Furthermore…

Rewrite man to chief editor:
What’s  word is right for this Catholic story – “hold” Mass? “give” Mass? “perform” Mass? “conduct” Mass?

Today at our 5th Grade Catachesis Class my teaching partner began to tellthe children that this Christmas season we might, as a class project,  put on a little skit.  I chimed in with  the news that we will probably need someone to dress up as a sheep.  All the boys, who up to this point were totally disinterested, eagerly raised their hands to volunteer!

Nervous person making announcement:

“The church knitting and quilting group will not meet this week for some reason I was supposed to tell you, but I’ve lost the thread of the thought!”

I was at a prayer meeting earlier this week and I had one of those experiences whereby a sense of unity and clarity comes to the fore, bringing confidence and hope that things which have been at odds and troublesome within now have been integrated. I’ve never had a good sense of spiritual community or communion. Most of my religious awareness, such as it was,  has always been about me myself cultivating the right kind of relationship with God, the Blessed Mother, the angels and the saints.  But this recent weekend I very much more felt like I was in union with the people around me and untold numbers of others not present, in their families and associations as well as in my own.

I had been watchinga number of  TV presentations about St. Padre Pio and I think my mind switched over from its usual way of of seeing everything through my own individual viewpoint and instead seeing me as just a member of a wide communality, similar to the way the Saint was caringly aware of all the needs and trials of the people who cried out to him. As I sat in the prayer group I looked about at the twenty or so other members and saw each one as a partner in a benign awareness of God’s realm.  About the same time a parade of my relatives, friends and acquaintances passed through my mental notice and I quickly prayed or wished well for each one, almost as though I had a rubber stamp or magic wand that made praying for them brisk and efficient.

The frame of mind hasn’t lingered since, although a memory of it persists and my general outlook has changed a little, as I realize that there is a better way of focusing on His Kingdom with a sense of the importance of others, keeping them in the awareness of who is involved.

Preacher, interrupting his line of thought:

“I hope all that  glancing at the watch means you’re thanking God for having such an attractive and useful accessory !”

Yesterday we focused on the readings for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The acount in the Gospel of Mark (Mark 9:30-37) of Jesus’ deciples arguing about who was greates elicited the most participation.  It would seem that the story refers to each of them  trying to establish his own preeminence among the others, but in reading various analyses of the passage in preparation for our meeting I came across some variant interpretations, such as that they were arguing whether Jesus was the greatest of the men of God.  There always sees to be someone who seeks to put forward an alternate understanding of what is commonly held.  The gospel stories are so thinly presented that there is always plenty of room for reading into them alternate scenarios and motivations.  One hopes that folks aren’t casting about for ways of justifying pet theories rather than simply seeking to grasp what was the original intended meaning.

Young nun to old nun as they shop for a car:

“I’ll talk to the salesman, and you roll your eyes at the prices!”

I like to catch Bill Donohue of The Catholic League when he appears on the media. I’m a Bill too, Donovan in my case, so I suppose I would have a  predilection to accepting his viewpoints  even if I weren’t already in agreement with most of what he says, which I am. Most recently I saw him on EWTN’s The World Over, where he was discussing his new book Secular Sabotage.

He is always ready with an explanation of what led him to hold his positions, and can pick flaws in the logic or other not-so-logical brain processes which led his opponents to theirs. It struck me watching this latest interview that he employs a formidable too of argument. When his critics accuse him or Catholics in general of doing such-and-such, he turns the table on them by pointing out that they themselves are doing the same thing, in spades. Most of the accusations directed against him seem to be on the “we know all about how you Catholics are guilty of such-and-such”, in the sense that “all my friends and liberal associates see it this way”, so it is obviously true.

Leader of  garage band to members:

“Tom the drummer can’t make today’s practice,  so we’re going to set up over at the construction site by the pile driver!”

Last night I was at a prayer meeting, and one of the steps in these meetings is always for individuals to speak out petitions to the Lord.   A lot of the people, myself included,  had friends and family members suffering from health or other difficulties that we placed before the Lord. I only had one, so as others were naming theirs, I simultaneously sorted through my circumstances, wondering if there was still something else to mention.  The thought came to me that there are so many all-encompassing things to ask for that we, as lay people, just skip over and take for granted. Perhaps a priest or nun, more in touch with the Kingdom of God, might bring them to mind: shower us with more grace, strengthen our resolve to do Your will, soften the hearts of the greedy and powerful, dispel the widespread ignorance and misinformation about the Church.  There were some petitions along this line, of course, but I always have, when I hear such petitions, that they are sort of self-evident or assumed or bland, and so sweeping that even if they are granted they won’t impact us noticeably, as would the healing of Mama’s foot or Dad finally finding a job.