Dear Family,
By the second Sunday of Lent I am usually asking myself where did the first week go and how could I have missed doing the things I wanted to do, and “giving up” the things I wanted to give up.
Good news: that’s what the second week of Lent is for, to get it right.
In reality, isn’t that what our lives, especially our spiritual lives, are all about? Each day follows the previous with the hope that the direction of our journey is getting easier to see, if not always smoother to negotiate.
The following story is not told for sympathy. As some of you know, last week I got an attack of “flare arthritis” in my right wrist. Powerful throbbing unremitting pain. (Remember, I said no sympathy. Well, maybe a little...)
My doctor’s cell was giving her trouble which she didn’t discover until around ten p.m. on the day I called. She immediately called, and when I described the problem, she immediately called in a prescription to a 24/7 drug store. I and my left hand drove to pick it up and made it home safely.
Two hours later, the pain subsided, and continued to improve. Rosemary Guerin also brought me a tube of French Voltaren which is twice as strong as American Voltaren. Leave it to the French. Between the meds, a great doctor, a loving parishioner, and the patron saint of arthritis, healing is in the works. I just learned that St. Alphonsus Liguori is the patron saint of arthritis. He was an incredibly remarkable man in many fields, and probably helped define the meaning of child prodigy.
But he is the patron of arthritis because it afflicted him to the point where he spent the later part of his life in a wheelchair with a bent neck.
Somehow, when you read that and when in our own times I see the suffering of families, especially as we are receiving the images from Ukraine, it helps you put pain in perspective. Dr. Madden and Rosemary and Walgreens all contributed to my experience. I hope I’ve learned something, especially a deeper appreciation of people who endure chronic pain, and people who take care of them.
The Men’s Club came with a request to possibly do some fish fries during Lent. I know some other parishes are considering it, but we really have not received the full go-ahead from the Archdiocese to have gatherings or drop spatial seating anywhere except in the Church building. I’m sure it’s coming but let’s not tempt fate.
Let me use this moment to thank Annie for, in addition to everything else she does, running over to the parish hall every Sunday to set up for the broadcast of the Mass for the overflow. Peter will still be broadcasting our 11:00 celebration online and people who are home can take advantage of that. Remember that if you are not able to assist at Mass there are a number of good people who are willing to bring you Holy Communion. All you need to do is ask.
Thank you for your ABCD contributions. This week a couple of especially generous folks brought us up to 89.9% of the goal. Now we have only $12,036 to go. I have no doubt we (you and I) will do it.
Finally, a word of thanks to the women who are having our TRINKETS AND TREASURES blowout. As I said last Sunday you can bring your goodies to our holy yard sale on Wednesday March 16th – 18th. That’s this Wednesday thru Friday. The ladies will be setting up and the sale is on March 19th (8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) and 20th (8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) Good hunting.
In Jesus,
