I Blinked

     After my last post, I paused, blinked, and lo and behold, today is the last day of January!  Time flies when you are having fun.  The days speed by as you grow older.  And even though retirement should mean that things slow down a bit, that is not my experience.

     Many people keep busy in their retirment years.  For me, health and mobility issues have curtailed my getting out and being about.  Thank the Lord that I have a great community of brother priests with whom I live and very comfortable surroundings.  Along with my time of prayer, my nook and its endless supply of novels, and the enjoyable passtime of watching tv, I am blessed.

     However, January passed very quickly.

     Every day as I watched the evening news with Lester Holt, I saw the news of the day repeat itself on a regular basis.  Every night there was a new major storm moving from West to East bringing storms and snow and ice ... except to our little section of Southweastern Pennsylvania.  Thank God!  I saw the other day where we are nearly ten inches shy of normal snow fall for our area.

     During January we saw the death of two of the mothers of my priest brothers: Father Andrew Kawecki's Mom, Apolonia Kawecka, who was 92 ...  and Father Joe Bonafed's Mom, Susan, who was 98.  Mrs. Kawecka's life in Poland and here spanned tumultuous time of war and political upheaval with an intense Faith that gave her strength and dignity.  The crucifix that rested upon her casket was a treasured family focal point for prayer that went back 160 years in her family history.  Susan Bonafed and her husband welcomed and raised three wonderful people as loving and caring parents.

     I also saw the death of one of the last cousins of my Dad, Marie Chlebowski of New Castle, who was 99.  She was one of the oldest of the Stachowiak clan.  A gentle, faith filled, hard working woman whose memory is cherished.  Sadly I missed her funeral (see below).
     There were other deaths, for as we get older we face death with more frequency.

     What made January seem to move quickly was my first major cold of the season.  It started on the 22nd as a head cold, got worse with congestion and drainage, saw my voice disappear all together last Monday and only begin to return yesterday.  For the sake of my friends here I have tried to isolate myself and my germs … and I had to get replacement help last Saturday for my gig as a replacement priest myself at Saint Paul Church … and cancel two of my weekly radio programs on WAOB.  No voice and radio just don't gel.

     The other event in January that is always worth noting is the March for Life, held in Washington this year on January 24th.  The Supreme Court decision which the march protests came down on January 22, 1973 - the year I was ordained.  It is always impressive to see the crowds, especially the young people, and to be inspired by their witness to the sanctity of human life.  I watched the entire march on EWTN.  I remember attending years back when I was able to march in the cold, and have great memories of the march and of the vigil Mass at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception … an awesome experience of love and of Church for me as a priest.

     Tomorrow begins February.  We have an extra day this year.  Mom and Dad would have turned 101 and 100 respectively during February.  Lent will begin and life will go on.  God is good!