Never Give Up

I’m not giving up on Christ’s church.  Sure there is bad stuff going on in the church…it’s a church full of sinners. Maybe that’s why I feel at home there.  But really!  The Catholic Church has had some really bad people, bad popes and bad priests in it over the years. Even from the get go…8.3 % of the Apostles, who were hand picked by Jesus Christ, turned out to be bad apples.  Eight point three percent…that’s one twelfth, Judas, turned out to be a bad apple.  And the others...they did not start out as saints.   

There are a lot of good people out there.  When you do the math it leaves 91.7% of them are on the good side...but they don't make the headlines. 

So I’m in it for the long haul…I’m all in.

“As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”  Joshua 24:15

Waiting To Die

Yesterday, Fr. Pat’s homily was a pungent reminder of an obvious but much ignored reality.  He spoke of visiting the nursing home where the residents all had the same blank stare…that “waiting to die” stare…and he reminded us that we are all waiting to die; but we distract ourselves from thinking about dying with the amusements of this world. 

After nearly 75 years of avoiding this truth…I now find it harder and harder to distract myself with those thoughts.  The older I get the less interested I am in the things of this world…fast cars, motorcycles or airplanes…work, hobbies or vacations.  It no longer concerns me about what’s around the next curve, what’s over the next hill or what’s beyond the next cloud.  It has become more difficult to get excited about stuff and I spend more and more time thinking about the “Hereafter”…thinking about what I am doing or…more to the point…about what I am not doing to prepare for this up coming reality.   I worry about that quote from Matthew chapter 16.  “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

I’m OK with the “follow me” part…but the “take up my cross” part…I am having trouble with.

I find myself just floating along enjoying all my many blessings…for which I am very thankful…but I am not really doing much to push the envelope.  I’m not sticking my neck out, not doing much to evangelize; I’m not being bold like the apostles.  I need to be all in.  My fear is that I’m lukewarm…and we all know what that means.

Dear Lord Jesus

Dare I pray you change my way

“Tail me up” as they say

Give me the boost I will obey

I need a push before judgment day.

Amen.

Owen Family Reunion (July4-6/2019)

Returning from my wife’s family reunion I navigated the crowded highways back home and mused over the events of the past several days. It was a wonderful few days with Mary’s relatives even with my lack of social skills I am always made to feel like part of the family.  

At past reunions I recall listening to my in-laws tell story after hilarious story and laughing so hard and so long my sides would hurt for days.

But this reunion was different.  It seems all the best storytellers have either passed away or have failing memories, faulty hearing and walking canes. 

The best storyteller of all was missing…my beloved mother in law…affectionately known as “Big Red”.  May she rest in peace.  Now, my generation has entered the autumn of our lives.

I was a little saddened as I hobbled my way from the car into the house.  It was a stark reminder that my time is limited…but I’m thankful for all the many years of Owen family reunions that I have been so blessed to attend.

May Our Lord, Jesus Christ, watch over the Owen family and all their children and children’s children for generations to come.

Amen.

P.S: Now, I'm told that the younger crowd stayed up late telling stories and laughing while I was fast asleep.  Apparently, I am officially old.