Lent 2018

        My last post was at the beginning of the great period of Lent.  And now we find ourselves at the closure of that time of renewal and repentance.   Forty days have flown by, and opportunities have been embraced and some have been missed.

     My own Lenten journey, my first in retirement, was not what I had hoped for.  There were successes and failures in my efforts in making this a good Lent.  My repentance of my sins includes laziness, acceptance of the ordinary, and the missed opportunities that these last forty days could have afforded.

     I am reassured that my relationship with the Lord is as strong as ever (always with the need of improvement).   My prayer life is good, my love of the Lord and of his Church is rich, and my desire to serve him is as strong as ever.  Where I have failed is in my responsibilities to others and in the ministries that I have been called to through ordination.

     One of those responsibilities is the gift of Journey Thoughts, which I have often thought of but have not been faithful toward.  I must confess a bit of laziness here.  I cannot afford to lose my commitment to this ministry.   The other responsibility that I have taken a "leave of absence" from during these winter months is my newer ministry of sharing on our local Catholic radio station - WAOB - "We Are One Body" - a weekly hour long "lectio divina" reflection on the Scriptures.  I plan on returning to this effort in April.  I really enjoy sharing these reflections, and as I probably have shared with you before, I have been told that I have not only the voice for, but the face for radio.

     I have kept busy worshiping on weekends with either the Church of Saint Paul or Our Lady of Grace, both in Greensburg.  It is good to keep a parish connection.  I visited a few Fish Dinners at the former parish of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton on Fridays during Lent.  I helped with confessions at our Diocesan Men's Conference and last Saturday at a Day of Recollection at Saint Emma's Retreat Center.  I shared Mass on campus here at the Bishop Connare Center as part of a Diocesan Lenten Saturday devotional.  I had the honor of celebrating Eucharist and leading a Morning of Reflection for the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill at their Motherhouse at Caritas Christi - a truly blessed experience.  During this time I attended as a board member a marathon Board of Directors meeting for Saint Anne Home in Greensburg.

     Time has gone quickly.  We now come to the end of Lent and stand on the threshold of the Paschal Triduum.  Tomorrow morning I will gather at our Cathedral with the people, priests and our bishop to celebrate the Chrism Mass, always a moving experience.  Later that day, our small community of retired men here at the Neumann House will celebrate priesthood with the Mass of the Lord's Supper, a social, and what we call a "festive dinner".

     It is good to be in touch again, and I pray that your Lenten Journey was great, and that your celebration of the Triduum lead you to truly rejoice this Easter.