Detachment

I understand the whole idea of detachment, and I'm a big fan of it, but I've never been good at putting it into action. I've had a lot of plans for downsizing, but until lately I've not put them into practice.

Then my priest was transferred. Watching him that last month, I learned a lot.

His schedule was full. In addition to all the stuff he normally does, he now had to learn about his new parish and meet with our new priest. Along with that, everyone from our rather large parish wanted to meet with him before he left. (In his last weeks I managed two appointments with him myself. When I made the second one I told him I needed a rather large favor, and I knew he was busy. His gracious response was, "I'm not busy.")

He had such limited time to pack. How did he do it?

It helps that he has very few possessions. He has talked about that in the past, and I could see it was true. There was no U-Haul needed for moving; just his sub-compact car and a relative's car. He didn't need days to pack because there just wasn't much to pack.

It reminded me of when I was a college student and could quite literally move in hours.

Since he left, I'm spending time filling boxes and bags. The bags are garbage. Boxes are going to various places, such as the library and charities.

It's been difficult for me. There are memories attached to many of these things. Yet it's worth it. My goal is to have about what I had in college. That was more than enough for me at that time, and it will be again.

Now I have to add a "proud mom" moment. My daughter, at age 18, is also downsizing. I never said a word. It's a decision she made on her own.

What Father did is classic preaching by example. He'll probably never know it, but even his last moments with us counted.

Catholic Joy

If your Catholic faith doesn’t make your life more joyful, you’re doing it wrong.

Now “joy” isn’t the same as happiness, and it is often the opposite of comfort. But Jesus said “I have come that they might have life … and abundantly.”

Quote from a truly great priest.

Priests and Home

Watching my priest, I’ve realized more than ever how much they do for us. I read an online article once about priests, and in the comments section somebody mentioned how much leisure time they have. I couldn’t help but think, “Don’t you know there’s a priest shortage? And do you know what your priest does all day?”

Of course, I don’t know what my priest does all day. But I know enough to make my head spin. In general, he gets up around 5:30 a.m. to spend that first hour in prayer. From there, I won’t even go into all he does. What I can say is that for him to finish his day around 9 p.m. is not uncommon.

He’s the busiest man I know, yet he always, always has time for those in need.

I tend to joke that it’s good that he’s not married. The only time he’d see his family would be if they used the confessional.

Of course, that brings up other things our priests give for us. No wife, no children. Friendships can be difficult. I know a priest who said that he can’t be seen with females or people think he’s having an affair. He can’t be seen with males (at least, not just one male) or people think he’s having an affair. In order not to cause scandal, if he’s seen in public with others it’s with couples, families, or other priests.

Of course, there’s much more I can say about the sacrificial love of a priest. Instead, I’ll tell you the piece I never thought about until we lost our priest.

Our priests regularly give up their homes.

My priest has been with us for 14 years. He has a home, both in his apartment and in his parish family. His love for us is abundantly clear, as a congregation and as individuals. With a congregation of about 2200, he knows each of us individually as much as we will allow it, and he cares for us all.

Now he is in a new church. As difficult as it was for us to say good-bye to him, he had to say good-bye to all of us, go to meet a parish full of new people, and leave his heart vulnerable to loving again and saying good-bye again.

As I’ve watched him over the years, I’ve realized more and more how his whole life revolves around us and doing whatever he can to bring us closer to God. He is a servant in every sense of the word.

God grant that I may learn to serve God as my priest has.

Loss

Our parish lost its priest. His last Mass with us was yesterday. He was transferred to another parish. They have the great good fortune of welcoming him today.

I have learned a great deal from this priest, more than from any other in my lifetime. I could probably write a book from all he has taught me. This is the place I will share my thoughts. I hope it will benefit others. For myself, it will help me remember lessons learned.

This is from someone I follow on Tumbler:


Will anyone please spare two minutes of their day?
I have been struck with very grave news: a little background- a priest I know, Father Richard Bollea is suffering from lymphoma and the cancer now spread to his bone marrow. It will take a miracle for him to live. I don’t ask for much, but I’m asking for all of my followers to reblog and share this with anyone who is willing to set aside 2 minutes to pray to God for his cure. A Tumblr-wide novena (nine day prayer) is what I found, through my own prayer to be the best petition to God possible.

Feel free to say whatever prayers you want; I just beg that you keep praying once a day for the next 9 days for him. This man is the most compassionate, loving, and open-minded priest I know. Next to Jesus Christ, he was my biggest inspiration to enter the seminary. I have a prayer for the intercession of St. Peregrine, which is what I personally will lead:

O great St. Peregrine, you have been called “The Mighty,” “The Wonder-Worker,” because of the numerous miracles which you have obtained from God for those who have had recourse to you.

For so many years you bore in your own flesh this cancerous disease that destroys the very fibre of our being, and who had recourse to the source of all grace when the power of man could do no more. You were favoured with the vision of Jesus coming down from His Cross to heal your affliction. Ask of God and Our Lady, the cure of the sick whom we entrust to you. (Pause here and silently recall the names of the sick for whom you are praying: FATHER RICHARD BOLLEA:

Aided in this way by your powerful intercession, we shall sing to God, now and for all eternity, a song of gratitude for His great goodness and mercy. Amen.

Thank you! I will be continuing to update you. 9 days of prayer, two minutes is all I’m begging for. God bless you all!

Priestly Courage

We're losing our priest. As of July 1 he's assigned a different parish. I hear our new one is a good man, and I'm sure he is, but the one we are losing is one-of-a-kind. Many in our parish are grieving.

He is as well. He's been with us for 14 years. He's come to know us and care for us, as a whole and as individuals. I've heard about some comments he's made regarding how difficult this is, and I've seen him choke up about it. Yet he's mostly trying to smile and joke around with us, trying to make it as easy as possible on his parishioners.

I find this to be an incredibly difficult farewell.

I've been watching my priest grieve, and it just brings to light one more thing that makes being a priest so very difficult. When he leaves, he doesn't move with family and friends. He moves alone. He starts all over again with a new parish, new faces, while missing us.

This has got to be so very difficult. It makes me appreciate even more what these men give up to serve God in the priesthood. I don't see how they have the courage to do that.

I'm just writing this to process and to say thank you to all of our priests.

Life After The Womb

This is a great article from the Witherspoon Institute laying to rest the claim that Pro-Lifers only care about life in the womb and not beyond.

The Lazy Slander of the Pro-Life Cause