Yesterday, I presided at the 11:00am Mass. Fr. Jim, who makes the schedule is very kind to me in that he seldom assigns me the 6:30am Mass because he knows I am not a “morning person” Even the 8:00am Mass is only once or twice a week. I usually have the 11 or the 5:30pm.
It is so impressive that at any of those daily Masses, there are regularly 40 or 50 people. Some come on the way to work or coming home. Others come with small children when they drop off the older children at school and a lot of the older parishioners come to the 11, although again, some of the workers nearby will come on their lunch hour. It is a very prayerful community.
Spent much of yesterday in the waiting rooms of doctors and had a chance to begin a new book that is a sequel to one I just finished. The first book was called, “Swampoodle” and was set in the area around Gonzaga and Sts. Aloysius and Dominic churches, where much of my ancestors lived and worshiped. I enjoyed it greatly.
In the Providence of God, my friend, Fr. Michael Roach met the author and told him how much I enjoyed the book. The author, P.D. St. Claire contacted me and sent me a copy of the sequel, which is called “St. Patrick’s Day” and is set in this parish, the Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament.
So yesterday, I was able to read a great deal of it and am enjoying it as much a the first. I hope to meet the author in the next few weeks.
Last night, I gave a presentation on prayer to our RCIA group. I enjoyed preparing for it because I realized that I do lots of different manners of prayer in my own life and I enjoyed answering questions and sharing ideas about the different types and styles of prayer.
I just finished presiding at the 8:00am Mass for the feast of St. Andrew. I prayed for all the Andrews I know – and I know quite a few!
I have always thought that Andrew was a “good brother” because he found something good and he could hardly wait to share the knowledge with his brother, Peter. The first reading said that “how can they know unless someone tells them”, and that reminded me of the Pope’s call for a “new evangelization”. We Christians have a lot of work to do if we want to be good siblings and see that everyone knows about Jesus.
Today is the first anniversary of the death of Linda, the daughter of my long time gradeschool friend, Gail. So we are going to meet later today. Please keep her in your prayers. I think it was John Kennedy who said, “It is a sin against nature for a parent to bury their child.” I have always thought that such a situation must be really difficult for a person and they must have great strength and equal faith.
Happy feast day to all you Andrews!!!
Thanks for the paragraph on Andrew, the evangelist. I may use that concept in my talk on New Evangelism.
I think you were right, I have to indicate when I write that a comment can be made. I am enjoying doing this and hope my good friend will keep after me to do it daily.