My sister, Maggie, who loves to cook, made me a delicious breakfast this morning of eggs, bacon, and toast. I love breakfast but I usually have a bit of cereral and that’s it. Sometimes the first food I have is a sandwich around 2pm. Today was a nice change.
I had to head back up to town. On the way, I had a great phone conversation with Frances Sampogna. She and I are going to try to get down and visit the people at Madonna House next week. it was nice to talk and catch up on all her family.
I’ve been trying to straighten out my checkbook and that took much of the afternoon. I exposed the Blessed Sacrament at 3pm and then a man stopped by to go to confession for Christmas. He started off by saying that I had said at church the other day, “….I’m kind of unemployed ,so just stop by the parish center and I’d be happy to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation with you”. And I am and he did.
I had the 5:30pm Mass and I preached about Hannah and her son , Samuel, which is a great story and I said it fit well with the gospel which qa the Magnificat. Both are great stories of women who talked to God and were willing to do His will. I can’t get over how this Advent has been filled with thoughts of trying to learn to do God’s will. I hope that I have been more open to His will lately and I certainly will try in 2011.
After Mass, we processed outside and a young girl lit our big tree in front of the Church. It is a huge pine tree and is filled with white lights. We then say some Christmas carols and had hot chocolate.
While I had been working at my desk before Mass, Loretta Favret,called me on the phone. She and Andy, her husband are out in Darnestown staying with their daughter, Loretta and her husband. In talking, I found that they were going to be there this evening and so I invited myself to come and spend some time with them. Fr. John, Fr. Jim and I had dinner together and then I drove out to Darnestown. It was easier than I thought and I got there before 7:45. We had such a nice visit. they brought me up to date on their kids and their life in Delaware. And of course, there were many stories of life at St. Camillus in the 70’s. Their son, John is living out there and he joined us. It was just such a nice evening full of lots of laughter and memories. At 10, I said, “I promised myself, I wouldn’t intruded for more than a couple of hours, so I’d better be going.” Another example of the wonderful people God has sent into my life.
Hope you are enjoying writing this blog as much as I enjoy reading it! You are taking me back to the Camillus days…..good people and good memories.