My Daily Musing

   Perhaps even literally.
   Today is going to be the "calm before the storm" not only in terms of the weather out there but also in terms of everything picking up.
   Tomorrow, the first day of May, is First Communion for our parish school children. Then, in the afternoon, I have the first of this year's weddings. And it only gets busier from there!
   There will be another couple of weddings in May and another First Communion (for our Religious Education students) as well as Honors Days, Baccalaureate Mass, Graduation, end of school excitement, et cetera, et cetera.
   That just preps us for the following month, June, when school closes for the summer and the parish grounds gear up for the end-of-the-month festival and I gear up for the end-of-the-month pilgrimage to Oberammergau, Germany for the Passion Play.
   These days are going to be quite hectic and I am going to have to do what our Holy Father encouraged just a couple of days ago for his priests: ground myself in God. I will need to remember to make time to visit the Blessed Sacrament, to do religious reading, and the like.
   Come to think of it, that's not a bad idea for all of you as well!
   And remember that tomorrow also begins the month of Mary. Polish up your rosary (or find it, at least!) and get ready to spend some time with the Mother of our Lord.
   God's peace be with you this day.

   Eye appointment yesterday morning.
   Blood pressure was 123/80.
   Eye pressure was 16 in each eye (great score)
   No diabetic changes to the retina.
   Doctor was very happy with me.
   I'm very happy, too.
   Again, as I said yesterday, "Here's looking at you!"

   There's something very juvenile that happens to me when I go to my eye doctor for my once-a-year visual field test. I turn into a Disney fanatic. They put the eye patch on me so that I can only use one eye and I cannot help but sing "A Pirate's Life For Me."
   They know it's coming and I think they laugh just to make me feel better.
   This morning, after my 6:30 a.m. Mass, I'll be on my way to see my eye specialist. Usually it is for my every three month glaucoma exam. However, today, it is for the "full meal deal." I will begin with the visual field test. Then I will have my eyes totally dilated so that she can look inside and make sure everything is all right.
   I will then spend an hour or so seeing things in a fuzzy fashion as I wait for my eyesight to come back. When it does, I am on my way to a day off and I intend to head out of town -- as soon as I can see the traffic!
   It certainly is much easier than in the past.
   I remember being dilated and waiting for several hours before being able to see things sharply again. The medications that they use nowadays dilate you much quicker and also return your eyes to normal much quicker. Thank the Lord for that.
   Well, that is about that for this morning.
   Here's looking at you!

   This past weekend I was at the Marriott East in Indianapolis at the annual Indiana Knights of Columbus convention. That was my last official function as state chaplain of the Knights. While I officially have a couple more months to my term (it ends June 30th), in all actuality, I am pretty much finished with my responsibilities to the state.
   As I come closer to finishing that two year term, I ask myself the question, "What's next?"
   After all, each ending has a new beginning.
   Life is like that. Whenever we finish one responsibility, something else always seems to come our way.
   That is why I never get too comfortable and say to myself, "Well, now you get to do a whole lot of nothing. Relax!"
   Life does not happen that way.
   Because of that, I am beginning to look ahead. I wonder where the next steps of my life will lead. What new "job" awaits me? What new responsibility will be expected of me? What new avenue will I find myself walking?
   It can be a bit disconcerting but in another sense it is rather exciting.
   That is the attitude I take with life.
   That is the attitude, I believe, we should all take especially when it comes to eternal life.
   For, one day, each of us will come to an ending here on earth. When that happens, a new life opens up to us. A new avenue. A new and eternal time with our Lord in His Kingdom. We celebrate that in a special way each day of the Easter season.
   And so I say to you: Look ahead! Ask your Lord "what's next?" and be ready when He responds. It may be a next responsibility for you here on earth or it may be that final call when He invites you to eternity. Whatever the case, we must be ready to hear Him so that we may respond appropriately.
   May this day be a good one for you as you wait for that next call from the Lord?
   As for me, I'll not be surprised to hear my phone ring and hear a voice say, "Now that you do not have to spend as much time with the Knights, I have something I want you to do..."

Isn't that what we want to shout at people who call us to solicit us for all sorts of things?

There has been a National Do Not Call List established for several years now and if companies violate that list, sanctions can be brought against them.

NOW, there is a Do Not Call List for cell phones as well.

Cell-phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies, and people may begin to receive sales calls. To prevent this, call (888) 382-1222 from your cell phone. Doing so places a block on your cell phone number for five years.

   Last Friday afternoon I had a few hours free time from our organizational meeting Friday morning (which ended around 11:30 p.m.) until the beginning of our convention at 3:00 p.m.
   My usually Friday lunch thing to do at the convention hotel on that Friday is to walk next door to the Subway and get a $5 sub. However, Friday it was raining and I didn't want to go out in the rain.
   So I did the next best thing: I ordered in. I ordered a Chinese lunch.
   And it was meant to be!
   For there, at the end of my lunch, as I cracked open the fortune cookie, I read the following:

He who waits
to do a great deal of good
all at once,
will never do anything.

   And therein lies the greatness of the Knights of Columbus.
   They will never have to worry about doing nothing because they never hesitate. When they see a need, they do all that they can to fill that need immediately.
   They do not put off to next week, next month, next year. They accomplish it now.
   I am proud of the time that I was able to spend with the Knights of Columbus in the state of Indiana these past two years as their state chaplain. They showed me, even more, what a hard-working organization the Knights of Columbus truly is, not just on a local level, but on a state and national level as well.
   They sure are doing their founder, the Venerable Rev. Michael J McGivney proud. Vivat Jesus!

Sorry for some of the "recycled" stuff the past few days. The Knights of Columbus convention has kept me very busy. Here is another old favorite of mine:

I've learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.

I've learned that no matter how much I care, some people just don't care back

I've learned that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.

I've learned that it's not what you have in your life, but who you have in your life that counts.

I've learned that you can get by on charm for about 15 minutes. After that, you'd better know something.

I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do, but to the best you can do.

I've learned that it's not what happens to people that's important. It's what they do about it.

I've learned that no matter how thin you slice it, there are always two sides.

I've learned that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I've learned that it's a lot easier to react than it is to think.

I've learned that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I've learned that you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I've learned that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I've learned that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I've learned that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I've learned that learning to forgive takes practice.

I've learned that there are people who love you dearly, but just don't know how to show it.

I've learned that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I've learned that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I've learned that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I've learned that I'm getting more and more like my grandma, and I'm kinda happy about it.

I've learned that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I've learned that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I've learned that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

I've learned that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've
celebrated.

I've learned that you should never tell a child her dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if she believed it

I've learned that your family won't always be there for you. It may seem funny, but people you aren't related to can take care of you and love you and teach you to
trust people again. Families aren't biological.

I've learned that no matter how good a friend someone is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I've learned that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I've learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I've learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I've learned that sometimes when my friends fight, I'm forced to choose sides even when I don't want to.

I've learned that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

I've learned that sometimes you have to put the individual ahead of their actions.

I've learned that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I've learned that if you don't want to forget something, stick it in your underwear drawer.

I've learned that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I've learned that the clothes I like best are the ones with the most holes in them.

I've learned that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I've learned that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.

I've learned that there are many ways of falling and staying in love.

I've learned that no matter the consequences, those who are honest with themselves, get farther in life.

I've learned that many things can be powered by the mind, the trick is self-control.

I've learned that no matter how many friends you have, if you are their pillar, you will feel lonely and lost at the times you need them most.

I've learned that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I've learned that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I've learned that writing, as well as talking, can ease emotional pains.

I've learned that the paradigm we live in is not all that is offered to us.

I've learned that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I've learned that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon.

I've learned that although the word "love" can have many different meaning, it loses value when overly used.

I've learned that it's hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people's feelings and standing up for what you believe.

~Author Unknown

   As you got up this morning, I watched you and hoped you would talk to me, even if it was just a few words, asking my opinion or thanking me for something good that happened in your life yesterday - but I noticed you were to busy trying to find the right outfit to put on and wear to work.
   I waited again. When you ran around the house getting ready I knew there would be a few minutes for you to stop and say hello, but you were too busy.
   At one point you had to wait fifteen minutes with nothing to do except sit in a chair.
   Then I saw you spring to your feet.
   I thought you wanted to talk to me but you ran to the phone and called a friend to get the latest gossip.
   I watched as you went to work and I waited patiently all day long.
   With all your activities I guess you were too busy to say anything to me.
   I noticed that before lunch you looked around, maybe you felt embarrassed to talk to me, that is why you didn't bow your head. You glanced three or four tables over and you noticed some of your friends talking to me briefly before they ate, but you didn't.
   That's okay.
   There is still more time left, and I have hope that you will talk to me yet you went home and it seems as if you had lots of things to do. After a few of them were done you turned on the TV, don't know if you like TV or not, just about anything goes there & you spent a lot of time each day in front of it, not thinking about anything - just enjoying the show.
   I waited patiently again as you watched the TV and ate your meal but again you didn't talk to me.
   Bedtime I guess you felt too tired. After you said goodnight to your family you plopped into bed and fell asleep in no time.
   That's okay because you may not realize that I am always there for you.
   I've got patience more than you will ever know.
   I even want to teach you how to be patient with others as well. I love you so much that I wait everyday for a nod, prayer or thought or a thankful part of your heart.
   It is hard to have a one-sided conversation.
   Well you are getting up again and once again I will wait with nothing but love for you hoping that today you will give me some time.
   Have a nice day!
   Your friend,
   GOD

   Yesterday was a great day for me. I slept in, I mean really slept. I went to bed the night before without setting my alarm and hoping for a good night's sleep. I slept until 8:30 a.m. Now, mind you, that's 7:30 a.m. back home. But for me, that is like sleeping until afternoon.
   And it felt soooooo good!
   After getting up, I went to the hotel restaurant for breakfast, came back to the hotel and read a book, watched some television, and took a nap. Yeow.
   Then I began to get myself ready for our officers' meetings and the convention in general. I thought about purpose and goals and remembered coming across something on the internet several years ago. It was written by Jason Lehman, a fourteen year old at the time. I really think he had a lot to say and I share that with you here:

It was spring, but it was summer I wanted.
The warm days and the great outdoors.

It was summer, but it was fall I wanted.
The colorful leaves and the cool, dry air.

It was fall, but it was winter I wanted.
The beautiful snow and the joy of the holiday season.

It was winter, but it was spring I wanted.
The warmth and the blossoming of nature.

I was a child, but it was adulthood I wanted.
The freedom and the respect.

I was 20, but it was 30 I wanted.
To be mature and sophisticated.

I was middle-aged, but it was 20 I wanted.
The youth and the free spirit.

I was retired, but it was middle age that I wanted.
The presence of mind without limitations.

My life was over, but I never got what I wanted.

   The biggest moral of that poem is that we never take the time to recognize what we have. We spend too much time looking ahead or complaining about the past. In doing so, we miss what is right in our midst.
   God has given us so much. It is up to us to open our eyes and realize that He has blessed us, He is blessing us, and He will continue to bless us in our lives.

Imagine praying and hearing this:
Thank you for calling My Father's house....

Please select one of the following four options:
Press 1 for requests.
Press 2 for thanksgiving.
Press 3 for complaints.
For all other inquiries, press 4.

What if God used the familiar excuse: All of the angels are helping other customers right now.
Please stay on the line. Your call will be answered in the order it was received.
Can you imagine getting these kinds of responses as you call on God in prayer?

If you'd like to speak with Gabriel, press 1.
For Michael, press 2.
For any other angel, press 3.
If you'd like King David to sing a psalm for you, press 6.
To find out if your relative is here, enter his/her date of death and listen for the list that follows.

For reservations at My Father's House, simply press the letters J-O-H-N, followed by the number 3-16

For answers to nagging questions about dinosaurs, the age of the earth and where Noah's ark is, wait until you get here!
Our computers show that you have called once today already. Please hang up immediately.

This office is closed for the weekend. Please call again Monday.

   This is another one of those things that make the rounds on the web. Each time I see it, I get a real chuckle. Since I need a laugh today, I thought I would share it with you as well:

Working people frequently ask us retired people what we do to make our days interesting.

For example, the other day I went into town to a shop. I was there for about 5 minutes. When I came out there was a cop writing out a parking ticket.

I went up to him and said, "Come on son, how about giving a senior a break?"

He ignored me and continued writing the ticket. I called him a jerk.

He glared at me and started writing another ticket for having worn tires. So I called him a piece of dog crap.

He finished the 2nd ticket and put it on the windshield with the first. Then he started writing a third ticket.

This went on for about 20 minutes and six tickets. The more I abused him, the more tickets he wrote.

Personally, I didn't give a darn. I came into town by bus. I try to have a little fun each day now that I'm retired. It's important at our age.

Have a good day today . . . and, smile!

   A few years ago, we had a series of three Christmases when sex abuse allegations were made against priests of our diocese (the Diocese of Gary in Indiana). As you can well imagine, allegations against a priest at any time are devastating for our people to hear and they sure do not do anything good for our priests' morale.
   This morning, the newspapers are carrying yet another story about another one of our priests from Michigan City. You can read the story here.
   One of the comments I have heard from some people the past couple of days is, "Nineteen years?! Someone waits nineteen years to 'come forward' with an allegation?! It's probably just someone who wants to get some money from the diocese or from a lawsuit."
   I really wish that were the case.
   However, from my own past when I was an intern in a psych hospital I can tell you, from working with abused teens and young adults, that many people do not come forward until later in their lives because they have been so devastated and do not know how to handle what has happened to them. They often feel an initial sense of shame and blame. Perhaps it was really them that "caused" or "asked for" the abuse? That is the preliminary thought that goes through many an abused person's mind.
   After years of living with their conflicting thoughts and feelings, they finally have the strength and courage to face what had happened and they come forward.
   By this, I am not saying that I know for absolutely certain that the allegations against our fellow priest are true or not.
   What I am saying with absolute certainty is that I know there are many people "out there" who have been abused when they were younger and who have not yet done anything to deal with the abuse because their feelings are so confused and chaotic that they do not know where to begin.
   You begin by getting it out. If you are one of the many who have ever been abused by someone in the past and who have never dealt with it yet, I encourage you to do so. Find the courage to go to someone -- a good friend, a counselor, a therapist -- and begin the healing process. One thing is for certain, if a person keeps those feelings stuffed inside himself or herself, there can be no healing as many things remind them of what happened to them earlier in their lives.
   Please join me in praying for all who have been abused, that they find the help and healing that they not only need but also deserve. Please join me, as well, in praying for all who perpetrate abuse, that they may stop what they are doing and get help for themselves.
   And, if you have it in your heart, please pray for the priests of the Diocese of Gary as we deal with our own feelings regarding this new allegation against one of our own. We definitely need some strength and grace and peace this day.

   A company feeling it was time for a shakeup hired a new CEO. This new boss was determined to rid the company of all slackers.
   On a tour of the facilities, the CEO noticed a young man leaning against a wall. The room was full of workers and he wanted to let them know he meant business.
   The CEO walked up to the young man and asked, "And how much money do you make a week?"
   A little surprised, the young fellow looked at him and replied, "I make $300.00 a week. Why?"
   The CEO then handed the guy $1,200 in cash and screamed, "Here's four weeks' pay, now GET OUT and don't come back!"
   Feeling pretty good about his first firing, the CEO looked around the room and asked, "Does anyone want to tell me what that goof-off did here?"
   With a sheepish grin, one of the other workers muttered, "He's the pizza delivery guy from Domino's."
   There are so many times in our lives that we take in a situation and come to the wrong conclusion. From the time we were very young, we have heard morals such as "haste makes waste" yet we often "break the rule" and hastily come to a conclusion. A hasty conclusion is generally a wrong one.
   The apostles, in today's gospel, appeared to come to the conclusion that, since Jesus was gone, it would be all right to go back to their old way of living. Peter and company were, before being called, professional fishermen. That was what they decided to go back and do. Catching nothing all night, they bring their boats back in order to return to shore and it was "deja vu all over again" when they see the Lord standing on the shore, although they did not recognize Him.
   The encounter left them no doubt, though, that it was, indeed, Jesus.
   How many times do we feel as if the Lord is not here and we are going to have to deal with what life is throwing at us on our own?
   That, dear friends, is a hasty conclusion and is oh so wrong.
   God never leaves us alone. He is always there for us if we just open our eyes and hearts and see Him.
   May we come to recognize that God at our side today!

   An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.
   The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials.
   It was an unfortunate way to end his career. When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "my gift to you."
   What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.
   So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to do less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized that we would have done it differently.
   Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely.