Friday, November 27, 2020

ON NOT BEING SATISFIED WITH MAINTAINING

Two of us were exposed to COVID and were subsequently tested.  My friends tested negative.  It was a cause of great rejoicing for him!  He was not infected nor infectious!  It was like Lazarus risen from the grave.  Perhaps too much so.  After all, Lazarus would still have to face life with all its bumps and scratches and once more struggle with death.  Similarly, because of a negative diagnosis, there was still the mandate to quarantine, and after, there remained the possibility of contracting COVID and facing quarantine again. 


Bearing in mind all analogies limp, then there is my positive report.  I too went into a “tomb” of sorts but I will not walk out like Lazarus back from the dead, but more like the resurrection.  No longer will I have to worry (for 12 weeks supposedly) about contracting illness or passing illness along to others (at least COVID.)  No longer will there be a fear of going back into isolation.  It will be a great freeing.  A new life with a new freedom.


All of this had me thinking about heaven.  If I found the fountain of youth, I don’t think I would want to try it.  I am enjoying this life even with its hardships, but I only want to do it once.  No matter how rich you are, how powerful, how independent you will not escape such things as COVID in this life.  If you could live forever, the government upon which you rely will not remain the same.  The grand buildings that were built may not last.  There will still be forest fires, temptations, sickness and death, bad movies, mean people and tofu burgers.  


With a fountain of youth one has reanimation which is a renewal of one’s body.  Resurrection is a renewal of the whole of creation.  It is new wine in a new wine skin.  Ultimately it is the only fitting container.  It is that for which we were created and toward which Christ came to steer us and in which He desired to form us.  We were created for this and should want nothing less.  We are given an appetite for heaven that mere extending of life will eventually fail to satisfy.

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

ARE THINGS REALLY AS FINE AS I THINK THEY ARE? NOTES FROM SOLITARY

 

So far being alone in my rooms hasn't been so bad.  I worry that I am prematurely positive about this.  Is there something for which I am not preparing?  I think of prisoners thrown into solitary confinement and wonder how they get started.  One can only sleep so long.  I know solitude is where one can find God and himself, but - well - I'm a planner.

So yesterday I sat down and made a plan.  I am not going to just sleep through this.  I put together a list of things that I will do every day so I don't end up on Monday (only Monday for Pete's sake) wearing 10 day old pajamas and covered in stubble and cheese powder.  
It helps to have some structure to the day.  And really, the amount of support that I have around here and the nice room that I do have makes it all quite fine.  It is really helping me come to appreciate how much I have (which is too much as I am discovering since one of my activities is cleaning out my room.  Where did all this stuff come from?)  


And the best part of the day is celebrating the Mass on my grandparent's victrola.  Notice that I can see the church where right now there is adoration going on and people praying.  And the little rose window replica is from the old St. Sebastian church and would have been what the priests would have seen when they celebrated Mass here before Vatican II.

Time for the next part of the day!  Forward!  Stay well!  Praying for all my readers.

Monday, November 23, 2020

MONDAY DIARY: ALMOST EXCRUCIATINGLY TRUE STORIES: THE DANGERS OF PONDERING

In movie and television shows there is always that person who moves to the big city and lives in a tiny, two room apartment (from were I learned what a Murphy bed is) and is SOOOOOOO happy because they are living in the pulse of humanity.  But is it worth it to have to wash your dishes and your unmentionables in your bathroom sink and be charged with unreasonable rent just to enjoy this privilege?  

Funny thing about God.  He often listens and grants even minor prayers.



I mean . . . (cough) . . . thank you God.

I haven't blogged in a long time as other things became more pressing.  Now I am trying to structure my day so I don't get too squirrelly in my make believe NY apartment (aka my bedroom in the rectory.)  So I think that I will invite you along on my journey to help pass the time (if there are any readers left out there!) 

It took me FOREVER to remember how to sign in on Blogger and after I did - it turns out that this blogging thing has been COMPLETELY redesigned since I was last on.  This took unreasonably long and if it hadn't been for COVID I would have completely given up already!

Stay well.  Be safe.  Pray for me and I will pray for you!