Monday Message, February 21, 2022
KNOW
Happy Presidents’ Day. I hope you get a day off and use it wisely.
We have a parish leader check-in tomorrow. Debbie Charles will join us for a brief discussion about Confirmation in the fall and some new policies that will be in place.
Then, at our next check-in, March 8, 2022, Anne McCrory will join us for a conversation about legal issues, record retention, etc. Don’t miss either of these opportunities to hear some great information.
This week we also have our next iteration of our gender identity conversations, this time with Fr. Charles Caccavale. Let Carmela know if you are attending.
Fr. Charles’ presentation will focus on developing a deeper understanding of the church’s teaching on Christian anthropology and how we make moral judgements. The goal is to offer us the tools that we will need as we move towards an authentic pastoral response towards gender identity issues that respects both the dignity of each person and their ultimate good expressed through the Church’s teachings.
The good folks at St. Mary in Ridgefield want me to remind you about the Made for More event.
Looking ahead, the Quarterly Gathering scheduled for March 17th will be cancelled so that we can all support and enjoy the BRED event, a Lenten Day of Reflection for all parish catechetical leaders on Thursday, March 24, 2022, 9:00 AM until 2:00 PM (lunch included) at St. James Parish Center, Stratford. Betsy Redgate is the facilitator. I will let you know to whom you can respond to indicate you will be attending.
REFLECT
Two of the children and I were talking about the afterlife on our way to faith formation Sunday morning. I’m not sure how the topic came up, but we started to imagine what it would be like if you got to heaven, and you were faced with the number of times you missed an opportunity.
I suggested that it sounded a little bit more like purgatory and then the ideas started flowing.
What if there was a department that told you all the times you actually had a lottery ticket that was a winner?
What if there was a department that kept track of all the times you have been unkind to someone?
What about a department where they kept track of all the money you wasted throughout your lifetime?
What about a guy at the counter who had tracked all the times you missed a chance to be kind (and his assistant that indicated which of those times was intentional)?
Then, down the hallway, there was a department that let you review the footage of all the times you were faced with a choice for good and evil and you had to reflect upon the choice you made.
It was a fun conversation, though some of those departments sound like they belong in hell, and it got me thinking about that voice in our head we call a conscience. I couldn’t help but think about the example I set for others, the missed opportunities, the wasted time, and the chances lost to selfishness.
Perhaps this week, I can keep those fictional purgatorial departments in mind and strive to be a better role model and friend.
LAUGH
