I was mistaken! I had the 10:30am Mass today not the 12:30. Fortunately, I did set the alarm because I wanted to see the Sunday Talk Shows and I woke up at 7:30am. I decided to come over to the office since I had slept so well and was anticipating an easy day. WELL!!!
At the 10:30 Mass, we had the Welcoming of the RCIA, the choir, my longer than usual homily, two collections, a talk by a Little Sister of the Poor, a full church with lots of communicants, and my stumbling through the new translation. The Mass did not end until 11:45. I didn’t get back to the office till 12:15. I was expecting to be on the road by 11:35 as I was joining my TEAM (Teams of Our Lady) group for a lunch meeting in Leonardtown at 1pm. I stopped at the CVS to pick up two prescriptions that they didn’t have when I stopped there yesterday. I stood in line for 20 minutes and they could only find one. Then I hit the road and ran into traffic near the beltway as people were going to the Football game. I got off and headed by back roads and found myself in Bowie at 1:15. I tried to call the TEAM but only had home phone numbers on my cell. God love her, Jane Connolly called me as they were looking for me. I told them that I wouldn’t come because I was still an hour and half away. Then I called Maggie because I was suppose to stop there on the way home. She had gone to the parade in Prince Frederick, so I left a message.
I decided to go to get a book that I am suppose to reflect on with students at St. John’s High school next week. I drove to a book store in Bowie and of course, it had been a Border’s and now they are out of business. My OnStar helped me find a Barnes and Noble, so I did get the book, “Night” by Eli Weisel. Then I went and found a CVS and bought a pill splitter that I’ve needed for about three weeks. And I went to a Staples’ and bought a tape dispenser because two weeks ago, I through away the little piece that you put the tapes onto on the dispenser and you can’t just buy them! None of these stores were near each other and so I kept calling OnStar and they helped me to find the stores.
Then I headed home but the traffic was terrible everywhere. Big delay on the Baltimore/Washington parkway so I got off and took another back roqad. At one point I found myself by the Franciscan monastary and I decided I should go to confession because I have really been impatient today. I parked and went inside. The Confessional chapel has been moved; it is now a perpetual adoration chapel. I sat for awhile. There was a choral concert in the main church, so I sat there for awhile. Then I saw a sign and it said there were no confessions on Sundays. Maybe I really didn’t need to go???!!!
I headed home. It is 5:30pm now and in a few moments I am going back to the rectory. I really don’t do well when my plans fall apart and traffic is bad. I’ll just say a good act of contrition and go to bed. I can sleep in tomorrow as I have the nursing home Mass at 10:30am. Good night
Sounds like you REALLY needed the hills to be made low and the valleys to be filled in!!!
I spent the entire weekend leading folks with a reflection on the woman at the well. Each retreat was peace-filled….definitely needed during this busy season. Now if I can only keep that peace as my plane tries to take off from a snowy Amarillo this morning…..