My Daily Musing

   When I was in grade school, the neighborhood kids used to play Superheroes all the time. One day, one of the neighbors decided to borrow his older brother's newspaper bag, climb onto their roof, and "parachute" off of the roof.
   Kids -- Do Not Try This At Home!
   The bag did not, in the least, slow his plunge to the ground and he broke his leg. All of our parents almost broke us when they found out that we were all involved and that we were waiting to take turns parachuting!
   But we had seen stuff like that on television and were sure that it would work.
   We life in such an age where fantasy has not only met reality but, for many people, it has passed reality. For many people, fantasy is the preferred state of life and mind in which to live.
   Movies are most certainly capitalizing on this phenomenon. Take a gander at Avatar. It is a great flick! I saw it in 3-D and it knocked my socks off. The colors were so vivid, the scenes so realistic, and the story so captivating. But I knew that it was just a movie and not reality.
   I had to chuckle when I heard about support groups being set up around the country because so many people had seen Avatar and wanted to have that kind of world. Knowing that they could not have that kind of world, they became depressed and suicidal and in need of help.
   Oh boy.
   We treat so much fiction as reality and sometime treat reality as fiction. We blur the lines between fact and fantasy and become lost people.
   It is time we grow up!
   St. Paul, in today's second reading, speaks about the differences from when he was a child and when he was a man.
   We are no longer children. We are adults. As adults in the faith, we have to set aside "fantasy." That is, we have to set aside things like superstition, "no fail" novenas, and other things that reflect non-truths.
   Instead, we must embrace the truth.
   There are some truths that are eternal and no amount of fiction will make them go away.
   God is not fiction. God is real. His truth is unchanging. His love is forever. You can count on that yesterday, today, tomorrow . . . always!

   This morning our Parish Pastoral Council will meet for its monthly meeting.
   When a person volunteers to go through the selection process possibly to become a Pastoral Council member, that person leaves behind a whole set of preconceived notions about how meetings work!
   To begin with, Pastoral Council members are selected, not elected. To many people, that process is unnerving since it is much more than a popularity contest or an agenda-wars contest. In the selection process, potential members come to discernment sessions to pray about and study what Pastoral Councils are all about and the type of person that should and should not be a member. Immediately, people recognize a radical difference. We pray and reflect as we invite people to discern whether or not they believe they are being called to be Pastoral Council members.
   After the discernment process, the candidates, on selection day, put their names on papers and those papers are dropped into a basket. At one of the weekend Masses, we ask the community to pray that God select the people He desires to be on the Council. Those names are drawn and those people are the new Council members.
   Coming to meetings, then, the Council member realizes that his/her role is different than at other meetings. To begin with, we start our meetings with prayerful reflection. At our parish, the Council members come to the morning Mass and the meeting begins immediately after Mass.
   Prayerfully considering the needs of our parish family, we discuss what we believe is important and pursue ideas that help us to "feel the pulse" of the parish community. We listen to reports from the commissions and we suggest ideas to the commissions.
   The Council realizes that it is not the "doing" body of the parish. Rather, the Council members are the thinking, praying, reflecting members of the parish. Their ideas flow from their prayerful consideration of topics.
   Being a Council member is not for everyone. A person that wants to accomplish something immediately and at every meeting would probably feel frustrated at Council meetings since the Council is concerned with visioning, long-range planning, and making ways for the needs of the parishioner to be met.
   The language, attitudes, and actions of the Council are different from any other group and this is one of the things that make Council members so special.
   So, if I may, I ask you, kindly, to pray for the members of our Pastoral Council today. Pray, also, for members of your Pastoral Council if you are from a different parish. They truly deserve a pat on the back and your prayers.

   It did . . . it did . . .
   Yesterday, I walked across the parking lot from the office to my house. My patootie froze solid and broke off right before I got to the front door. That, along with several fingers, toes, and other body parts.
   It is COLD out there!!!
   I was thinking about that, though, as I was preparing to write my blog entry for today. I was thinking, "Okay, Mike, what do you want to write? Is it going to be about a saint? About the parish? About the school? Is it going to be praising someone or something? Griping about someone or something? Hmmmm."
   Then it hit me.
   My toes -- the ones that are left, that haven't frozen and fallen off yet -- were tingling and I thought, "Ah, yes. I'll write about the weather!"
   And why, you may ask?
   Because it strikes me that I and a lot of people that I know have been complaining about the weather the past couple of days. It's too cold for us.
   In a few months, it will be too hot for us.
   Then it will be too rainy.
   Then, too dry.
   It always seems to be too something, doesn't it?
   Isn't that what human nature is all about?
   It looks for something about which to complain.
   Maybe because, in doing so, we feel better about ourselves because we make other people miserable as well or at least know that other people are just as miserable as we are.
   That is the secret weapon of a Christian. No, not making people miserable. A Christian wants to share his or her faith so that other people can feel good about themselves and so the Christian may know that other people believe as well.
   What would you rather do today, complain or be happy?
   I want to go for happy.
   So I think I will try to spread some faith today instead of some misery!
   I hope you can do the same...

   Today is the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas.
   His story is a very interesting one and one that resonates with many other saints -- and perhaps you and me -- as well.
   You see, when Thomas was five years old, his parents gave him to the Benedictine Monastery at Monte Cassino because they had high hopes that Thomas would chose the Benedictine way of life and, perhaps, become great some day. Maybe even become the abbot of Monte Cassino.
   Thomas, on the other hand, had other ideas.
   He eventually left Monte Cassino and the Benedictines and joined the Dominicans.
   His parents were beside themselves and they engineered Thomas' "kidnapping" by his brothers in the hopes that they could sway him from the Dominicans and have him return to and remain with the Benedictines.
   It was not to be the case.
   However, in the end, they did get their wish, in a manner of speaking. Their son did become great. His writings, which envelop the whole of Church theology, were and are critically acclaimed and a source of study for many in the Church even today.
   So, let's review.
   God has plans for us.
   We have plans for us.
   Other people have plans for us.
   Whom should we follow?
   All those who raised their hands for God, give yourselves a pat on the back!

   As winter continues on -- and it has tried to reassert itself the past couple of days with the temperatures dropping again -- people begin to look for sings of hope, for signs of spring.
   One of those signs has been happening lately. It is getting sunny earlier and earlier each day.
   Light really matters a lot. Without it, there would be life. Plants would die and, without them, so would we.
   The dark days of winter affect many people adversely. Without sunshine, many people become depressed.
   And, ultimately, with THE light, Jesus Christ, we would all lose the way and we would die.
   Christ, the light of the world, leads us each and every day of our lives. Allow Him to lead you today!

   Don't you just hate name droppers? They are often called all sorts of names.
   However, truth be told, I think we often feel a bit of a stir of jealousy when some names are dropped. We say to ourselves, "Wow. That person really knows so-and-so...!"
   Today the Church celebrates the feasts of two people who could easily be name droppers: Timothy and Titus.
   Timothy and Titus were contemporaries -- and close associates -- of St. Paul.
   They were people to whom Paul wrote some of his Epistles: The Letter of Paul to Timothy and The Letter of Paul to Titus.
   WOW!
   Can you imagine what it must have been like to know someone like St. Paul?! Dynamic!
   However, that emotion is from the perspective of history. I often wonder what it would have been like to be an actual contemporary and associate of Paul.
   Would I be worried that the authorities were going to come after me? Probably.
   Would I wonder why the work was so difficult? Why so many people were rejecting what I had to say about Jesus? Yeah.
   Would I think that being a disciple was not exactly a piece of cake? Most likely.
   But, in all of that, Timothy and Titus were people who marked the early Church with their presence and with their association with St. Paul.
   Now, as we celebrate the Feast of Timothy and Titus today, let us remember that we, like they were, are called to be heroic in struggle and completely faithful to the Lord.
   Good luck and God bless...

   There is nothing more frightening than knowing that there is a killer in your midst.
   Well, maybe there is something more frightening that that. It would be more frightening, I presume, to realize that you were on the killer's list!
   Can you imagine how you would respond if you came face to face with someone who, seemingly, indiscriminately killed others?
   Can you imagine how you would feel if you knew that the person doing the killing had the sanction of the government to kill?
   That would be a person to fear.
   Are we talking serial killer here?
   Actually, no.
   We're talking saint!
   That's right.
   Saint.
   Today is the feast of the conversion of someone who had absolute authority to detain, arrest, and execute anyone he deemed a criminal. Of course, "criminal," in this definition, would have been "follower of Christ."
   The saint? Paul
   St. Paul had the authority to arrest and kill any Christian since they were considered enemies of the state. He carried out his mission fiercely and became feared far and wide. Just the mention of his name would make people shudder in terror.
   All this time, Paul -- known then as Saul -- felt that he was doing God's will. He thought that Christianity was an abomination against God and he did all that he could do to root out the followers of Jesus and execute them. His mission was not only personal, but was religious in nature as well since he saw Christianity as being a threat to Judaism.
   And then everything changed. He met Christ on the road to Damascus. His conversion led to a fearless leader for the Christians and the spread of Christianity in the lands of his time.
   The conversion of Paul is a great story because it gives us hope as well. We may think of ourselves as unworthy to follow the Lord. We may think of ourselves as too great a sinner. But look at Paul. He slaughtered people before becoming a follower of Christ.
   Christ calls all people.
   It is up to the people to respond.
   How will you respond to the Lord's call today?

   Usually I write something "fresh" for this blog. It may not be much, but it is usually off the top of my head at that moment. This morning, though, I wanted to share with you my pastor's column in today's bulletin since it speaks about the tone of the readings for today and I wanted to share it with you. I hope you do not mind me sharing this with you today...
   We hear, throughout all three readings this weekend, about how holy this day is.
    The Day of the Lord is, indeed, a holy day, a day of blessing, a day of wonder before the Lord — IF we make it thus.
    So many people do not take the time to “keep holy the Lord’s day.” In doing so, they deprive themselves of a great source of sustenance.
   God is God. Nothing that we do will ever change that reality. Our coming to church or not coming to church is not going to diminish God in any way, shape, or form.
   However, our failure to worship, to keep holy, diminishes us. It makes us weak. It contributes to a faltering faith. Eventually, taking to the extreme, it can cause our spiritual death.
   God does not want to lose any of us. He does not want us to die in His sight for eternity.
   That is why He gives us these holy days. That is why He gives us opportunity upon opportunity to refuel ourselves spiritually.
   “Do not be sad. Do not weep. Rejoicing in the Lord must be your strength.” Those are the words we hear from the prophet Nehemiah in the first reading. The second reading reminds us about how we all contribute to the Body of Christ. We are all integral, all important, to that Body. That is something to celebrate. In the Gospel, Jesus announces favor from the Lord, blessing from God on high.
   He announced it with joy and wishes that we accept it in that same joy.
   Let the prayers that we say at Mass speak to you. Let the readings that we hear feed and nourish you. Let the rich meal of the Eucharist mend you and make you whole.
   It is only in doing so that we can find a peace in the Lord that allows us to go on with hope in our daily lives.
   This world will not give us hope. It will not give us peace. It will not give us immortality.
   God will do all of that — provide hope, peace and immortality — and so much more. He provides day by day. It is up to us to let Him in to our hearts and lives.
   “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
   Imagine the thrill of those who truly believed in hearing those words spoken by Christ in the synagogue. We truly believe. We hear those words today as well.
   Celebrate.
   Rejoice.
   Be at peace!

   Simple.
   Put them in the Washington Mall, give them pro-life placards, and you can guarantee that all the media will not be able to find them. They simply vanish from sight.
   At least that is what happened yesterday.
   For all the people that were in Washington, D.C. to protest the Roe v Wade decision so many years ago, none of the networks picked up on the story at all.
   COWARDS.
   Where is this country right now anyway when it comes to morality?
   We legislate the woman's right to have an abortion up to the day of delivery. Yet, at the same time, if someone shoots a pregnant woman and kills the fetus, that person can be tried for murder.
   Why is it murder at one moment and a simple medical procedure the next?
   When are we going to get our lives straightened out?
   Many of us are going to have to do a LOT of explaining to the Lord when He calls us to Himself. Unfortunately, by that time, it will be too late. We will have chosen away from the Lord for our entire lives and will choose to be away from Him for eternity.
   Please, oh please, wake up. Realize what we are doing that is so wrong. Repent, while there is still time...

   Over 49 MILLION abortions since 1973.
   Can you even begin to fathom that number? 49 million?!
   That is the legacy of shame and death that has been given to us in the infamous Roe v Wade decision on January 22, 1973. Since that day when abortion became legal, the courts have legislated, over and over again, the conditions of death to such a degree that it is technically legal to procure an abortion up to the day of birth.
   Imagine the people that have been killed since that day.
   Do we wonder why we still have cancer? We may have killed the person who was to come up with a cure.
   Do we wonder why we still struggle to conquer space? We may have aborted the person who had the answer.
   Do we wonder why famine and pestilence cover so many areas of our world? We may have killed the person who would have shown us a better way.
   Our selfish motives have prevented over 49 million people from making their mark in our society, in our world.
   Imagine the cry of the souls who have been extinguished before their birth.
   There are so many people who say that abortion is "painless." Have you ever seen an ultrasound of a baby attempting to get out of the way of a needle or an aspiration device. It is absolutely chilling. People, yes, people, not "medical tissue" or any of the other terms that some have come up with to talk about the person that is being destroyed, have been torn apart, burned up with a salt solution, or poisoned to death, all in the name of "choice."
   Make no mistake. These arguments that have been applied for the taking of a tiny life are the same arguments being employed for the taking of the elderly in euthanasia or doctor-assisted suicide. These same arguments may one day be applied to you.
   Pope John Paul II was known for speaking up against the culture of death that has gripped our world.
   That culture of death is a very real part of our national heritage. Death and hatred and cruel destruction. These are NOT the ways to build up the Kingdom of God. They are most certainly ways to destroy its taking root, however.
   Are you a believer? Do you truly believe that God has created each and every one of us? That He has brought us into existence?
   If God is the author of life, what gives us the right to decide to be the authors of death.
   Please, for God's sake . . . and for OUR sake . . . join me today on this anniversary of brutality in prayer that we may one day find the courage to say, "Enough! No more killing in my name. I do not, I will not, authorize it any more!"

   Well, the forecast for this morning is for a little frozen rain messing up the morning drive and then the day is supposed to clear.
   But the weatherman did not have all of the information at hand when making that forecast.
   It is going to SNOW tonight.
   How can I say that?
   Well, because we have a sacrament preparation parent meeting at the school tonight.
   Every year that we planned the prep meeting, we always ended up getting a storm that evening.
   Several hours will tell . . .

   Yesterday was "one of those days."
   Not much more than that I can say to describe the day.
   If you remember, I indicated that it was going to be a very busy day. It was.
   I enumerated lots of things that were on the schedule. They were.
   The day did not get very far before it fell off the rails. Like right after the all-school Mass.
   It was one of those days that a person cannot possibly predict and one of those days that call for quick thinking and plenty of schedule juggling. The day was just as long as I expected but most of the activities were replaced with other activities that arose at the last minute and needed immediate attention.
   Don't you just love juggling your day at the last minute?
   Most people do not.
   I left the blog yesterday saying that I hoped your day ran smoothly. I forgot to ask that for my own day!
   However, that is what our days on earth are all about. Many things come our way that demand attention on our part. We can choose to meet those demands head on or we can try to avoid them. We have all learned, however, that avoidance just involves a bigger mess somewhere down the road. If we are going to get anywhere in life, we need to be able to take care of things as they arise.
   It is the same in our faith life. We find ourselves, often, looking at a predictable day, a predictable time in our faith life and then something comes along that challenges us. If we meet that challenge, we find that our faith life deepens and helps us to grow.
   Being the flawed humans that we are, we do not like to meet those challenges, though, because they cause us to change and no one likes change.
   However, if we are honest with ourselves, we would have to admit that we like where that change leads us -- to a deeper relationship with our Lord.
   So, here's to another day. It is filled with plans. Those plans may get met. Those plans may need to be changed or canceled. We will not know until they are here. How much more fun can a person have than that?!
   As I said yesterday, I hope your day runs smoothly!

   This is "one of those days." You know, the kind of day that you look at the day before and say to yourself, "I wish I could skip over tomorrow."
   Not because of anything bad. It is just going to be busy -- ALL day.
   At least I get a little bit later start. I have the 8:30 a.m. Mass instead of the 6:30 a.m. Mass. I am looking forward to the Mass. It is an all-school Mass and is the first one that I have with the students since their return from Christmas break. I was on vacation when they returned to school. I always miss them when I am away. Yesterday there was no school because of the holiday, so this is my first opportunity to see them in school since Christmas.
   After Mass, I have several appointments both at the parish and away from the parish. Lots of driving time as well as office time. Sprinkle a wake service in there for tomorrow's funeral and then follow it up this evening with R.C.I.A. and you can call it a full day.
   But at least these are the kinds of days that make you feel as if you are doing something. (Notice, I did not say "accomplishing" anything, I just said "doing." )
   Hopefully your day will go smoothly. Whether busy or not, remember that God is in your day, in each and every moment of your day, so there is never any reason to fear what is ahead of us. He will be there to meet us!

   This morning, after the 10:00 a.m. Morning Prayer for the Dead, we will be celebrating the Funeral Mass for Msgr. Michael J. Tomaszewski, who has been retired now for several years.
   Msgr. Michael J. Tomaszewski, 82, 2605 Hermione Dr., Long Beach, Indiana, passed away Saturday, January 9, 2010 at 3:50pm in his home.
   He was born July 16, 1927 in Gary, Indiana to the late Michael & Valeria (Mikos) Tomaszewski.
   Surviving are Sister, Eleanor Gray of Coldwater, MI; and several nieces and nephew survive.
   Msgr. Michael J. Tomaszewski graduated from St. Meinrad, St. Meinrad, Indiana and was ordained on May 31, 1958 at Holy Angels Cathedral, Gary, Indiana. He served the parishes of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Laporte, IN, St. Stanislaus Catholic Church, East Chicago, IN, Holy Rosary, Gary, IN, St. Joseph Catholic Church, East Chicago, IN, St. Adalbert, Whiting, and retired from St. Stanislaus Catholic Church, Michigan City. He served on various appointments with the Diocese of Gary to include the Diocesan Tribunal.
   In this day and age where so few people pursue the vocation of priest, kindly pray for the repose of the soul of this retired priest. Kindly pray, as well, for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

   The Gospel passage at Mass today is one of my favorites: The Wedding Feast of Cana. In it, we see several things taking place.
1. Mary is invited to a wedding party.
2. Jesus is also invited under separate invitation.
3. Jesus is beginning to attract followers and some of them accompany Him to the party.
   At the occasion, they run out of wine.
   We may not think much of that. However, to run out of wine at a wedding fest is a major social faux pas. It is an insult to guests. It is not being hospitable, a grave social sin.
   Mary wants to help rectify the situation and she knows just the person that can do it: her Son.
   Jesus, on the other hand, does not immediately think much of Mary's suggestion. "Woman, how does this concern of yours affect me? It is not my time."
   Perhaps the good, devout, loving, holy mother saw something in her Son that the very human Jesus did not see. She instructed the waiters to do whatever her Son said. Jesus, perhaps rethinking the request, instructed them to fill jars with water and the rest, as we know, is history!
   Would this have been the first "sign" in the Gospel of John, the first recorded miracle of Jesus, if Mary did not intervene? We will never know.
   We do know that Mary did, indeed, do some intervening and, perhaps, prodded, her Son into believing that it was His time.
   There are times that we know our family members or friends better than they know themselves.
   Today, reach out to someone who may not believe in themselves and encourage them to do what you know is possible for them to accomplish. What a great feeling it is to be able to reach out to those in need.
   The needy are not always "out there" somewhere. Sometime they are right next to us. Encourage someone today!