HONEY, I'M HOME!

“Good morning and welcome to Saint Soandso parish.”

I have always been bothered by this sentence uttered at many parishes at the beginning of the Sunday Mass. I suppose to many it seems polite but there is something about it that does not seem to ring quite true. Admittedly I get a little nitpicky at times but hope you do not mind the occasional odd rant. So here we go.

(Rant Part I)

The first question to ponder is exactly who is welcoming whom. Supposedly the majority of people being welcomed ARE the parish. (We welcome us here.) It comes across to me like a spouse being greeted at the door not with, “Welcome home!” but with the distinctly different, “Welcome to MY home!” One would think that the spouse might think, “On the one hand I was welcomed but is this not my home too? I’m sure that is what was intended but it doth seem odd.”

Perhaps in most ordinary circumstances this would not be too much of a gaff, but so many places have the difficulty of “parish” being seen as something one joins and from which they expect service. That is not the Catholic mindset. As has been stated here repeatedly (apologies if you are becoming tired of hearing of it) we do not join a parish, we become part of the parish. It is not an institution designed to provide services, but designed to give us all a framework through which we praise God and do our ministry.

(Rant Part II)

The second problem is that there are no Catholic strangers at any Mass. Ever. Anywhere. They are home. They are home whether they are at Mass in China, Zimbabwe, England, or Akron. (Notice Akron has been elevated.) No Catholic is a guest. That is why questions arise concerning the “Stand Up and Be Recognized” rite also practiced. Sure, there may be a member who came a long distance to be at Mass with us and I suppose there can be made the case that we are simply recognizing a “family member” that we normally do not have the opportunity to see. (I know however if I were in a Church and they were calling out for visitors I would be sinking under the pew hoping not to be seen.)

If one were to add this rite to the Mass I would be very wary of the wording so that it in no way seems that the persons are outsiders who are joining us today but family we have just not had the chance to see.

It may not seem like a big deal (and perhaps you think it not) but I do stress the importance of careful wording with anything associated with the Mass. For example, there is nothing inherently wrong with referring to the Sacred Species as the Bread and Wine. But in an age when too many Catholics do not understand what the Church teaches about the Eucharist, to solely use that terminology is a detriment. That is the point of this rant. There may be nothing inherently wrong with the above greeting or “rite,” but we should be awfully darn careful that we do not inadvertently teach something that we are not.

TUESDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK - LXXVI

FINDING TRUTH WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND: “As recently as the 1920s, silence was the ‘context of thought, conversation, and general existence,’ notes Joseph Urgo, author of In the Age of Distraction. Now this space is “colonized,” he writes. A realm of silence is as rare as a virgin forest and, to many of us, as eerie, ‘Inundated by perspectives, by lateral vistas of information that stretch in every direction, we no longer accept the possibility of assembling a complete picture,’ asserts literary critic Sven Birkerts. ‘We are experiencing in our time a loss of depth – a loss, that is, of the very paradigm of depth.’” From Maggie Jackson’s, “Distracted: The Erosion of Attention and the Coming Dark Age”

IN OTHER NEWS:

“Jeepers!” cries Jay, “It’s time for Catholic Carnival 183!”

Saint Sebastian celebrates its 80 anniversary this weekend! If you are in the area come help celebrate at the 11:00 Mass.

The Diocese of Cleveland Enewsletter asks, "Did you know that the National Catholic College Admission Association is a non-profit organization of Catholic colleges and universities committed to promoting the value of Catholic higher education and serving students in the transition to college?"

Wow! Borremeo Seminary, the minor seminary in the Diocese of Cleveland has a new web site and it is pretty sharp. View it here. Thank P for sending it along!

The ever talented and prolific Vincenzo posted this picture on his site with the caption, "Some thought that he went a bit too far, but after only one month on the job, everyone agreed that Father Valencheck had successfully eliminated all traces of the heresy of modernism from the parking lot..."

MONDAY DIARY - CHAPTER 18

Poor Mom. When we got to the house she was so tired she could scarcely stand up. And it was only early afternoon and there was a long night ahead of us. There was time for some recouping but soon we were off to the Domovina Club, a place my grandfather helped begin. When we walked in the party was already in swing and we were greeted with applause. There was a kneeler on an oriental rug in the corner and I spent most of my time greeting guests and giving first blessings.

There was a blessed break when the meal was served. It was a very traditional Slovenian meal and nothing in the world beats club chicken and Slovenian sausage. Apparently there is some insanely guarded secret to how the chicken is prepared. My sister Lori took one of the cooks aside and tried to ascertain the recipe and it was whispered in her ear. Later we tried to pry it out of my sister but her lips held firm. She finally let go with one secret though. But I cannot tell you.

When dinner was over my Uncle Frank Spetich’s band began to play. Late into the evening I snuck out with three friends for a walk around the block. The friends sound like a set for a joke: a Mormon, a Unitarian Universalist minister, and a Catholic who played a role in my going into the seminary in the first place. Away from the noise and commotion we slowly walked around the block in the cool night air and talked. It was a wonderful break.

Coming around the corner where the hall was, the sounds of talking, laughter, and music slowly drifted back in our ears and soon we were engulfed in people once again. They had begun singing hymns in Slovenian in four part harmony in the bar which reminds me of one of my favorite quotes, “Like a tenor in a bar, it’s never time to go home.” But home we finally did go though late into the night. Waltzes and Polkas still in our ears, kind faces in our dreams, and I was a priest. It was all too much to grasp. Sometimes it still is.

For those of you so kind to keep reading. I will reveal one of the secrets of the chicken. Apparently one of the old-time cooks, late of our company, would walk in and sprikle a secret concoction contained in a brown paper bag. It seems that secret died with her. The chicken is still fabulous however and one of the secrets that was passed on to my sister was to use "Better Than Bullion." It adds a whole depth of flavor to any meal. Trust me. But it is difficult to find. Good luck.

SYMBOLIC SATURDAY - GREEN (AND RED) WITH ENVY

Seasons also have flowers associated with them. Advent tends to be a time that we do not decorate and so we begin with Christmas. The most obvious flower associated with Christmas is the poinsettia. But believe it or not, this is a relatively new addition to the symbolic vocabulary. It seems so incredibly entrenched that it is hard to imagine the altar not having them in abundance (thanks in large part to commercial growers and promoters.) In fact, it is not listed in older liturgical symbolic dictionaries. So here is evidence of something nice being introduced and the Church baptizing it and assigning symbolic value to it. The flower somewhat resembles a star which makes one think of the Star of Bethlehem. Some assign meaning to the various colors in which this plant comes but I find that risky since there is no universal agreement and the colors vary so greatly. But red is often associated with His humanity or the Blood which He would shed 33 years later. White brings to mind purity. But pink and mixed colors are kind of on their own.

You will find the almond associated with the birth of Christ. It symbolizes divine favor or approval. The symbol comes to us from Numbers 17;1-8, in which Aaron was chosen as high priest by God because his staff burst into bloom. “. . . and behold the rod of Aaron of the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds and bloomed blossoms and yielded almonds.” This then became a symbol of the Blessed Virgin. She appears in a Mandorla or Almond aureole, a shape made when two circles intercept each other, usually in depictions of the Assumption. This shows the divine favor bestowed upon her that derives from her being chosen to be the Mother of God hence, the appropriateness of use in art and decoration of using the almond not and branch.

Once again the daisy comes into use. It symbolizes the innocence of the Christ Child and considered more appropriate than the tall stately lily to exemplify his humility.

IF YOU WANT TO KEEP THE FENCE YOU HAVE TO PAINT IT

Once in philosophy class we had a long discussion about the difference between a Christian and an atheist doing a good deed – the same exact deed. What is the difference - or - is there a difference? We all wanted there to be one and came up with some possible answers. But fifteen years later the question seems a bit weak.

It is not enough to consider oneself a Christian and do good deeds. There was a great conversation had in this house the other night with a man on parish council who worried that such groups could easily fall into the “complaint and fix” mode. That is, somebody notices something like the parish fence needing painting. We get together at a meeting, somebody mentions that the fence needs painting, and then we pass a resolution to fix the fence, and then move on to the next complaint or idea.

He said that there has to be more to it than that and he is right. We cannot loose sight of the bigger picture. It eventually comes down to fixing the fence, yes, but it is not about fixing the fence and we need to remind ourselves of that from time to time. We are not here to preserve a church, but to provide a space in which to be Church. We paint the fence because we believe in Jesus Christ and His presence in the Eucharist and that we are called as His Body to worship Him and serve each other as Church; as brothers and sisters in Christ. And part of being able to do that is preserving our property which means the fence needs to be painted!

It is a subtle difference but essential. It poses the question of why we are here in the first place and aids us in building the community to which Christ calls us.

Every group with which I have met so far in my short time at my current parish I have emphasized that the first priority is the Eucharist; what we do as a community around His altar on Sunday. Everything else is important, but only so if it flows from what we do at the Mass. Basketball teams and sewing circles are great, but ultimately meaningless unless it flows from the source and summit of our lives. We are not here to sponsor teams or clubs or paint fences; we are here to worship Him.

It all must flow from this simple concept and then, at the end of the week, be offered back to Him otherwise our mission becomes to paint fences.

THE FOURTH ADAM'S ALE GET TOGETHER

The fourth Adam's Ale get together took place last weekend. It was a time of prayer, art, friendship, deep discussion, and bit of goofiness. This was supposed to take place whilst I was a parochial vicar at Saint Clare in Cleveland with time on my hands, not while being a new administrator in Akron with a tight schedule! But I think it all went rather well none-the-less.

The first day was a visit to Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine in Euclid. It is run by the Trinitarian Sisters who Lillian Marie plans to be joining in a few short months! We had a tag team tour of the shrine by the sisters pictured here and we ended the visit by praying Liturgy of the Hours and the rosary in the shrine chapel.

That night Lillian Marie and her family hosted a cook out at their house. After a fine repast and some terrible joke telling a vote was taken and we decided to watch the Princes Bride, introducing the movie to Uncle Jim for the very first time. Inconceivable!

The next day, the reason for the get together, we met at the Western Reserve for the Vatican exhibit. If you do not have plans to go, please reconsider. It was well presented. They handled the crowd well and we did not feel rushed or overwhelmed by the number of people. The art itself was exceptional on many levels. This is our patrimony, our history, symbols of our faith. One cannot help but be moved by the art. That was the purpose for it being commissioned in the first place; to engage the not just the intellect but the senses and the emotions as well. That is what it means to be Catholic, to engage the whole person on every level. It becomes evident why purchasing catalogue art for the parish is such a shame and sells us so short (though I know, I know, it is sometimes necessary. But I do not have to like it.) It should also be a reminder that we are, as Church, patrons of the arts as well as caretakers. Thank goodness nobody saw these things as products of a by-gone era in the Church and sent them to the Goodwill. The gravitas of the items also helps instill in us the importance of the otherworldly realities with which we are dealing and how of ultimate worth those other worldly things are since we spend so much care with the earthly things we use to point toward them.

Ah well, enough of that.

Mass back down in Akron was next followed by dinner in my new rectory. Fr. Schnipple celebrated mass the next day at 11:00 (Sunday) and then off the local art fair. Dinner was planned but some how we ended up being satisfied with the delicious brownies that L. M. made. Boccie on the lawn was played and then a climb up to the top of the bell tower. Fr. Schnipple and I were the only ones to make it up. What a beautiful sight it was! We could see for miles and the trees being so large in this part of Akron made it seem almost as if we were in the middle of a woods.

We were just about to start down when who should appear but ADORO who braved her phobias and climbed up also! Of course the problem was getter her back down. But with a little coaching from Fr. S, all went well.

C. brought a game (Catchword I believe it was called) and we spent the last of our time together laughing around the table.

Thank you everyone for helping out or turning up for the day!

TUESDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK LXXV

FINDING TRUTH WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND: "Make no small plans. They have not the fire to stir men's blood." Daniel Burnam

IN OTHER NEWS:

Like the sun bursting forth with the sun, Catholic Carnival 182 shines forth.

The Diocese of Cleveland Enewsletter says THE FEST is just around the corner. Here is their web site.

My sister sent this game in. WARNING: ADDICTION LEVEL: MODERATE

Fr. Schnipple visited Saint Sebastian this weekend (more on that on Wednesday I think) and celebrated the 11:00 mass. Somebody drove this great car to Mass that morning and I just had to have my picture taken with it.

MONDAY DIARY - CHAPTER 17

One by one we were called forth to kneel before the bishop and he laid hands on our heads. When we rose from that we walked around to the front of the sanctuary and knelt on the marble steps. The purpose of this was so that the priests of the diocese could file past us each laying hands on us in blessing. It was a long time to kneel on hard marble and a few of us secretly wore knee pads so that we would be able to walk after.

Some of the priests touched us so lightly that we barely felt it. Others clasped on vices perhaps in order to make the blessing soak in more deeply. I had lived with Fr. C. for a short spell and unfortunately he was deep into dementia, but he was more than aware with what was happening this day and he wanted to jump the line to come up to me and lay on hands. He could not remember my name or what day it was or even if he had eaten already, but something within him recognized me and knew that this was ordination. His escort had to gently guide him in the line and he came up, shook my hand, laid on hands, shook my hand again and continued down the line then.

Fr. Hilkert, a great man of whom I have spoken at length over the life of this blog, was not too much further down the line. It was with him that I was to spend my next assignment. He was already near eighty and had acquired that certain mystique that older pastors have. We had only met about a week before now we were to spend the next five years living and working together (but as it turned out, actually seven wonderful years.) He laid on hands, said in his gruff voice, “Looking forward to seeing you at Satin Ambrose,” and then, in the style of preconcicular confirmation, slapped me on the cheek. In that vast church the noise echoed and I heard gasps and giggles from the pews behind me.

Bishop Pilla then anointed our hands with Sacred Chrism and we slipped into the sacristy. A lady from my internship parish had made me a manaturge (sp?) with which to wipe my hands. It was a fine linen purificator with “My son’s ordination, The Rev. John A. Valencheck” along with the date. I presented this to my mother later privately and later when she died it was placed with her in the coffin.

Well, this was back when I still had hair from all the priests laying on hands I looked a bit like Phyllis Diller which is why I do not mind so much not having hair now. But it was all brought back under control and we headed back out to concelebrate Mass with the bishop for the very first time and join him in the final blessing.

After we met in the bishop’s parlor and he greeted us again, handed us our faculties and had his picture taken with us. We were then shooed out into the cathedral to greet the diocese and offer first blessings. That went on so long that I began to lose my voice.

My oldest nephew stuck around and helped me pack up all of my gear and took the hour ride home with me to my parent’s house. This was another fond memory as we talked about many deep subjects on that ride.

At home everyone was wiped out but there was more to do. There was to be a reception that night at Slovene Center. So we busied ourselves getting ready and then tried to steal a catnap as we were all running on fumes at this point.

TO BE CONTINUED.

SYMBOLIC SATURDAY - ROOTED IN CHRIST

Many flowers and other plants are suitable for ordination in art and arrangements. Symbols of purity and chastity are of particular appropriateness. Among these would be the lily, the laurel, and oddly enough the chestnut and the orange tree.

According to this sadly unnamable book (mentioned last week) are also the following suggestions. “The hyacinth signifies Christian prudence, peace of mind and a longing for heaven.” It actually comes to us through Greek mythology. While throwing a discus Apollo accidentally killed the beautiful youth Hyacinthus. Apollo then caused the hyacinth to spring up from his blood. The cause of new life from the death of the youth can symbolically remind us of our hope and our longing for heaven and new life after this life here on earth.

The fir tree has a lot of meanings. It of course represents Christ at Christmas and eternal life because of its ever green leaves, but it can also mean the “rejection of the low and base desires” characteristic of the elect of heaven who excel in the virtue of patience. In some Easter European traditions they sometimes take two tall firs or pines and chop off all but the upper branches, place them at the entrance of the event (in this case the doors of the church) with a banner between them such as “Welcome to out newly ordained priest”. I do not know if that has any connection or any meaning or if it is just fancy decoration. If you know anything your insight would be appreciated.

The fern, a symbol of humility, frankness, and sincerity is also appropriate. Its grace and beauty is hidden in the shadows of the woods and is only seen by the careful and honest seeker. Throughout Scripture the elm tree is a symbol of power and strength and the dignity of life. (Odd since the road that goes behind St. Sebastian is Elmsdale and currently only has one elm tree on it due to the elm blight that has swept our country.) Its mighty arms that stretch out in every direction gives us the idea of the strength we receive from the Scriptures.

I love this one: The plantain, though only a weed, is the symbol of the well worn path and traveled path of pilgrims seeking the Lord. It thrives along byways and paths and is also knows as “way bread”. It is often seen in Renaissance paintings.

TO BE CONTINUED

IN OTHER NEWS:

Fr. Schnipple, Adoro, Uncle Jim, LM, and a host of other initials, monikers, and guest bloggers are in town for the Adam’s Ale visit to the Vatican Splendors! Originally thought the third A.A. get together is actually the fourth we realized. I will have mass at St. Sebastian on Saturday at 4:30 and Fr. Schnipple will have Mass on Sunday at 11:00. Today we will be at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes for a visit around 12:30.

DETAIL IN BLACK AND WHITE

I've always loved detail in buildings. After taking in the over all lines of a structure, I like to focus in on particular aspects. We do that with people's faces too I suppose. We have our first impressions of their face and then get to know the dimple or the beauty mark and learn to love the face even more. Same with buildings. That is one thing that I do not like about much of modern architecture. (This is just a personal preference thing.) After taking in the grand lines of buildings there is very little in the way of intricate detail to capture the imagination. Rooms and windows are exactly the same from top to bottom and there is no wondering, "Oh! I bet that is a cool room. I'd love to get in there one day." There is often nothing that took an artisan time to create. No detailed design that sweeps you into its depth while you sit and think.

Saint Sebastian Church has a lot of that detail. As I take my constitutional around the grounds there are numerous aspects to catch my eye. Take this lamp. How many light fixtures have you enjoyed looking at lately? Yet this one always makes me smile. Windows and doors are more than functional. This door to the school lets you know that what is happening behind these doors is very important and worthy of the community's time and resources in construction and maintenance.
There are also well placed shrines here and there giving the grounds a park like feel as well as giving momentary reminders of prayer. It draws the neighborhood in to sit, play, or just walk through.
Details from the front doors of the old church.
Statue of Saint Sebastian in front of the old church.

SOLID MAHOGANY vs VENEER

To be a man or woman of faith means that belief in God has something to do with the kind of person that you are, not simply what you do. It is not an external activity like skiing or baking, it is part of your essence like being male or female. This in turn effects how you see the world and how you react to it.

For example, if a person understands faith as something he does rather than who he is, he might be more inclined to pick and choose from the things that Christians do rather than buy they whole enchilada and “go native” as it were. “Church” then becomes like joining the last gym at which I was a member. There was a basic membership. From there you could get extras such as entrance to the executive dressing rooms where there was a sauna and whirlpool. You could get towel service. You cold have appointments with a masseuse. But even if you did not do all of those things you were still a member of the club. You were in. You picked what you wanted and what you wanted to sacrifice for.

Such a person then might say, “I am Christian, but I do not believe that it should interfere with politics or the bedroom. I am an adult. I can decide what is good for me. I love this woman and having relations with her is my way of expressing my affection for her. Who is the Church to tell me to do otherwise?”

Now, if a person sees faith as something as intimately tied to who he is like being male, he is far less likely to be a cafeteria Catholic. Even if he have other predilections, opting out of being a man is not in the cards save through complicated and expensive illusion. The same should be said of the man or woman of faith. He would say, “I am Christian and that is the lens through which I see life and therefore effects even my politics and what I do behind closed doors. It is like being a gentleman. If I am pleasant in public but rude in private, I am not a gentleman but a rude person who has moments of acting like a gentleman. So if I love this woman, it is more important for me to say no to carnal relations even if I really want to have them because it will be more important for me to see the one I supposedly love get into heaven than it would be for me to demand this action of her for my benefit. We love each other more in saying, “No,” (even though it may not feel like it) than in giving in to what I want.

God and His commandments to love are the very air we breath and must influence every aspect of our lives or our faith is inane. As the devil said in the C. S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters, “A moderate religion is as good as no religion at all – and much more amusing.”

Here is a poem that gets the same point across using being a gentleman as its theme:

THE GENTLEMAN:

To look at him
a person would see
a man with gentlemanly grace:
the finest of clothes
and goodness knows
a very distinguished face.

He’d sport with the men
and bow to the ladies
with an aristocratic air.
He’d mount a horse
and jump a course
yet never muss his hair.

Of worldly things
he’d quite a grasp
and could converse on every topic;
of Church, state, and sport
and news of all sort,
but would never, ever gossip.

But late at night
once out of sight
his own true nature arose:
He’d burp a lot
and scratch his butt
and pick buggers out of nose.

Too lazy to clean
he’d watch T.V. all day
and he often peed in his sink.
And week old Spam
in an open can
began to horribly stink.

Why does he lead
this two fold life
which to us appears so queer?
The role he would play
was for public display;
his gentlemanly way: A veneer!

TUESDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK LXXIV

FINDING TRUTH WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND: "Rings and jewels are not gifts but apologies for gifts. The only true gift is a portion of thyself." Emerson.

QUOTE II "If you were a dinasaur in those days, you were sure you were in the right, and you made everyone look up to you." from Italo Calvino's Cosmicomics

IN OTHER NEWS:

This is BIG news. I've been trying to keep it low key but it has gotten out of hand so I've decided just to go along with it. Despite what you might think, it shant interfere with my duties as a priest.

Here and here are a couple of links for you to enjoy that feature the Sisters of Life at World Youth Day.

The good Fr. D sent this in about another proposed cathedral curtesy of the Shrine of the Holy Whapping. He also wishes to remind us that we are marking the 40th anniversary of Humanae Vitae soon. Here is a resource he forwarded for us to think about.

Jay says that the time is right for checking out Catholic Carnival 181.

B. says, "EWTN 8-10 p.m. EST.Tues. -Sisters of Life- check it out. Can you feel the love from Sydney? The Sisters are great!"

The Diocese of Cleveland Enewsletter has a few interesting tidbits to pass along. The first is an "important message to the people of the Diocese of Cleveland" (hold on to your seats guys, you are about to be shocked) "concerning unfair treatment of the Diocese by the Plain Dealer." Read more here. * They also report that next week, July 20th through the 26th is national Natural Family Planning Week. "NFP Awareness Week is an event begun by the American Academy of NFP, now American Academy of FertilityCare Professionals and promoted by the Diocesan Development Program for NFP, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The dates highlight the anniversary of the papal Encyclical Humanae Vitae (July 25) and mark the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne (July 26). This year also marks the 40th Anniversary of the document, Humanae Vitae." * Also, preparations are under way for The FEST, Northeast Ohio's largest free Christian festival which will take place in Wickliffe, Ohio on Sunday, August 3. * And lastly they call our attention to The Catholic League, the nation's largest Catholic civil rights organization. Founded in 1973 by the late Father Virgil C. Blum, S.J., the Catholic League defends the right of Catholics - lay and clergy alike - to participate in American public life without defamation or discrimination.

MONDAY DIARY - CHAPTER 16

After the long line of priests and deacons we fell into line in the procession around the Cathedral. The bells in the tower rang out their joy and we could spot people standing in their windows in the hotel across the street gazing on the scene below them. I’ve often wondered what they may have been in town for and what they made of the procession.

There were also people just going about their business downtown walking down the street or staring through car and bus windows. There were of course the protesters. First we passed the man who gathered with his family every year who held up signs such as, “St. Peter was a married man,” or “My Dad is priest”. I remarked in my journal my surprise at how tall his sons looked. The only time I had contact with this family was when they would protest at ordination over the past six or seven years and it was always a shock to see how they aged. Rounding the corner we ran into the second set of protesters making a case for women’s ordination by holding up a long sign that states, “Women are priestly people too.”

We had our picture taken and then we started up the steps into the Cathedral; the music from the pipe organ and small orchestra wafting out onto 9th street. It was packed and the singing loud and joyous. Flashes went off from the congregation and there were calls as family, friends, and parishioners called out our names and waved letting us know that they were there. The class bowed to the altar and then divided and went to our designated chairs in front of the pews. Our families sat directly behind us and I got a glimpse of their faces with their emotions so complicated it was difficult to exactly what they were.

We executed our roles well though I must admit in taking joy in having a last name that began with the letter “V” as it afforded me opportunity to correct any possible mistakes I might have made by observing my brothers. When it came time for the Litany of the Saints we laid prostrate on the marble floor while the people stood and sang. We were warned before hand not only to polish our shoes but to make sure we did the bottoms as well for just such times. (Funny little details.)

Some things come to mind that are so utter un-profound that it is almost an embarrassment to report them. One of those came at this moment. Laying there with my face an inch from the floor I remember marking that the floor was so shiny that I could make out the chandelier in the ceiling in detail. But on the other hand, I had never been so moved by hearing all of the saint’s names before. For the first time (and it is a shame that I had to wait until ordination to realize it) I heard those names as my actual and living brothers and sisters, not merely a hypothetical or even just a remembrance of the great ones that went before us. “Pray for us!” was not a nice thought but as true a request as asking my blood sister to help me move my things to my new assignment.

Fr. Kunkle, the pastor of my home parish, vested me in my priestly garb. He seemed to me down during the week but later I learned that he was ill and needing surgery but put it off until after ordination.

More next week.

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.

THE 25 CENT TOUR

Some of you (who are far away) have asked for a little tour of St. Sebastian where I have just been assigned. Here is a picture from the front of the Church. I was standing across the street in a park that faces the Church. What a wonderful setting and we are very fortunate for that.

The nave.
The sanctuary. I should have had somebody standing in this picture to give you an idea of how large the mosaic is. But consider this: standing flatfooted on the sanctuary floor the top of the tabernacle is over my head.
Be it ever so humble there's no place like home. This is the rectory. It is quite beautiful and full of detail. This is where Fr. Schnipple will be staying during his visit.
A view from one of my windows. That is a rosary surrounding a statue of the Blessed Virgin. I guess the students stand on the beads as they pray the rosary each saying his respective prayer on his turn. That will be interesting to see. The grounds are taken care of by dedicated volunteers by the way. They do a spectacular job.
There are many other things to see and perhaps some time I will share them. But I do love this little building right off the Jr. High School wing. It is a little greenhouse.