Ears of the Deaf & Tongue of the Mute

Click on picture for larger image Obedience to God's will is not always about speaking up - sometimes it is remaining silent. My wife and I were talking about personalities in my family. We were discussing how I have no fear of conflict. I love to speak in public and am a leader, which tends to mean I have no problem saying what is on my mind. Mostly this is a positive trait, but it can get me into trouble. A homily at Sunday Mass back in September has had a big impact on me, and as I was meditating on the rosary today, it came back to me again. I think the lesson is good for those like me who have no problem "sharing." The Gospel that day was Mark 7:31-37 about Jesus healing the deaf mute. The homily really caught my attention because our priest was saying that sometimes we need to pray to have the ears of the deaf and the tongue of the mute. Sometimes we should pray that our ears are closed to what we should not hear and that our tongue is held when we should not speak. This is exactly opposite of what I had expected. I mean, the miracle was about how the deaf hear and the mute speak. I did a double take to make sure I heard correctly - definitely not what I had expected. Immediately after mass the message was stamped firmly into my gray matter. Someone who fancies himself a Parish Big Wig (Mr. PBW), decided that when I read the petitions the previous week, I had mispronounced a name and I was in need of correction. I was in such need, that he did not wait until I had a donut and coffee - he didn't even wait until I was out of church - heck, he was walking across the church before the recessional hymn was finished. As Mr. PBW was speaking I could feel the blood rush to my head and several quips leapt to mind. There are lots of reasons I am not a Mr. PBW fan, and this was my chance to share my insights about his issues. But as he was speaking, I remembered the homily. I prayed for the ears of the deaf and the tongue of the mute. I smiled, accepted his correction, and went out with my family. I don't know if I have ever had a homily lesson that I had to put into action that quickly after mass. As I was meditating today on the "Presentation in the Temple," I was thinking about how the rules of the temple - Mary being ritually cleansed and Christ being presented and ransomed back - were not necessary for the Holy Family. I mean, she was pure and he was, well, God. But here our Redeemer and the Blessed Mother both subjected themselves to the law. The lesson in humility and obedience was so clear. Then this homily came to mind. Sometimes we must be subject to that which may not seem fair or right or necessary. While many times these situations call for word or action, sometimes they call for silence, for subjugation, for waiting. For those like me who have no trouble speaking up, this requisite lesson can be hard (at least I have found it so). At times, I still find myself praying for the ears of the deaf and the tongue of the mute at my parish. But I find the lesson extended to the Internet as well. I have found myself wanting to write a post or leave a comment that, after a quick prayer, remains unpublished. Not easy, but necessary.

Getting Focused

Click on picture for larger image Well just compare this picture to the one for yesterday's post and you can see I have spent some time straightening up. It sure is nice to start with a cleared desk - if only life were as simple as my desk. Regardless, I am grateful for the chance to get a bit organized. On a positive note, I had been looking for a song that we used to sing when I was in the minor seminary. For more than 20 years I wanted to get the music for that song. Well, I finally connected with a few former schoolmates online! It looks like I'll get the song, and we may get together to play and sing some. Those were good days. Unfortunately, Cardinal Mahoney closed the minor seminary - there was earthquake damage to another high school after the Northridge earthquake, and he turned the facilities over to them. I think that the solution was a bit extreme, but who am I to say. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to go there. I blogged about potential parish issues yesterday. The good thing is that we are coming from a good place - we are not very emotional about this and are trusting God as we seek guidance. We have some praying and discerning to do, but I feel much better than I did six months ago when faced with the same decision. I'll let you know when we come to some sort of resolution, but it may be a month or two. As always, I appreciate your prayers.

Back Into The Fray

Click on picture for larger image Funny thing about mountain top experiences - you always have to come back down to Earth. The picture is of my desk right now (or rather this morning). Yikes! No problem, I can handle it. Something else came up, though. Well it is very interesting how God preps us for things. Barb at SFO Mom had commented last week on a post I had created back in early October about parish fit issues. It is very interesting that this particular post came up. My reply was that we were at peace for the moment, had prayed, and decided (for the time being) to stay put. Then, yesterday my wife and I were talking about that same issue after mass - how we were glad things were working out, that while the parish has some issues, perhaps we are called to make a change here. I did mention that I think we should hold to our two triggers that would force us to reconsider. Well, one of those triggers happened. Can you believe it - WOW. I am going to talk to my pastor this afternoon to share my perspective. I am going to talk to my Cursillo sponsor first, to ensure I am coming from Christ. Prayers appreciated.

Welcome Wagon

When we were at a parish during a stint in Northern Cal, we were invited to and later led a welcome dinner. This dinner was to welcome new parishioners. It was a pot luck and would be an opportunity for new folks to meet the priests and other community leaders. Well, Lynn and I always liked that dinner, and the welcoming atmosphere of that parish. Let's face it, Catholic parishes are not all that welcoming. Too many people come to church and leave. I think some of our protestant brothers and sisters get the community part better. My theory for this is that when you don't have the Eucharist, one must rely solely on the community for nourishment. Anyways, we did our first installment of this dinner at our current parish. I can't say it was a smashing success, but it was not a failure either. We learned a few things, and have some ideas for marketing it next time. We really enjoyed it, as did the people who attended. We just wished there had been a larger turn out.

Advice wanted

Click on picture to see a larger image. Give me your advice here. Tell me what would you do. I have been back in CA for almost two years now. When we came, we got our kids into the Catholic school at the parish we had been at before we left for ATL (we had been at that parish for about a year). There was something odd when we got back – the parish had changed. There is a couple who are “running” the parish with some of their “group.” The man in this couple drives me up a wall. He is rude, arrogant, controlling, and (IMHO) disrespectful on the altar (not a good thing for the head of the Eucharistic Ministers and RCIA). He also seems to be able to control the pastor (what this guy says, Father goes along with). It is the least welcoming parish I have ever been in. I still feel an outsider and I am a lector, work bingo, was just put on the School board, and attend weekday Mass there. Lynn teaches music part-time at the school and is involved in the music ministry. Lynn and I both grew up in strong community parishes. Part of the strength came from the integration with the school and the parish. I am a STRONG supporter of Catholic school. I want God talked about in my kids’ school. I want them to go to Mass with the school. I want school prayer. I want their faith taught and to permeate activities throughout their day. I also highly value the additional opportunity to build community that a school tied to a parish provides. Recently the pastor has done several things that look like he is against at least this Catholic school. There are no parents on the parish council. He has disallowed school fundraisers. For example he won’t allow the school to sell tickets to an upcoming fundraiser after Mass (even though Religious Ed does for their golf tourney, and the Boy Scouts sell tickets to their breakfast, or the Filipino Association sells tickets to their events). He also canceled a hugely successful after-school Jog-A-Thon fundraiser (raised $20,000) because it ended at 7PM and the head of RCIA (mentioned above) complained that he couldn’t park (his event was at 7PM) – actually he yelled at school members who were organizing it while it was going on. Instead of coming to a Christian compromise (like next year end at 6:30), Father forbid the event if Religious Ed had any activities at any time on a given day (they reserve time everyday, even when they don’t use it – Catch 22). Oh, there are lots of other examples as well, but this gives the flavor. This has frustrated me to no end, and I have been praying for patience and restraint. Several people have told me that Father would not mind at all if the school closed. I am not sure what to do. This is counter to one of my core values in raising my children and is directly counter to my desire to build community (oh my, is this one in shambles). What should I do? When I moved back to So Cal, we got the kids into school first, and then tried to get a home in the parish. We were close, but our home is actually located in another parish. That parish has a strong school that feels a part of the parish AND they have far more respectful Masses. There are other minor pluses as well. My wife and I went to Mass there today, and the sense of community, the welcoming faces, and the more respectful liturgy all left us (me, Lynn and the kids) with a good feeling. But we have invested time at the other parish (often with frustration – at least on my part since Lynn is more patient than I am). My wife is a part-time music teacher, and I have been asked on the school board. Do I stay in frustration in what may be a lost cause if the school closes in a couple years? Do I uproot the kids and move to a place where we can build the community we so want, and where our values are more in sync? How do I approach my priest to talk about this? Do I talk to him about it at all?

Festival pix and personal update

Click image for festival pictures It has been a particular busy/stressful time of late. Per my last post, my parish had its annual festival this weekend. I spent some wonderful time working and connecting with fellow parishioners. You can see plenty of pictures from the event by clicking the picture above. You can tell by many of the pictures, folks were enjoying the event. For any Beatitude’s parishioners, sorry if I missed you – there were so many people helping, and I am positive I missed lots of folks. From a community building standpoint, it looked like a success to me. I hope it was financially successful as well. I did not get a chance to post anything yesterday, and this post is short. My aunt’s husband died over the weekend, and we need to spend some time in support. On top of that, work volume turned up from a steady garden hose to an open fire hydrant. Needless to say, it is a bit stressful right now. Prayers are appreciated, of course. Tags: Beatitudes Parish, Festival

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's off to work the parish festival I go

Please pray that our parish festival is a success this weekend. Successful in building community and in providing the parish with the needed resources. Look for a few photos - but I may not post tomorrow with all of the excitement.

Grattitude & Responsiblity - Laying Foundations

click picture for larger image I have lived in Portland, OR, Concord, CA (Bay Area), and Atlanta, GA. But I grew up in the San Gabriel/Rosemead area of So Cal (about 11 miles east of Downtown LA). While I am less than 15 miles from there now, I don't get there too often. But I was there yesterday, with a little time on my hands. So I stopped at the parish I grew up in - St. Anthony's. It was first Friday, so I got the chance to spend time in prayer and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the very church where I was baptized, had my first confession, my first communion, and was confirmed. This was the church where I was altar boy for so long, where my faith was born and fostered - among a community of believers. It was a wonderful experience. Being there in the church, and later walking the school grounds where I attended 1st through 8th grade brought back many memories. I remember Fr. Flanagan, his Irish brogue and the wonderful homilies - many of which I still remember. My favorite was one on "EGO," which he told us really means "Edging God Out." I remember Msgr. Glennon who was an excellent shepherd, guiding his flock justly - neither iron willed nor laissez fair. I remember the wonderful music directed by Sr. Dolorous (I still love the St. Louis Jesuits). I remember the special lessons and examples from the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary; Sr. Dolorous, Sr. Genevieve (I still remember the poetry she taught us), Sr. Helen and the first principal I ever new - Sr. Mary Anne. I also remember the lay teachers that touched me - Mr. Betendorf, Mrs. Kattel, and others. I saw the Christian Service hut, where I remember my mom and dad packing groceries for the poor. I remembered the lay people who made the parish home and set self sacrificing examples. People like Joe Calorino or Al Brown - who was always there to serve, and his wife Edith who was one of the most prayerful women I have ever met. I thank God for the tremendous foundation that these people so selflessly provided. The lessons, the examples, and the community. I pray that wherever they are, the Lord smiles upon them. For those who have left this world, I pray that they are with Jesus now, and ask that they put in a good word for me. I pray too, that I may touch the lives of someone as they touched mine. So what is my point? It is this. However you got were you are, thank God for those who helped get you there and remember that we all have a responsibility to provide a firm foundation for others. Tags: Christianity, Catholicism, Gratitude, Community, Thanks