In Conversation with God

Precisely at such moments (when our faith is weak and we are full of fear) we may forget that the greater the difficulty, the more powerful God's help will be. This will always be the case when we strive to live our vocation as Christian, whatever our situation...in our family life, in our daily work...in carrying out our apostolate. Francis Fernandez,Volume 4, page 30

Sometimes perseverance is difficult and the burdens seem too heavy. We must remember though, that Jesus is always there to lift us up, if we ask. He will quiet the storm and be at our side.

Prayers Please

 Please pray for

all the women going on and the team presenting this weekend's Cursillo

all those suffering with cancer

for unemployed and under-employed people to find meaningful employment

for my husband as he moves forward to what God is calling him to do 

Lord, help us to remember that all is answered according to your will in your time.

Life in Review

1.  My daughter has come home from Australia.  She had a great time and has added some new words to her vocabulary.  I think tomorrow I will get to try Vegemite on toast and 1/2 a Tim Tam biscuit.  Only half since they are so precious to her.

2.  My husband went on a Cursillo two weeks ago.  It was a great experience for him and many other men I know.  I am looking forward to going tomorrow myself.  

3.  We have priest changes at work.  Two are leaving and we are getting one new (to us) priest.  So, this will mean adjustments in the office as well as more work for our deacons.

4.  I am in my last formal course for my degree, then I begin writing my final paper.  Not a thesis exactly, but it is a forty page overview of what I have learned in the program and how I will use it in my ministry.

"While I'm Waiting" Music Video- from the movie FIREPROOF

Good song, thoughts on the movie will wait for another day.

Embarrassed

I figured out today why I am so upset about what I have seen happen in our Church the last few months. I am embarrassed. It all began when the second bishop of our diocese was removed about 10 years ago because of sexual misconduct in his past, then our next bishop was removed for the same reason. So, then we fast forward to financial scandals with two priests being accused of stealing millions of dollars. One plead guilty, the other insisted on a trial and was found guilty and that was a huge embarrassment, listening to other priests tying to excuse his behavior. Then just down the road we have a priest who gets caught on the beach and in two weeks decides he will join the Episcopalian church.
I realize these men are human and that we all make mistakes. And I know the media plays a huge part in making this all so very public, but these men also did wrong. And I am embarrassed by it all. We work so hard to be honest, tell parishioners how we spend our money, everyone is fingerprinted and background checked, on and on. And though these things are important to do and I would choose them willingly, we do them out of fear and past mistakes. And yet, mistake are made over and over, and in such public forums that as a Catholic, I am embarrassed. How can we speak with any moral authority when the very men who have promised to guide us, are themselves leading lives that should not be emulated? I am not asking for perfection, but honesty; not for pride, but for humility; not for concern for self, but commitment. I once read this ( yes, it is totally out of context) and think it fits here, "The problem is not that Jesus was a man, but that more men are not like Jesus."