Mar 3 Foila 6th c.

Thommy and Jack,
Good Morning, I love you
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Picking up from the Fergna entry….

Three priests. In the same way that there’s been a plethora of schools and parishes in my life, the number of priests who have come and gone are more numerous than I can count; many more than I remember. I hope that you have a priest or more who are (have been) important to you. And I hope that those importances are positive.

I only have two priests on my list that are in the negative column. Not, with wiser hindsight, their fault but because of my frailties. The first was the chaplain at the Newman Center when I first arrived at Alabama. He was a gazillion years old and tenaciously held onto the pre Vatican II church.

The second summer of my experiences with him led me to stop going to church. Of course it was his fault. Duh! Because he wouldn’t remove the altar rail from the chapel.

The second one, also the chaplain at the BAMA Newman Center, 1982. I blame him for the absence of pre-cana instruction and adequate due diligence. He could have prevented the non-marriage I endured. Alas, if I had done the simple questioning – did you get your annulment? – I cannot imagine how much better the world of bill Nolan would have been. You can put that priest in your negative column by proxy if you wish. Your lives would have been better if he’d done his job.

Anyway, be sure you have a priest in your life. Be sure to have a [redundantly, Catholic] spiritual adviser, too.

This week, our first readings have been Sirach, aka Ecclesiasticus. If you only take five minutes to read the Bible, flip open to Sirach. The book is full of maxims, like Proverbs, any one of which is worth a morning meditation. Then there’s the description of Wisdom [or you can read any of Andrew Greeley’s stories qua novels]. The origins and excellence of Wisdom. Divine Wisdom displayed in nature. The practice of Wisdom in our every day life.

One of the advantages of going to daily Mass is the tidbits of the Bible we get every day – and often the priest’s mini-homily enhances our reflections. Reading the readings before Mass, and formulating my own homily-to-self, is one way to have another half hour when I’m not doing something wrong. A few examples from this week:


Come to our aid, O God of the universe,
look upon us, show us the light of your mercies

< A personal prayer of petition. A worthy mantra. A morning request to start the day. Come to our aid, God. Is there anything else a guy could ask for? …. God of the Universe. Duh. A brief consideration of the Universe makes is clear that we must have a God of the Universe. The God of the Universe is our One True God. …. God, even better than Santa Claus, looks upon us, always and everywhere. Anyone with any insight whatsoever knows we need mercy. We might as well ask for it daily, at the beginning of the day, prophylactically. >



Hear the prayer of your servants,
for you are ever gracious to your people;
and lead us in the way of justice.
Thus it will be known to the very ends of the earth
that you are the eternal God.

< When we pray like this, ‘hear the prayer of your servants, for you are ever gracious to your people,’ we’re not telling God anything He doesn’t already know. It’s a reminder for ourselves. … ‘lead us in the way of justice.’ There is no one else better to follow in the way of justice. Why would we consider any second choice? … How will God be known to the ends of the earth? By how we walk in the way of justice. Just do it. >



At God’s word were his works brought into being;
they do his will as he has ordained for them.
As the rising sun is clear to all,
so the glory of the LORD fills all his works;

< Say it and it is so. Try that trick why don’t you. And, once created, are your creations doing always what you ordained? One of the sermons this week pointed out that our first parents – ole Adam and Eve – had everything. Ev. Ry. Thing. And still, they chose to separate themselves from God, to disobey Him, to act contrary to His love, to be selfish, to put themselves on the ‘I know best and I will know more’ pedestal. How much harder is it for us to love God always? … For anyone who has eyes to see, even the blind, as in the rising of the sun, the glory of the Lord fills all His works. Amen. >

Anyway, try some Sirach with breakfast. [to break the fast of your current antifaith?]





March 3

Foila 6th century

Co-patroness of Kil-Faile and Kil-Golgan parishes in Galway, Ireland, the sister of St. Colgan, 2-20
Grandma’s family tree goes to County Galway, the beautiful West of Ireland! I could put the story of Jack’s and my train ride across England and visit to Dublin. But, I’ll redo that another time.

I love you,
Dad
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