. The MEDIA. They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins. No silly reporters. Only calm reportage.
10. The CONSCIENCE. When the power went off in a store, people put things back on the shelves and left quietly.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Confession
Yesterday we celebrated the Sacrament of Penance & Reconciliation (confession as it used to be called) with our 2nd graders from our school and religious education program. This was their first time celebrating this sacrament, and I could tell from visiting their classes the past few weeks that they were nervous - some more than others. I can remember my first time celebrating this sacrament - as a 2nd grader in St. Justin's Parish in Hartford. I can remember the priest giving us a talk, suggesting that we not confess that we had killed our grandmother! Of course, back in those days, we had to enter that dark booth and kneel behind that thick burgundy velvet drape and wait for the wooden window to slide open.
Now the sacrament is celebrated in an open, well-lit room, with the option of kneeling anonymously or sitting face-to-face with the priest. I was happy to say that all but three of the children chose the face-to-face option. All seemed to find the experience a positive one, which hopefully will encourage them to make frequent use of this wonderful means of receiving God's love and mercy and forgiveness.
Since I am on the topic of confession, several people have told me they have tried to leave comments for my various blogs but have been unable to do so. Tonight I explored some of the options I had when I set up this blog, and I must confess that I am thinking that the way I had it configured precluded the posting of comments. And so, having changed a couple of settings, it is my hope that this will enable comments to be posted. I am curious to get feedback.
Now the sacrament is celebrated in an open, well-lit room, with the option of kneeling anonymously or sitting face-to-face with the priest. I was happy to say that all but three of the children chose the face-to-face option. All seemed to find the experience a positive one, which hopefully will encourage them to make frequent use of this wonderful means of receiving God's love and mercy and forgiveness.
Since I am on the topic of confession, several people have told me they have tried to leave comments for my various blogs but have been unable to do so. Tonight I explored some of the options I had when I set up this blog, and I must confess that I am thinking that the way I had it configured precluded the posting of comments. And so, having changed a couple of settings, it is my hope that this will enable comments to be posted. I am curious to get feedback.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
St. Patrick and St. Joseph
The Ides of March mean many things to many people. To some it means 'watch your back!' To others it means two major feast days for people of certain ethnic backgrounds. The Irish (and all who are Irish for the day) proudly wear their green and feast on corned beef and cabbage dinners with soda bread (with or withour raisins) on the 17th in honor of St. Patrick! Fortunately there is a day to recover before the Italians (and all who are Italian for the day) proudly wear their red and feast on zeppoli in honor of St. Joseph!
I belong to a small group of priests who meet monthly to pray, share in a discussion of the host's choosing, and, most importantly, eat - and eat very well! March was my turn to host, and this year's meeting fell on St. Patrick's Day. And so, while I did not have corned beef and cabbage, I did decorate properly with green, we did have beef - albeit the tenderloin - along with a wonderful salad of mixed field greens with julienned apple and pear, dried cranberry, candied pistachio, gorganzola cheese, golden raisins and finished with a honey balsamic dressing. The 2nd course was a cavatelli (nothing Irish there!) with a vodka cream sauce. Then came the beef with a balsamic demi-glaze and a baked scrod with cracker crumb & dill topping, along with roasted red potato and roasted asparagus. Dessert was a Shamrock Pistachio Delight! Told you we eat well!
On the Sunday following the feast of St. Joseph each year, Archbishop Mansell confers the St. Joseph Medal on an individual or couple from each parish of the Archdiocese whom their pastor has nominated for dedicated service to the church through the years. The prayer service was at the Cathedral with standing room only. St. Thomas was pleased to have honored Mr & Mrs Patrick Baker. They have assisted pastors here for decades going back to the founding of our school, and including service through the Ladies' Guild and other committees. In addition, they are known throughout the Archdiocese for their generosity toward priests, being the founders of Patrick Baker & Sons religious goods store right here in Southington. I can remember visiting their store as a kid when it was just a tiny storefront at the juncture of Farmington and Asylum Avenues in Hartford! Congratulations to the Baker's for an honor well-deserved!
I belong to a small group of priests who meet monthly to pray, share in a discussion of the host's choosing, and, most importantly, eat - and eat very well! March was my turn to host, and this year's meeting fell on St. Patrick's Day. And so, while I did not have corned beef and cabbage, I did decorate properly with green, we did have beef - albeit the tenderloin - along with a wonderful salad of mixed field greens with julienned apple and pear, dried cranberry, candied pistachio, gorganzola cheese, golden raisins and finished with a honey balsamic dressing. The 2nd course was a cavatelli (nothing Irish there!) with a vodka cream sauce. Then came the beef with a balsamic demi-glaze and a baked scrod with cracker crumb & dill topping, along with roasted red potato and roasted asparagus. Dessert was a Shamrock Pistachio Delight! Told you we eat well!
On the Sunday following the feast of St. Joseph each year, Archbishop Mansell confers the St. Joseph Medal on an individual or couple from each parish of the Archdiocese whom their pastor has nominated for dedicated service to the church through the years. The prayer service was at the Cathedral with standing room only. St. Thomas was pleased to have honored Mr & Mrs Patrick Baker. They have assisted pastors here for decades going back to the founding of our school, and including service through the Ladies' Guild and other committees. In addition, they are known throughout the Archdiocese for their generosity toward priests, being the founders of Patrick Baker & Sons religious goods store right here in Southington. I can remember visiting their store as a kid when it was just a tiny storefront at the juncture of Farmington and Asylum Avenues in Hartford! Congratulations to the Baker's for an honor well-deserved!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Daylight Savings Time
So, most people turned their clocks ahead one hour last night. I say most people because there were a few who straggled into each Mass today wondering why everyone seemed to be preparing to leave Mass only to find out they did not lose the hour sleep everyone else did! I guess there's something to be said for that!
Anyway, I consider the changing of clocks to be one of the sure signs that winter is on its way out and spring is on its way in. And apparently, so too do the chickadees and cardinals in my garden. Every year some friends bring me a real Christmas Tree for my courtyard. And every year I leave it up into the spring - sans lights and Christmas ornaments - only to redecorate it for Easter with colored plastic eggs, at the appropriate time. And each year, usually around Easter, birds inevitably find my tree a suitable place to start a family.
While this delays my setting out the patio furniture, it does give me a sense that I am collaborating with Mother Nature and assisting in the Plan of Creation in some small way. Because Easter is about as late as it can get this year, first the chickadees and now the cardinals, neither apparently knowing when Easter is, have nonetheless noted the longer daylight hours in the evening, and today are checking out my still barren Easter Tree. At this rate they and their young will have moved out long before my Easter decoration even begins!
Anyway, I consider the changing of clocks to be one of the sure signs that winter is on its way out and spring is on its way in. And apparently, so too do the chickadees and cardinals in my garden. Every year some friends bring me a real Christmas Tree for my courtyard. And every year I leave it up into the spring - sans lights and Christmas ornaments - only to redecorate it for Easter with colored plastic eggs, at the appropriate time. And each year, usually around Easter, birds inevitably find my tree a suitable place to start a family.
While this delays my setting out the patio furniture, it does give me a sense that I am collaborating with Mother Nature and assisting in the Plan of Creation in some small way. Because Easter is about as late as it can get this year, first the chickadees and now the cardinals, neither apparently knowing when Easter is, have nonetheless noted the longer daylight hours in the evening, and today are checking out my still barren Easter Tree. At this rate they and their young will have moved out long before my Easter decoration even begins!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
March Madness
So this is what they call March Madness!
On Tuesday I went to the XL Center to watch the UConn women win the Big East Tournament in a thrilling game. It had all the hype of a Final Four game, was closely played and a pleasure to watch.
On Wednesday we began the holy season of Lent, and had throngs of people coming to church to receive their annual Cross of Ashes on their foreheads. I hope and pray that it is truly the start of 40 days of drawing closer to the passion, suffering and death of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior for each of those who came to receive this blessed sign, and not just an empty ritual with some magical undertones.
On both Thursday and Friday - Friday on DVR - I sat mesmerized before my tv to watch the UConn men come from behind and squeak out a win at the Men's Big East Tournament, becoming the first team to win four games in four days at the annual event. Tonight they go for the championship.
However, since it wont start until 9 pm, and we lose an hour of sleep due to the change to daylight savings time, the DVR will have to capture those magical moments for me to relive at a future date.
On Tuesday I went to the XL Center to watch the UConn women win the Big East Tournament in a thrilling game. It had all the hype of a Final Four game, was closely played and a pleasure to watch.
On Wednesday we began the holy season of Lent, and had throngs of people coming to church to receive their annual Cross of Ashes on their foreheads. I hope and pray that it is truly the start of 40 days of drawing closer to the passion, suffering and death of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior for each of those who came to receive this blessed sign, and not just an empty ritual with some magical undertones.
On both Thursday and Friday - Friday on DVR - I sat mesmerized before my tv to watch the UConn men come from behind and squeak out a win at the Men's Big East Tournament, becoming the first team to win four games in four days at the annual event. Tonight they go for the championship.
However, since it wont start until 9 pm, and we lose an hour of sleep due to the change to daylight savings time, the DVR will have to capture those magical moments for me to relive at a future date.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Life & Death
One of the most difficult things I have faced in my priesthood is working with young couples who lose a baby during pregnancy or childbirth, or have an infant die of SIDS or other inexplicable things. Unfortunately, I have no more answers to the obvious questions than the next person. Ordination did not grace me with a crystal ball that allows me to peer into the mind of God. I ask those same questions myself that the grieving parents ask. All I can do is offer the consolation that our faith tells us God weeps WITH us at these times.
We know that all things happen for a reason, and I tell anyone who will listen that I am keeping a list of all the things I want answered on the day I come before the pearly gates. And yet, I also believe that on that day, all the answers I long for on this side of eternity will be clear as day on the other side.
Nonetheless, there are rejoicing moments in my ministry that make my day as well, and today I experienced one such moment. I have worked for some time with a couple who has gone through not one, but two pregnancies that ended with their unborn babies' death during childbirth. After the second heart-wrenching experience, they decided to explore the route of adoption.
Well, today they called to inform me that they were accepted to become the parents of a baby girl! At last they can become parents - what a tremendous gift God is giving them! I cannot think of a couple who will cherish their baby any more than they will!
God does have a plan. It's just that sometimes He writes straight with crooked lines!
We know that all things happen for a reason, and I tell anyone who will listen that I am keeping a list of all the things I want answered on the day I come before the pearly gates. And yet, I also believe that on that day, all the answers I long for on this side of eternity will be clear as day on the other side.
Nonetheless, there are rejoicing moments in my ministry that make my day as well, and today I experienced one such moment. I have worked for some time with a couple who has gone through not one, but two pregnancies that ended with their unborn babies' death during childbirth. After the second heart-wrenching experience, they decided to explore the route of adoption.
Well, today they called to inform me that they were accepted to become the parents of a baby girl! At last they can become parents - what a tremendous gift God is giving them! I cannot think of a couple who will cherish their baby any more than they will!
God does have a plan. It's just that sometimes He writes straight with crooked lines!
Friday, February 25, 2011
Legionaries
The Legionaries of Christ are a religious order of priests with a seminary in Cheshire, CT. Once a month, on a Thursday, they host a 'Bethany evening' for clergy - a chance for prayer, reflection, dialogue, fraternity and, of course, a delicious meal. Monday and Thursday evenings are usually busy with parish meetings of one sort or another here at St. Thomas, so I have never been able to attend on of their Bethany Evenings.
However, whether it was because of school vacation week or some other quirk of the schedule, I had no evening appointments yesterday. And so I took advantage of this and drove the twenty minutes to their seminary. About a dozen priests gathered, some I knew quite well and others I had never met before.
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction always provides the wonderful opportunity to quiet myself before our Lord, to give HIM the chance to do the talking and ME the chance to listen more than I might normally do. Our discussions centered around our Holy Father's latest book, and gave me the chance to hear viewpoints other than ones I might be familiar with.
And dinner was truly scrumptous, served by some of the seminarians.
THAT brought back memories of my time at St. Thomas Seminary when we would serve dinner to various groups attending functions there.
All in all, it was a nice evening, a good change of pace, with much less agita than I would have had sitting home watching the UConn men lose in overtime to Marquette!
However, whether it was because of school vacation week or some other quirk of the schedule, I had no evening appointments yesterday. And so I took advantage of this and drove the twenty minutes to their seminary. About a dozen priests gathered, some I knew quite well and others I had never met before.
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction always provides the wonderful opportunity to quiet myself before our Lord, to give HIM the chance to do the talking and ME the chance to listen more than I might normally do. Our discussions centered around our Holy Father's latest book, and gave me the chance to hear viewpoints other than ones I might be familiar with.
And dinner was truly scrumptous, served by some of the seminarians.
THAT brought back memories of my time at St. Thomas Seminary when we would serve dinner to various groups attending functions there.
All in all, it was a nice evening, a good change of pace, with much less agita than I would have had sitting home watching the UConn men lose in overtime to Marquette!
Friday, February 18, 2011
New England Weather
It's true what they say about New England weather - if you dont like what you see, wait a minute!
On Tuesday I headed to my retreat in New Hampshire since I had not been there this year. It was 8 degrees when I arrived at noon. The wind chill was well below zero. The snow pile in my driveway was at least eight feet high, and hard enough I could walk on it. The rest of my driveway had at least three feet all the way down.
I managed to wade my way to my shed. The lock was not frozen, and the snowblower did kick over fairly easily. But the wind was so cold that the snow that melted on my machine froze the chute in place. I tried to move it manually, but saw I was bending it. It took me three hours to clear a place for my car and a path down to the house. Overnight, the temps dropped to -11! Fortunately my house is small enough that the wood stove kept it in the 70's inside!
Today was a totally different story. It was in the 60's, and so after the 1:00 funeral, I headed out to my courtyard for a cigar while I took the Christmas ornaments and lights off the tree that is still doing well out there - some windburn on the side facing out, but not bad.
Two of my flower gardens have shed most of the snow, and I saw my first signs of spring - two clumps of daffodils at least 3" high, and 4 Easter lillies 1/2" out. And, a bee that buzzed over to the butterfly bush - not that he was gonna find much there this time of year! But, it was nice to see that spring may actually be here fairly soon!
On Tuesday I headed to my retreat in New Hampshire since I had not been there this year. It was 8 degrees when I arrived at noon. The wind chill was well below zero. The snow pile in my driveway was at least eight feet high, and hard enough I could walk on it. The rest of my driveway had at least three feet all the way down.
I managed to wade my way to my shed. The lock was not frozen, and the snowblower did kick over fairly easily. But the wind was so cold that the snow that melted on my machine froze the chute in place. I tried to move it manually, but saw I was bending it. It took me three hours to clear a place for my car and a path down to the house. Overnight, the temps dropped to -11! Fortunately my house is small enough that the wood stove kept it in the 70's inside!
Today was a totally different story. It was in the 60's, and so after the 1:00 funeral, I headed out to my courtyard for a cigar while I took the Christmas ornaments and lights off the tree that is still doing well out there - some windburn on the side facing out, but not bad.
Two of my flower gardens have shed most of the snow, and I saw my first signs of spring - two clumps of daffodils at least 3" high, and 4 Easter lillies 1/2" out. And, a bee that buzzed over to the butterfly bush - not that he was gonna find much there this time of year! But, it was nice to see that spring may actually be here fairly soon!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Valentine's Day
Happy Valentine's Day!
'For God so loved the world, that He sent His only Son, that whoever believes in His Son will have eternal life!'
Can't ask for a better Valentine than that, can we!?!?!
Today the church honors SS Cyril and Methodius as well, two brothers who travelled from their native Greece to Slovenia to spread the Catholic faith.
St. Cyril even went so far as to develop a whole new language - Cyrilic - to facilitate the spread of the Good News. Now THAT is dedication to the Gospel!
As we recognize the loved ones in our lives today, let us recognize the ultimate lover of us all - Jesus - and give God thanks for the many blessings He showers upon us all each and every day - including dark chocolate and roses, of course!
'For God so loved the world, that He sent His only Son, that whoever believes in His Son will have eternal life!'
Can't ask for a better Valentine than that, can we!?!?!
Today the church honors SS Cyril and Methodius as well, two brothers who travelled from their native Greece to Slovenia to spread the Catholic faith.
St. Cyril even went so far as to develop a whole new language - Cyrilic - to facilitate the spread of the Good News. Now THAT is dedication to the Gospel!
As we recognize the loved ones in our lives today, let us recognize the ultimate lover of us all - Jesus - and give God thanks for the many blessings He showers upon us all each and every day - including dark chocolate and roses, of course!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Spring is coming
Even though today was a day off - my 'weekends' are Tuesdays and Wednesdays - I did do some more work on my homily for this coming weekend. The Gospel passage we will hear speaks of the commandments. I've been mulling over what to say and how to say it, cognizant of the fact that the mere mention of the word 'law' sends shivers down most people's spine.
We are not a people who like to be told we 'have to' do this or that. It is an affront to our freedom. Especially in a democracy, we object to our rights being stepped on. Yet, Jesus did not come to abolish the Law, he came to fulfill it, and to show us that God's Laws - His Commandments - are meant to assist us in our relationship with God and with one another. They are not meant to stifle us or restrict us, but to enhance our interaction with our brothers and sisters. When we are in a right relationship with others, all is indeed right in our world, and there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Sunday Schedule
It's been awhile since my last blog. But given the original purpose of my starting this blog - to let you see a bit of the life of a priest - I figured yesterday's schedule was a good peek into the diversity I enjoy on a regular basis.
My day started early (6:30) as I slid my way over to church. It was obvious that the black ice was going to be a problem. All the thawing we had on Saturday froze overnight. That prompted a call to our maintenance supervisor and a request for the sanding truck. Meantime, since people were starting to arrive for the 1st Mass, I grabbed the bucket of sand and sanded the sidewalks around the church.
This weekend I presented the Annual Report to the Parish. Unlike some priests I have known over the years, I feel it is pointless to go over the budget line by line. People are not going to remember any of those figures. Instead, I include a synopsis of the balance sheet from 2010 and the budget for 2011 in the bulletin and encourage people to peruse it and come back with any questions they might have. And I use the Annual Report as a means of giving a State-of-the-Church address, highlighting significant events of the past year and giving a preview for the current year.
Three Masses later, the temps had warmed enough to melt that ice, and the Liturgy Committee met to discuss the implementation of the 3rd Edition of the Roman Missal. The idea was voiced of having a series of educational sessions during Lent in conjunction with Friday evening Stations of the Cross. And since we have collaborated with the other churches in Town in praying the Stations the past few years, we thought we might do the presentations at the neighboring parishes as well. I sent an email to the other pastors in town to see what their thoughts might be.
That ended the 'business' portion of my day. Next on the agenda was preparing to host a Super Bowl Party for some 30 friends. I had the Black-eyed Pea soup in the slow cooker since 9:00 - to coincide with the half-time entertainment, in case you didn't figure that one out. I made some Wicked Wings with my favorite Stubb's Wicked Wing Sauce - the pepper doesn't hit you initially, but lingers for quite some time. And I did a baked brie with slivered almonds, dried cranberries, brown sugar and maple syrup - delectable! Add that to all the food my friends brought, and I don't need to eat for a week!
Since my teams - Vikings, Redskins, and the local favorite Patriots were all home watching too, I lighted on the Packers for this game. They beat Chicago when I didn't think they would, and Pittsburg's been there recently. It was a real good game, made better by the Packer's win, and the fact that I won the 4th quarter of our pool.
Though my friends assisted in the post-game cleanup, I still did not get to bed before mignight. A long day - some work, some play. I'm not sure how far I got with my night prayers before my eyes closed for good.
I knew I had to sleep 'fast' since Monday was going to be another full day.
My day started early (6:30) as I slid my way over to church. It was obvious that the black ice was going to be a problem. All the thawing we had on Saturday froze overnight. That prompted a call to our maintenance supervisor and a request for the sanding truck. Meantime, since people were starting to arrive for the 1st Mass, I grabbed the bucket of sand and sanded the sidewalks around the church.
This weekend I presented the Annual Report to the Parish. Unlike some priests I have known over the years, I feel it is pointless to go over the budget line by line. People are not going to remember any of those figures. Instead, I include a synopsis of the balance sheet from 2010 and the budget for 2011 in the bulletin and encourage people to peruse it and come back with any questions they might have. And I use the Annual Report as a means of giving a State-of-the-Church address, highlighting significant events of the past year and giving a preview for the current year.
Three Masses later, the temps had warmed enough to melt that ice, and the Liturgy Committee met to discuss the implementation of the 3rd Edition of the Roman Missal. The idea was voiced of having a series of educational sessions during Lent in conjunction with Friday evening Stations of the Cross. And since we have collaborated with the other churches in Town in praying the Stations the past few years, we thought we might do the presentations at the neighboring parishes as well. I sent an email to the other pastors in town to see what their thoughts might be.
That ended the 'business' portion of my day. Next on the agenda was preparing to host a Super Bowl Party for some 30 friends. I had the Black-eyed Pea soup in the slow cooker since 9:00 - to coincide with the half-time entertainment, in case you didn't figure that one out. I made some Wicked Wings with my favorite Stubb's Wicked Wing Sauce - the pepper doesn't hit you initially, but lingers for quite some time. And I did a baked brie with slivered almonds, dried cranberries, brown sugar and maple syrup - delectable! Add that to all the food my friends brought, and I don't need to eat for a week!
Since my teams - Vikings, Redskins, and the local favorite Patriots were all home watching too, I lighted on the Packers for this game. They beat Chicago when I didn't think they would, and Pittsburg's been there recently. It was a real good game, made better by the Packer's win, and the fact that I won the 4th quarter of our pool.
Though my friends assisted in the post-game cleanup, I still did not get to bed before mignight. A long day - some work, some play. I'm not sure how far I got with my night prayers before my eyes closed for good.
I knew I had to sleep 'fast' since Monday was going to be another full day.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Mixed Emotions
As January draws to a close, Deacon Anton, who has been stationed here at St. Thomas since last Ash Wednesday, transfers to St. Joseph Parish in New Britain for the final months before his ordination to the Priesthood on May 14. Deacon Anton has become part of the fabric of our Parish, and will be missed.
I can certainly understand his desire for another parish experience before ordination. I served in several parishes throughout my seminary formation, and found it beneficial to see different styles of pastoring, different parish dynamics, different 'cultures' that exist within the diverse communities in our Archdiocese.
St. Thomas was Deacon Anton's first and only parish experience, not only in our Archdiocese, but in our country. That has to be a difficult thing, to learn a new culture, a new way of life, and communicate in a language other than your native tongue. Deacon Anton accomplished that admirably, in addition to juggling the demands of his studies at Holy Apostles and the ever-present requests to assist the Archbishop at various diocesan functions. His new experience in New Britain will be alot different from what he experienced here, but that is a good thing. And I am happy for him.
However, I will miss him and his presence around the rectory. I will miss his eagerness to be of help, his quick laugh, his insightful thoughts, his willingness to learn. I will NOT miss his love of curry and other spicy foods! But I am happy to have made him a devoted UConn Women's basketball fan (he knows all the players by name) and a welcome addition to Red Sox Nation (his first trip to Fenway last year yielded a win)!
Please join me in praying daily for him and his classmates as their preparations for ordination enter the final months. He will make a wonderful priest and will be a fine addition to the Archdiocese of Hartford. I am honored and proud to have been a part of his journey.
I can certainly understand his desire for another parish experience before ordination. I served in several parishes throughout my seminary formation, and found it beneficial to see different styles of pastoring, different parish dynamics, different 'cultures' that exist within the diverse communities in our Archdiocese.
St. Thomas was Deacon Anton's first and only parish experience, not only in our Archdiocese, but in our country. That has to be a difficult thing, to learn a new culture, a new way of life, and communicate in a language other than your native tongue. Deacon Anton accomplished that admirably, in addition to juggling the demands of his studies at Holy Apostles and the ever-present requests to assist the Archbishop at various diocesan functions. His new experience in New Britain will be alot different from what he experienced here, but that is a good thing. And I am happy for him.
However, I will miss him and his presence around the rectory. I will miss his eagerness to be of help, his quick laugh, his insightful thoughts, his willingness to learn. I will NOT miss his love of curry and other spicy foods! But I am happy to have made him a devoted UConn Women's basketball fan (he knows all the players by name) and a welcome addition to Red Sox Nation (his first trip to Fenway last year yielded a win)!
Please join me in praying daily for him and his classmates as their preparations for ordination enter the final months. He will make a wonderful priest and will be a fine addition to the Archdiocese of Hartford. I am honored and proud to have been a part of his journey.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
RCIA
After four hours of snowblowing/shoveling today to help dig out from the latest blast of winter weather, I gave a presentation this evening to the RCIA candidates. For those not sure of the meaning of the acronym, it stands for Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. Besides the RCIA team, two gentlemen who are seeking full initiation into our Catholic faith were present for their weekly Thursday evening study session. Tonight's topic was the Liturgy of the Word, the 1st of the 2 major parts of our Mass. We looked at the different parts of the Liturgy of the Word, and I shared some thoughts on the importance of spending even a few minutes during the preceding week reading and reflecting on the readings to be proclaimed at Sunday Mass.
Unfortunately, so many who attend Mass are hearing the readings proclaimed for the 1st time in a number of years. When this happens, there is less of a chance that those readings will have the desired impact of our lives. The Word of God is alive! By that, I mean the Lord can speak to us, here and now, through Sacred Scripture. But, and this is a big but, we have to give the Lord the time and the space and the quiet to speak to our hearts.
Sometimes, even when doing mundane tasks like shoveling snow, if we are not connected to an ipod or other such device, if we put our minds and hearts in an open disposition, the Lord will speak to us and we will be amazed at what He asks and where He leads. Especially in such a hectic and busy world in which we live, finding that quiet time, even five or ten minutes a day to read and reflect on His Word, is so vital to finding our way to His Kingdom of true and lasting peace.
Unfortunately, so many who attend Mass are hearing the readings proclaimed for the 1st time in a number of years. When this happens, there is less of a chance that those readings will have the desired impact of our lives. The Word of God is alive! By that, I mean the Lord can speak to us, here and now, through Sacred Scripture. But, and this is a big but, we have to give the Lord the time and the space and the quiet to speak to our hearts.
Sometimes, even when doing mundane tasks like shoveling snow, if we are not connected to an ipod or other such device, if we put our minds and hearts in an open disposition, the Lord will speak to us and we will be amazed at what He asks and where He leads. Especially in such a hectic and busy world in which we live, finding that quiet time, even five or ten minutes a day to read and reflect on His Word, is so vital to finding our way to His Kingdom of true and lasting peace.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
youth retreat
On Sunday evening I went to share in the retreat for our 9th grade confirmation candidates. Sean Forrest came to lead the evening for our students as well as those from Mary Our Queen and St. Matthew parishes. I had heard alot about him but had never heard him in person.
He certainly had a way with the kids. They responded well to him. He spoke from his personal experience, and also asked questions which showed that many were now where he had been at one point in his life. After much searching, Sean's journey took him to Protestant churches, the Buddhist religion and back to Catholicism. And he made it clear that so many Catholics know so little about their faith, and that is why many walk away or do not embrace it wholeheartedly.
For instance, when asked how many believed that the Eucharist IS Jesus, most responded that it only represented Jesus. And he made it clear that what drew him back to Catholicism was the fact that WE have the real presence of Jesus in the Communion we receive. He also said something that I will certainly repeat many times in the years to come. When asked how many had been to Mass that day, he told those who did not raise their hands, 'Whatever it was that you missed Mass for is what you worship in your life!' And, whatever it is we worship, if it is not Almighty God, then we have real problems, because we think we have to go it alone through life.
I have heard much positive feedback from students and parents alike regarding that retreat evening. Hopefully it made an impact on most of the candidates.
He certainly had a way with the kids. They responded well to him. He spoke from his personal experience, and also asked questions which showed that many were now where he had been at one point in his life. After much searching, Sean's journey took him to Protestant churches, the Buddhist religion and back to Catholicism. And he made it clear that so many Catholics know so little about their faith, and that is why many walk away or do not embrace it wholeheartedly.
For instance, when asked how many believed that the Eucharist IS Jesus, most responded that it only represented Jesus. And he made it clear that what drew him back to Catholicism was the fact that WE have the real presence of Jesus in the Communion we receive. He also said something that I will certainly repeat many times in the years to come. When asked how many had been to Mass that day, he told those who did not raise their hands, 'Whatever it was that you missed Mass for is what you worship in your life!' And, whatever it is we worship, if it is not Almighty God, then we have real problems, because we think we have to go it alone through life.
I have heard much positive feedback from students and parents alike regarding that retreat evening. Hopefully it made an impact on most of the candidates.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Another virus
Unfortunately, this week I was not the only one affected by a virus. While I spent my days off in bed trying to shake this cold - and be able to breathe again - my computers also went down with their version of the virus. My desktop decided not to find Windows when I went to reboot, and my laptop spent 24 hours trying to download the latest updates from Microsoft. Neither was a good thing. So off we went to the computer doc who got me reconnected again. What DID we ever do before the computer age?!?!
This evening the Liturgy Committee of the parish met to begin planning for the implementation of the 3rd Edition of the Roman Missal on November the 27th. While that seems a long way away, it will be here before we know it. While the order of Mass will not change, and the prayers we pray will not change, the WORDING of many of the prayers WILL change. At first glance one may wonder why make some of these changes that don't seem all too important or major?
The answer lies in the name of our religion - CATHOLIC. Catholic means universal. All of the prayers of our church are initially written in Latin, and then translated into the various languages of the world. The 3rd Edition of the Roman Missal will have a more accurate translation of the Latin. The process we are beginning to plan will hopefully allow the average person to appreciate the differences, and be inspired by the beauty and meaning of the translation. I'm sure I'll be writing much more on this in the months to come. Meantime, stay healthy - that goes for your computer, too!
This evening the Liturgy Committee of the parish met to begin planning for the implementation of the 3rd Edition of the Roman Missal on November the 27th. While that seems a long way away, it will be here before we know it. While the order of Mass will not change, and the prayers we pray will not change, the WORDING of many of the prayers WILL change. At first glance one may wonder why make some of these changes that don't seem all too important or major?
The answer lies in the name of our religion - CATHOLIC. Catholic means universal. All of the prayers of our church are initially written in Latin, and then translated into the various languages of the world. The 3rd Edition of the Roman Missal will have a more accurate translation of the Latin. The process we are beginning to plan will hopefully allow the average person to appreciate the differences, and be inspired by the beauty and meaning of the translation. I'm sure I'll be writing much more on this in the months to come. Meantime, stay healthy - that goes for your computer, too!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Common Cold
So, some figure that just because I am a priest, I am immune to things like germs. Not true.
Case in point is this terrible winter head cold that struck on Friday and continues to rage. The hardest thing is not being able to 'call in sick' for things like weekend Masses. There just are not priests available to cover. In fact, in our neighboring parish, where the pastor died unexpectedly last month, a retired priest was asked to fill in until a replacement could be found. And considering retirement age is 75 years old, that is not a good thing. Another priest friend of mine took sick last month and again a retired priest is filling in while the pastor convalesces.
So, hopefully our guardian angels are working overtime looking over us priests, but when they take a break, it means we simply have to 'suck it up' and cross our fingers that our voices hold out for the duration. Luckily I can cut back on desk work and non-essential meetings, and try to get some extra rest and the needed bathroom breaks from the quarts of hot tea and AirBorn and other liquids with which I hope to flush my system.
Being sick is never fun, and I pray daily for all who are seriously ill. It is a difficult cross to bear. My common cold reminds me how fortunate I am to have generally good health!
Case in point is this terrible winter head cold that struck on Friday and continues to rage. The hardest thing is not being able to 'call in sick' for things like weekend Masses. There just are not priests available to cover. In fact, in our neighboring parish, where the pastor died unexpectedly last month, a retired priest was asked to fill in until a replacement could be found. And considering retirement age is 75 years old, that is not a good thing. Another priest friend of mine took sick last month and again a retired priest is filling in while the pastor convalesces.
So, hopefully our guardian angels are working overtime looking over us priests, but when they take a break, it means we simply have to 'suck it up' and cross our fingers that our voices hold out for the duration. Luckily I can cut back on desk work and non-essential meetings, and try to get some extra rest and the needed bathroom breaks from the quarts of hot tea and AirBorn and other liquids with which I hope to flush my system.
Being sick is never fun, and I pray daily for all who are seriously ill. It is a difficult cross to bear. My common cold reminds me how fortunate I am to have generally good health!
Friday, January 14, 2011
money
One of the things that piqued my interest in starting a blog was the suggestion to think about all those questions I had before I became a priest about what a priest does. What goes into his day? And one of the things I like about this vocation is how each day can be vastly different from the day before.
One of the things I like least about being a pastor is the worries about where money will come from to pay the bills. As with any non-profit organization, this is a prime concern for any church. We depend solely on the generosity of people.
Last night the Parish Finance Council met for over an hour and a half to review the 2010 profit/loss and prepare the 2011 budget. It's always fun to try to guess how much the cost of things will escalate in the coming year - electricity, heating oil, insurance, etc. I am fortunate to have an excellent business manager who prepares most of this, but now I need to go to the parishioners with our Annual Report and ask that they consider increasing their weekly giving by $1. I hate to ask for money, but it is a necessary thing. Fortunately, my experience is that people rise to the occasion, and if a legitimate need is presented, they respond. And for that I am truly grateful.
Tonight I meet with a couple looking to get married this year. That will be a more enjoyable meeting to be sure!
One of the things I like least about being a pastor is the worries about where money will come from to pay the bills. As with any non-profit organization, this is a prime concern for any church. We depend solely on the generosity of people.
Last night the Parish Finance Council met for over an hour and a half to review the 2010 profit/loss and prepare the 2011 budget. It's always fun to try to guess how much the cost of things will escalate in the coming year - electricity, heating oil, insurance, etc. I am fortunate to have an excellent business manager who prepares most of this, but now I need to go to the parishioners with our Annual Report and ask that they consider increasing their weekly giving by $1. I hate to ask for money, but it is a necessary thing. Fortunately, my experience is that people rise to the occasion, and if a legitimate need is presented, they respond. And for that I am truly grateful.
Tonight I meet with a couple looking to get married this year. That will be a more enjoyable meeting to be sure!
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