It's not just what you say!

Well as the old saying goes " were getting into the homestretch" with only 2 classes remaining. My assistant and I were discussing the year, and she has noticed a change in me. She said, "don't take this wrong, but you're not so stressed out as last year, and with double the travel time it's kind of amazing you're holding up so well!"  This is the second time she tells me this and that I share it with you, so I'm taking this one as a sign from the Lord to keep moving forward.  I have to admit that even though I may look like I'm holding up well, the grind and the fatigue is setting in. This is something Mike and I shared on Tuesday evening.

This course will definitely be the best of the year for various reasons. No cancellations, excellent connections, a message we can sink our teeth into, and also a message that is very challenging in all levels. This one has less reading assignments in terms of pages, but they are oh so powerful. If the intention was to create great inner reflection and turmoil.................................mission accomplished!"  By turmoil, I actually mean something very good. I'm getting close to being 52 and I guess "you can teach and old dog new tricks!" 

If I had to tell you something that has changed me by this experience, it would have to be a message delivered to us by our professor. "The greatest sin is complacency!" I have never heard that one ever in my life, but it ties in so well with the Gospel message. We are constantly be challenged by the fact that no matter where we go or what we do, we will never, nor must we ever feel we have done a great job, or that we have done enough. For a man who loves challenges this one doesn't frighten me. I could look at it feeling a little hopeless knowing that it will be impossible to take care of everything, or I can remember that in all my best successes in my personal, business, and spiritual life there was always someone there to guide me and work with me to get the job done. 

Our professor also said one more life changing message from Christ..

"We as individuals can't change the world,

but all of us as a community can,

and we will bring more souls to Christ from what we do,

than what we say!

Bonjour et Adieu mes Amis,

Mitch

PS, when I shared this class with my best friend, he offered one thing to me.....

"If you ever get ordained, don't ever get complacent in your ministry!"

 

Happy Mother's Day!

Bridle and Bit!

We are getting very close to the end of the year with the Rite of Lector coming around the corner. There are only three classes left in our Moral Theology course and without a doubt this is "the best" one of the year. As the old saying goes, "saving the best for last." I'm not downplaying the other courses, but the mixture of the topic, the excellent connections, and the professor we have have, made it an easy choice for me. 

I popped into the parish office two days ago and I was greeted by the following comment from the parish secretary...."hurry up and finish we need you now!" There are going to be seven funerals from Friday morning to Saturday afternoon in town, and I was told five of them could be done by the Deacons. Even with two priests in our parish, there is a tremendous need for Deacons in our community, which is probably why the Spirit guided two of us to answer the call.

Our journey's to Plymouth have been for the most part uneventful, except for the part of gaining something very special. When you have an hour and half to get somewhere there's a lot of sharing that can go on, and there was. I couldn't have asked for a better friend, brother in Christ to share this journey with. The Spirit keeps moving us, inspiring us, and pushing us to be something more than we have ever imagined. Thursday night Mike was the co-pilot and we share duties on leading evening prayer on the ride down. After he finished I asked him if he felt the same way I did about a couple of words in one of the psalms? The words "bridle and bit" caught his attention also. It's amazing how you can read something more than once and then it finally sparks something inside of you. 

Yesterday, I read the psalm once again and it answered for me and for our parish secretary why this journey is taking so long. I will just share a few lines from Psalm 32......

"I will instruct you and teach you

the way you should go;

I will give you counsel

with my eye upon you.

Be not like horse and mule, unintelligent,

needing bridle and bit

else they will not approach you.

Many sorrows has the wicked

but he who trusts in the Lord,

loving mercy surrounds him."

So as all 22 of us continue this journey we pray that if we are blessed enough to be ordained our bridle's and bits will be removed and the Lord's loving mercy that surrounds us will be seen by those who will approach us.

Bonjour et Adieu mes Amis,

Mitch

PS, the Lord's eye was certainly upon us on Thursday evening as Mike and I saw one of His lovely creatures staring at us on I 93 after class, and then darting away!   

Not an Ordinary day!

Yesterday, I ended my posting by saying "who knows what God has planned for us?". As usual I would find out later that day. You see, all I had planned for was a nice quiet day with Terry. We picked up more roses, her second favorite flower, and we rearranged the garden a bit. Roses, as you all now need pruning, and a little more effort to produce a wonderful flower. It was a gorgeous day and we both loved just getting our hands in the dirt and pruning things a bit.

We had made plans to take my folks to the 4 pm Mass and then go out for supper. My best friend called and asked what we were doing for supper, and the answer was simple, "we can all gather together!" The readings at Mass were very inspiring ,and then I heard the Gospel proclaimed...."He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit." I was really choked up by this, and I just looked up...smiled...laughed..and then thought to myself...."Just and ordinary day, right?". 

We then gathered at Mr. Pizza's where my son was working, on his birthday. We also celebrated my buddy's anniversary. It was a great family event!

The night was capped off with....what else?....a campfire of course. We gathered with our friends, around a beautiful campfire.

How was your ordinary day? Mine was spectacular!

Bonjour et Adieu mes Amis,

Mitch 

Just another ordinary day!

After experiencing a few incredible weeks, I'm at this point right now. I have to face it, this looks and feels just like another ordinary day, and it is good. Nothing spectacular is going on except for one thing, I'm going to spend this day with my wife and enjoy every minute.

In this journey I wasn't expecting every single moment to be a revelation, it would be nice but not real. Even Jesus relaxed, and enjoyed the company of the disciples. So this is going to be one of those days. 

I will enjoy this ordinary day and relish in the time I spend with people I love. Who knows what the Lord has planned for any of us today?

Bonjour et Adieu mes Amis,

Mitch 

Reflection on Acts 10:40-43

Another formation weekend has come and gone, and way too fast for me. They are all great, but this one was very special. It seemed to be such a long time since we last gathered, even though it was the usual two months. This weekend's formation session was on marriage, the youngest and yet one of the oldest sacraments.

The weekend also brought about my first opportunity to practice a homily, by sharing a reflection on Sunday's morning prayer reading. I was the sixth person to get their first shot at this and this is how it went...

"Each and everyone of us have gone through a process 

to be selected, to be chosen,

and it is in our nature to want to be a part of a team,

part of something special, being part of a mission!

As children we can all remember the times where we stood up in line,

waiting to hear our name, waiting to be chosen.

It could have been for baseball, hockey, a play, almost anything, 

and when they called your name you felt very special.

As adults I would have to say that these emotions were even more intensified. 

We too long for the feeling of honor and acceptance. 

Who can forget Sally Fields when she won her first Oscar 

exclaimed "YOU LOVE ME, YOU REALLY LOVE ME!

Most people just laughed at her, but it underlies the need and the desire

to be loved and to be a part of something special.

We can also see the Hall of Fame candidates who waited not very patiently by the phone for "THE CALL", and when they gave their acceptance speech,

they cried like little babies, with tears of joy. 

They too loved that feeling of being Chosen!

We as a candidate community can relate very well to waiting, 

again not so patiently for that letter to come in the mail.

Each and every day I checked the mailbox, and Terry kept telling me relax

it will show up any day  now!

Well we planned a weekend camping trip, and I made sure it was close to home!

Saturday morning I told Terry I forgot something and needed to go back home,

really what I wanted to do was to check the mailbox. 

I would have to wait another day!

I called my buddy who also went back home to pick up some items, and asked him

to check the mailbox, again nothing there!

I decided to enjoy the rest of the weekend, and soon it was time to head home.

We unpacked as we always do, and after we were all done, 

I checked the box and finally the letter was there!

I just stared at it and Terry said "Well aren't you going to open it?"

The answer was yes you have been selected, you are chosen!

Unlike the selections as a child or the other examples this selection isn't from something we've done, or an honorary award, 

this is a call for something yet to be done!

It is a call to be a member of a team with a mission!

Today's reading announces that the Apostles were the first witnesses 

of the Risen Christ.

Even though they were the first, they actually looked more like they were in the 

witness protection program.

They were literally, physically, spiritually all locked up away!

Then when the Risen Lord revealed himself to them,

they ate, they drank with Him, and they were never the same!

They were unleashed to the World and what a difference they made!

Pope Benedict in one of his reflections stated....

"Jesus reveals Himself to the one He can entrust on a mission!"

So as the Apostles were the first witnesses, the first to share in Christ's Mission,

We too are called to be his witnesses!

Soon we will gather at the Lord's Table and we as a community will

witness the Risen Lord in the Sacrifice of the Mass,

and as witnesses we too will share in Christ's mission of

Peace, Love, and the forgiveness of sins.

My Brothers and Sisters, We have been Chosen!"

Thank you for your prayers and support!

Bonsoir et Adieu mes Amis,

Mitch

 

Just what we needed!

Well, we are all back in school this week to work on our final course for the year, which is Moral Theology.  I can honestly say that I was looking forward to the end of this year. I have shared with all of you our frustrations with this technology and that the year has not gone as well as expected. 

So I made the trip to Plymouth with a little apprehension and quite a bit of fatigue. We just completed a major sale at the store and we were extremely busy, and a little short staffed. The fuse is also a little short, and there is always the unknown of what to expect from a new class and professor.

Two words will describe what I and all of us felt in Plymouth. ENERGY and WOW! I can't even begin to share with all of you how everything has now been turned around. These two classes that we just had were absolutely amazing. I feel like the Apostles who were let loose from being locked up, with the need to share the "Good News" with everyone.

The Holy Spirit definitely made His Presence felt these last two nights, and as we learned in class, it is, and has always been Our Lord's agenda. We as a group desperately needed a spark to bring more hope to this process. What we got was a roaring fire instead. 

As I continue to unpack what I am learning I will share some of this with all of you!

In the meantime thank you all so much for your prayers as they were definitely answered for us!

I will be away this weekend for another formation weekend to enjoy much needed time with my community. I will also be delivering my first attempt at a homily on Sunday Morning, and I continue to ask for your prayers.

God Bless you all!

Bonjour et Adieu mes Amis,

Mitch