I had intended to make writing in this blog part of my Lenten discipline but as you can see, I didn’t get very far with that plan. I was going to write Ash Wednesday evening but suddenly it was the weekend. Then I thought I would write on the Sunday nights of Lent but that got away from me also. So, here it is the 2nd Sunday of Lent, and I am finally writing.
IT IS NOW FRIDAY, MARCH 5TH AND I DISCOVERED I HADN’T POSTED THIS, SO I’LL JUST DO THAT NOW.
Ash Wednesday was very busy and there were lots of services and lots of foreheads to mark with “the sign of our humanity”. I suppose I am a little strange – a little?? – in that I have always liked Lent. It is a time for me to reflect and hopefully grow in my spiritual life. I try to read more Scripture and Spiritual Reading, I try to give up things (like Snickers) and I try to make some financial decisions that give me more money for almsgiving. I always think that if I can’t do those things for only 40 days, then my life is really out of control. I shall use this blog to keep me accountable.
Last week, a dear friend died and I had the privledge of presiding and preaching at his funeral. It was Nick Sampogna. He, his wife Frances (Bim), and their children welcomed me into their home and family when I was a newly ordained priest at St. Camillus in Silver Spring in 1972. We have stayed friendly ever since and his funeral was a celebration of his ninety years of faith. He was ill and finally bedridden for a long time. Bim had a great idea. She wanted the grandchildren to think about and reflect on their remembrances of Grandpop, so they wouldn’t just remember him in his illness. Not all of them could be present but I think about a dozen came up and spoke after Communion about a memory of Nick. It was very impressive and touching. One young boy spoke about how often when he was young and he would be telling his granddad about something he did or made, Nick would say,” Good, and next time you’ll do this and it will be even better”. He said “I use to think that he never thought what I did was good enough but now I realize that he was encouraging me to do always do better and I will.” What wonderful legacies we can give our children and grandchildren.
The evening of Nick’s funeral, I flew down to Florida. Regina Housel, who was the principal of St. Michael’s for 7 of my years as pastor, is now the principal of a Catholic elementary school in Sarasota and asked me to give a day retreat to her faculty. I enjoyed it very much and had a good time – I can’t speak for the faculty’s enjoyment! It was held at the retreat house in Venice and it was a sunny day. The native thought it was cold because the temperature has been in the 50’s and 60’s but as I explained to them compared to Washington’s weather, I thought I was in the tropics.
I also had a chance to see Ann Lee, who lives in Venice. She and Mickey and their six children lived at the end of the driveway at St. Camillus and I spent many a wonderful hour in their home and almost every Christmas Eve till dawn. After Mickey’s death and after Michael, their youngest, died, she moved to Florida. She has a lovely home a few blocks from the Gulf and with a pool right outside of her living room. We had a great visit and caught up on all the news.
I returned on Friday night and learned on Saturday of the death of Mrs. Elizabeth “Beth” McCoy, a very dear friend from St. Michael’s. She is also the aunt of Msgr. John Enzler, my pastor. He funeral will be Thursday at St. Michael’s and I was have the honor of presiding and preaching. She and her husband, Fred had twelve children and thirty some grandchildren. Her birthday was July 19th and there was always a big family gathering at her farm. I was welcomed into this marvelous mob and had many happy moments with them. She was ninety two years young.