MONDAY DIARY: ALMOST EXCRUCIATINGLY TRUE STORES: WARNING - LOW BATTERIES

It was a long week.  And Friday was a long day in a long week.  There were all kinds of appointments that day, Stations of the Cross, two sessions of confessions, and then to top it off there was confirmation.  Everything about confirmation was great.  We have fantastic kids, Bishop Gries OSB was the celebrant (everybody loves Bishop Gries) we had a fabulous dinner beforehand thanks to Marcy and her crew (and I didn't even so much as smell the fish being served!) and the reception after was great.  And the kids made me SO PROUD when they responded "I DO!" so emphatically during the reaffirmation of their baptismal vows that the bishop jumped backward! 

But at the end of the day I was beat.  Beat, bat, beaten.

Then I received the most wonderful text from Marcy:

That was SO AWESOME!  That meant my day was truly over except for Night Prayer.  I got back to the rectory, kicked off my uncomfortable dress shoes and my "dress socks of strangulation," put on some "I'm not going anywhere or will be seen by anyone" pajama bottoms although I didn't take off my dress shirt - I was that exhausted to the point that the thought of unbuttoning it seemed too herculean of a project.

And then . . .

Marcy sent another text.  "Now that I think of it," she wrote, "Sebastian only went #1.  I bet he still needs to go #2."

*sigh*

I toyed with the idea for about two seconds of getting dressed again to walk the dog but that effort would have placed me in the nursing home.  So I slipped some dress shoes over my bare feet and headed out for the nightly airing out of the dog.

Now, I live IN THE CITY.  But I am always amazed that when we are on our night walk, we almost never run into anybody.  Many, many times, when a fellow priest or seminarian is over late and go on this final perambulation with me, I comment, "Can you believe that we are in the city, and all these houses are FULL of people, and these are main streets, and we run into NOBODY?  How is it possible that we are the ONLY ones out?"

Indeed, that is why I enjoy the night walk.  I think, finish prayers, or just unwind and it is quiet and peaceful save for the occasional skunk.  You can always count on it being quiet at night.

EXCEPT FOR LAST MOTHER-OF-PEARL FRIDAY NIGHT.  Everybody and their mother was out walking their dogs.  Cars drove around the parish as if they were moths and St. Sebastian was a giant light bulb.  It would have been ridiculous to the point of humor if it weren't so not-funny.

MONDAY DIARY: SNOW, SNOW, AND MORE SNOW

Following the 11:00 o’clock Mass when just a couple of dozen people were left in the church there was a loud rumbling noise as if a snow plow truck was running right up along the side of the building, or a train was passing by on some long forgotten tracks. There was a momentary blocking of the sun followed by a louder crash that shook the whole building!

Everyone just froze in their tracks like the prey of hawk that is shocked still at the screeching of that mighty bird before it strikes. And then it just stopped. After a moment I realized that all of the snow that used to be on the west side of the upper roof was now on the lower roof. Tons of snow came crashing down a couple of stories, landed with a shuddering impact that rocked the building. “Don’t worry,” I called out, “It’s just the end of the world.”

Going outside people half way down the block had turned to see the sight. “That was loud!” they called up the street, “What a sight!” I just hope there wasn’t any damage.

Even though the Super Bowel was a great game (that is, if you were looking for a good game and didn’t really care who won) this event stands out in my mind as far more exciting – although the bratwurst wrapped in bacon comes a mighty close second.

Wow.

Also this weekend we had our St. Sebastian confirmation retreat. What an awesome group of kids there are here. I much enjoyed talking to them. On Friday night we had a penance service and called for help from a couple of local pastor. Afterwards we repaired to the rectory for refreshments and talk. It was a nice night with no agenda or project to accomplish. I treasure those moments with fellow priests.

As baby priest we heard extensively about the “good old days” when priests used to get together all the time and have great socials; Forty Hours of Devotion being one of the focal points of the gatherings. They would lament to us that our generation of priests don’t seem to get together as often to blow off steam.

It is true. In general we do not. But also gone are the days of three or four priests in a rectory when your duties could easily be covered. Less priests + more responsibilities = less socializing. Especially if means what was skipped on Monday just doubles the work on Tuesday.

Oh! Woe is priests? Nah. It is just a different time. We do get together though most of the time not quite as spectacularly as in the good old days – or at least not as often. And being rather the recluse anyway I rather enjoy my solitude when there is the opportunity to carve it out of the schedule.

One of the pastors this past Friday pointed out that I was rather the talk at his place for letting the staff go home on Wednesday because of the snow storm. “I have a confession to make,” I said to him, “It wasn’t so much for their safety. It was my day away and I decided not to go out and sent them home so I could have the house to myself, play my music, and walk around in my sweat pants.”

And I did.

MONDAY DIARY: OH ROB!

It’s the Dick Van Dyke show and the entire episode is devoted to the boss coming over for dinner. Nerves fray and comedy ensues. That is what last Friday was like around here. It is confirmation day and our ordinary Bishop Richard Lennon is coming for dinner. I turn into Laura Petrie trying to make everything right for the boss’s arrival.

Confirmation – even confirmation day – doesn’t just happen. There are hours of preparation that goes into the whole event by many people and it still seems like you cannot get everything done. There is of course everything that needs to be done in the church, all the paper work that needs to be finalized, the hall that needs to be set up, but there are things that need to be done in the rectory also. All of the sacramental books need to be up to date and available to the bishop upon his request. It is his duty to make sure that the baptismal, first communion, confirmation, marriage, and funeral books are all up to date and that all proper dispensations have been sought and recorded.

Dinner is of course prepared with the help of kindly parishioners. Everything needs to be timed just so. We need to have dinner on time and finish so that we still have time make the fast before Mass. If dinner is late we don’t eat. This list was posted on the wall by one of our ever vigilant parishioners to make sure that everything goes well.

The bishop is easy to please food wise but it is a Friday in Lent (so no meat) and we hate fish. That kind of limits the menu. But the chief comes through with flying colors with pierogi! We also make sure that there is plenty of lemonade this year. Last year we had only one serving and the bishop, unknowingly, requested it. When the second person at the table ordered the same thing the cook leaned behind the bishop drawing a finger across her neck, shaking her head from side to side and mouthing, “NO!”

This year we had gallons.

It’s time to start getting ready for Mass. The bishop, guarantor of education in the diocese wishes to speak to the kids beforehand. Alone. Without anyone over his shoulder giving clues to answers of his questions.

One relies on one’s guardian angel in times like this.

The kids are lined up in the narthex dressed up so maturely it is difficult to think of them as kids – they are young adults. The organ music starts and they march down the aisle and we follow close behind. After the Sign of the Cross I make the introduction of the bishop:

“Today we are honored to have with us The Most Reverend Richard Lennon, Bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland. In union with the pope and his fellow bishops he is our authentic teacher of the faith, the center of our unity, and the steward of the mysteries of God for the faithful under his care. Therefore on this confirmation day it is our particular joy to have him with us here today and on behalf of myself, Fr. Pfeiffer, Deacon Terry, Fr. Swirski, the confirmandi and their sponsors and family and all the people of the parish of Saint Sebastian, we greet and welcome you Bishop Lennon.”

One of the students stands to read the first reading. We can see him taking deep breathes and clenching his fists as he approaches the sanctuary. He’s as nervous as we are! But he does very well.

The actual right goes well. There are some good names that the students pick. Every once in a while Fr. Pf. or I give a discreet thumbs up to each other on some particularly cool names.

Finally there is the picture at the end. We decided to take the picture in the church. Big mistake. Things get a little out of hand. Note to self: Next year march everyone straight out the front doors and down to the hall for a picture.

Finally everyone packs up and is gone and the house is quiet. I am sore for having been so tense through the day although everything went well and the day was pleasurable. I think the bishop enjoyed himself and students understood the meaning and value of the day.

What more can you ask for?

OF DOS AND DON'TS

Years ago I was riding the bus to downtown Akron and there was a man in the bus making the rounds of the passengers. He would say, “Have you been saved?” If they said no he would inform them of how they were going to hell. It did not take long for the passengers to catch on to his method and would immediately block conversation with him as he made his way to their seat. Interestingly this is one of my strongest memories of my very young years and it is a negative one.

In a similar way we spend much of our time passing on the faith through the negative. “Don’t do this!” We also make the practice of the faith through lots of deadlines and warnings. “You must have this in by this date or you will be terminated.” (Okay, maybe that was a bit extreme but you get the point.) That is not to say that we should throw out the “Don’ts” and the regulations, but if that is all we present, it makes religion seem like one giant downer.

I know I have a tendency to fall into this that I have to fight against. I was working up a program for our students when I realized it was all, “You must complete this by this date. Failure to do so will mean . . .” When I re-read it I realized I was turned off by the program. It makes it easier to manage but a drag to live.

Perhaps there was a time when people knew their faith well and all they needed was little reminders of, “Don’t.” Perhaps there was strong community and family support for faith projects and much more positive interaction with the faith so that all people needed was, “Here is your deadline!” But it is not exactly so today. The teachings of the Church are beautiful. But when they are reduced to “don’t” we miss the beauty. Sacramental preparation should be a time of community and growth, but when they are reduced to deadlines hoop-jumping they are as manipulative as the pressuring man on the bus.

What we need is to be careful the way we present our faith especially to our youth. They need the joy and beauty as well as the responsibilities. We need to help them become part of the community through our activities, not simply jump through a hoop to get the carrot. Now, I grant you, some people need to be told “DON’T” and some people are so uncooperative that hoop-jumping is about all you are going to get out of them if you are lucky. But we will let the positives rule, not the negatives.

I do realize there are no solutions here. It is easy to name the problem and walk away. But the cause is good – the solutions will come if we search for them.

SYMBOLIC FRIDAY - THIS WILL GROW ON YOU

As you were promised, here are some of the flower associations that make certain varieties particularly pertinent for various Church celebrations. I wish proper credit could be given for the source of this information but it comes to you through an old Photostat that was given to me by a housekeeper at a parish where she also did the decorations. So the connection has been lost.

Some of these flowers could be used as actual decorations at the celebrations. Others, for practical reasons, might only be able to be used in art. For example, symbols of the Holy Trinity are a perfect fit with baptism. One of the plants most associated with the Holy Trinity (thank you Saint Patrick) is the three leafed clover. It would be difficult to decorate with this plant as anyone from any distance would not even know what it was. And it would be hard to make it look good. But it might be included in some art associated with baptism.

Olive oil is used in the baptismal rite and therefore olive branches are appropriate. They also recall the story of Noah to which reference is made in the blessing of the water. Since the 15th century the Daisy, associated with Christ’s innocence, has come to symbolize restored innocence and so is used particularly in infant baptisms.

Olive branches also work for confirmation as olive oil is used in the rite. Columbine symbolizes the Holy Spirit and is appropriate for any celebration that particularly concerns the Holy Spirit. (Columba is Latin for spirit.) Terebinth is also used in Chrism (it adds scent) and can also be used.

Red is the color of the Holy Spirit and is of course most appropriate in arrangements. Red roses or carnations should alert people to the type of celebration taking place. This also states well why we should be careful not just to put “pretty” things on the altar. If we put red on the altar let us mean to put red on the altar for a reason!

The carnation, actually is probably a little more appropriate as it is the symbol of pure love. (Not that the flower industry would agree – but that will come later.)

To be continued.

SUNDAY VIDEO ON TAP IV - & OTHER VARIOUS AND SUNDRY

This seems appropriate considering that confirmation with Bishop Gries is just two weeks away here at Saint Clare:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8UOgnL0Knc&mode=related&search=

And a couple of news bites sent out via the Diocese of Cleveland Weekly E-Newsletter:

Some insight into the drama that is "the discovery of the Body of Jesus." (Remind me to get excited later.)

If you have been following the Federal case against former employees of the Diocese of Cleveland, you know that those accused are now pointing fingers at our former bishop. This has not made it in the paper so I thought you might like to see the response from Bishop Emeritus Anthony M. Pilla.

PRAYER REQUEST: Apparently MTV will be doing some sort of story on the Sisters of Life in New York this Monday. One of our parishioners, Bridget, who was accepted into the order about six months ago, has been selected to be interviewed and has asked for prayers. That is her elbow at the right of the picture in a Time Magazine article.