I love that new year smell

Thank goodness 2009 is here. It's just a relief to have 2008 behind me and the promise of a new year before me.

I've been thinking about resolutions -- I prefer to think of them as goals instead of resolutions. "Resolutions" sounds so absolute! One of the simplest goals this year will be for me to finally see Chuck Berry perform live. Although he is probably a pervert, he is a rock and roll legend who regularly performs live right here in St. Louis, so it would be a shame if I didn't see him.

Another goal I have is to get back into riding centuries this year (100-mile bike rides). I didn't do any centuries in 2008, but did 3 of them in 2007.

I will also continue working towards the home organization/cleanout efforts I started last year and continue keeping in touch with friends/family.

I've also been teaching myself new things in the kitchen. I have been moving into making yeast breads in 2008 so I want to expand on that this year. This week I made my first ever homemade pizza dough and baked it on the pizza stone I received for Christmas. Today we're expanding on those efforts and making calzones. The major baking goal for 2009 is to make my own pie crust instead of using the store-bought stuff.

Professionally speaking, of course the first priority in this economy is just to hang on to a job. Beyond that, I just hope to continue growing and always learning at my workplace.

Finally, I will continue to keep God at the center of my life.

May God bless you and have a happy and healthy new year.

A Quick Note

Just a quick jot today. Christmas was very good this year. We enjoyed the company of nearly 30 people on Christmas Eve and I was very glad that more of my side of the family came to visit this year. It was nice to have a great big house full of people and kids, all sharing the Christmas spirit together. God is great.

I am off work right now -- won't return until January 5. I am using the time to get the house cleaned up, things put away, and to do some household organizing/cleanout.

More later!

Weekend's Here!

Am glad it's the weekend! Our new patio is in and solid. I got a delivery of firewood today, and the step-kids and I are planning on having a little hot dog roast tomorrow evening.

Thanksgiving is almost here and I am looking forward to hosting my friends and family. I thank God for my employment and my husband's employment. We are very blessed and fortunate.

I'm also keeping in mind those who are in a less fortunate position, especially considering this really rough economy. Tomorrow the boy scouts come back for their Scouting for Food pickup. At church, we have a "giving tree," so I grabbed a leaf and picked up a couple off items for that. Sunday, there's an event called Cranksgiving that, weather permitting, I'll also participate in. It's organized by St. Louis BicycleWORKS. It's a food drive done by bicycle with the proceeds going to Food Outreach. I especially like this last event because it's a way to give back and get some much-needed exercise on my bike!

Quick Update

Gosh I can't believe it has been since last month since I've updated my blog. I think I'll just have to at least make a habit of updating it, if only in short posts, at least once a week or so.

Short version of what has happened in the last few weeks is we have been doing some work on the house in the last few weeks. The latest is we just had a patio extension poured this week and it looks pretty good. Next project will likely be installing some exterior lighting around the patio and doing a little backfilling around the patio since there is one corner in particular that has quite a step down to the lawn. Next Spring, we'll be doing some plantings at the edge of the back yard and some other beautification in the back yard.

Last weekend, we were a host house for our parish's version of the Amazing Race. There were 32 teams who competed in a number of mind-bending and physical challenges that all had to be completed within a certain time-frame. 16 of the teams went through our house -- it was a lot of fun hosting and the teams were put to test at our home.

I've also spent time getting ready for the holidays, coming quickly around the corner. I picked up the turkey last week and only have a couple more things to purchase for the Thanksgiving menu. Meanwhile, I've also been doing some Christmas gift shopping. I'm about 90% complete with my Christmas shopping, so I am well ahead of the game there.

Other than that, life is pretty good. I am very grateful for my home, my health, my hubby, my cats, and my employment. I am praying for those who are seeking employment and hopeful that the economy will recover in the next year or so.

Fun Stuff

I haven't posted any pics in a while. I've had the fortune of traveling to Chicago a few times this summer for business. I finally took my point 'n shoot camera with me last time and snapped some pics. I just love that Cloud Gate sculpture.

This is the view from the 28th floor of my Chicago office building looking towards Lake Michigan:

This is looking up at my building. It's the one on the left with the pediments at the top--it's a 50-storey building.

One of the neat things about that building is that you can see it a number of times in the background of several shots in The Dark Knight. The Wayne Industries building is, I believe, the IBM Plaza Building, which is located at 330 N. Wabash.

This is an exterior shot of St. Peters in the Loop. I left enough people in so you can get a sense of the scale of the crucifix on the exterior.

and another:

From Chicago Pics

All for now -- more later.

Martha, Martha, Martha!

OK I know it's supposed to be Marsha, Marsha, Marsha, as in Brady, but today is Martha's feast day!

I love the stories about Martha because she's so real and yet she's a saint! Her stories have examples of human nature that, despite the passage of 2,000 years, are still as relevant as ever! Today's Gospel reading from John (11:19-27) puts on display Martha's grief about her brother's death and frustration with Jesus for not having been there when Lazarus was sick. It's the appeal that we all make to God at one time or another: "Where were you?!"

Naturally, the majority of the focus regarding this story is put on Jesus' miracle when he restores Lazarus to life. Certainly, this is one of the most amazing stories in the entire New Testament. In addition, however, I think one of the most important lessons to remember from this story is that Martha's angst and later in the story, Mary's tears, are seen and heard by Jesus and he is moved with compassion for them and by his own love for his friend Lazarus. Jesus has that same love for each of us and he is there for us too -- perhaps not at the time we expect him, but he will be there.

Getting by with a little help

Went for a ride today in Illinois. I had planned to do 65 miles, but 17 miles into the ride, my front tire blew. So I set about the business of replacing the blown tube with my spare.

First, I inspected the tire to find the culprit -- it all came down to a tiny piece of glass about 1 - 2 mm in diameter. It had gotten lodged in the tire and had worked its way through the tire until it finally punctured the inner tube.

Next, I got the tire pulled away from the rim with my tire lever and removed the blown tube. About that time, a family in a minivan happened by and asked if I needed help. They even offered to put me and my bike in their van and take me back to Coffeen, a town I had passed through about two miles back. A little unsure as to whether I would need help or not, but also not wanting to delay them since I guessed by the way they were dressed they were on their way to church, I said I should be OK and if I need help I would catch a ride with someone else. They said OK and drove away.

I pulled out the replacement tube and blew a little air into it to give it some structure so it would be easier to install it between the rim and tire. I was working on threading the stem into the hole in the wheel's rim and about that time, the same family pulled up, coming back from Coffeen (I think they must have gone into town to get some gas). They asked again if I wanted help and this time, I accepted their offer -- the last time I put a tube in between the tire and the rim, I ended up tearing the tube!

So with their help we got the tube in, aired it up as best as we could with my mini pump, and parted ways. I told them thanks and God bless them. What a great show of kindness from strangers. I turned around and headed back to the start point for a total of 35 miles.

A snippet from today's reading from Romans comes to mind:

The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we ought,
but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.

Indeed, the Spirit was looking out for me today!

The Journey

My job is taking me to Chicago a couple of days each week for the next few weeks, so I have less time to blog, which is a shame because there's lots to talk about every time I come back from a trip. I wanted to be sure to relate this story, though.

At the hotel where I usually stay, they have a little happy hour every evening with free drinks and appetizers. It's a wonderful place to meet other travelers and hear their stories, the drinks are tasty, and the food makes a light evening repast. Tuesday night, I popped in for a drink and the place was pretty full. I spied a bar height table with two empty chairs and, weary from a day that started at 3:30 AM, plopped down with my drink, my plate, and my book. In a couple of minutes, another woman carrying a book -- a stranger -- turned up to the table and asked if the spare seat was taken. I welcomed her to join me. Sharon looked to be in her mid-40's.

Naturally, we started talking about our respective books. Mine happened to be Thomas Merton, which then lead us to talk about our religious backgrounds. She said she is Jewish and when she was a child, she lived on a block with some children who attended a nearby Catholic parish/school. Unfortunately, these children were not very kind to her. When she was three years old, she had blonde curly hair; she told me how one of the boys took her inside his house and cut off all her hair. When she asked why he did it, he said it was because "Jews aren't supposed to have blonde curly hair." On other occasions, some of the Catholic kids on the block would ask her to lift her top so they could see her belly button. When she asked why, the children would say "Sister told us Jews' belly buttons are black." Oh my!

I was moved with compassion for Sharon after she told me of the unkindnesses she endured in these (and probably many more untold) unfortunate situations. I immediately felt compelled to apologize and I told her I was sorry that she had to go through those things. With a gentle wave of her hand, she dismissed my apology as unnecessary since, after all, I hadn't done those things to her and for that matter, I wasn't even a Catholic until two years ago. Just then, Sharon's co-worker Nathan appeared, and in an instant, our conversation took a completely different turn.

My point here isn't to toot my own horn, but rather to draw attention to the journey that brought Sharon and I together that evening. What a coincidence -- surely God had a hand in it! I was only in Chicago for one night while she just happened to be staying there while attending a conference for work. While the simple apology I gave surely isn't enough to compensate Sharon for the harassment she experienced, I hope it helps take away some of the hurt or perhaps disenchantment that she must carry with her, considering that she could still vividly recall these events from 40 years ago.

So many opportunities are presented to us every day to show love to others, whether to someone as familiar as a brother or to a perfect stranger. It is up to us to be attentive for God's gentle urgings in our consciences and heed them.

My Pastor, My Friend

This weekend is the last time Fr. Chuck Barthel will say Mass at my parish as pastor. He's a wonderful priest and lovely person in so many ways. Our parish has become very attached to him and we will miss him.

Fr. Chuck was pastor when I converted to Catholicism. Not only was he presider at that Mass on Easter Vigil 2006, but he is also my first and only pastor ever! So, it will be a new experience for me to adapt to a new pastor.

Fr. Chuck has many qualities that one would hope for in a priest: compassion, dedication, commitment, passion for his ministry, deep care for his flock, kindness, and holiness. In addition, he is one of the most meticulous people I know, which shows in his attention to detail during liturgical celebrations.

From Easter Mass 2008

Fr. Chuck, good luck at your new parish. Dominus tecum!

Canticle of Mary

Tomorrow's Gospel reading from Luke (1:39-56) contains the Canticle of Mary, also known as the Magnificat. This is one of my favorite passages in the Gospels because the excitement, awe, and wonder that both Elizabeth and Mary are experiencing are so vividly communicated -- two mothers-to-be who know they were chosen by God in very unique and special ways. I love to imagine myself in Elizabeth's home when Mary arrives.

I have never personally known the experience of pregnancy and serve a tertiary role in the lives of my step-children, but due to a project I am working on for my parish, I happened to sit in on the tail end of a parish Moms group meeting last night. It was a beautiful experience to sit among these women who have given over much of their lives to motherhood -- the bond they share is deep and potent. They are at ease with each other and willing to share of themselves with one another; this capacity for giving of one's self is one of the most powerful strengths about women in general.

These moms are aware of their role as models of faith in their children's lives. They are trying hard to provide guidance to their children while also providing spiritual growth for themselves. Keep up the great work, ladies.

Wind

I did the 11th annual Tour de Stooges ride today. This year, the ride took place in Highland, IL instead of Lebanon, IL; the change in location was because the number of riders outgrew that community's ability to handle them all. I think the count of riders last year was around 700.

The choice to move the location was a good one. The route was interesting enough, but not extreme. In today's case, however, an interesting course was made very challenging by the addition of a sustained 15 mph WNW wind with 25 mph gusts. I spent the first 40 miles riding with the wind pushing me from my left, my right, or head-on. About a third to a half of the remaining 24 miles was spent with a tailwind -- a great relief. I am a stocky rider with lots of meat on my bones, but even I was getting pushed back and forth across the road by the wind.

Spending five hours on a bike, I had time to think about a lot of things. At certain points, I couldn't help but think of the symbolism of wind as the Holy Spirit. After all, how appropriate since Pentecost is a week from tomorrow! I have to admit, with the wind making the day's cycling so challenging, my thoughts didn't go much beyond "wow, this is hard!" Now that I have had some time to reflect on the day's experience, I wonder to myself if some of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as fortitude/courage and understanding/common sense aren't given to us -- but rather (l)earned -- the hard way! I certainly learn courage -- and perseverance -- by enduring against the wind on my bike. Common sense also tells me not to expend all my energy early on a long ride like today's -- I have to be conservative at the beginning of the ride if I am to make it for the long haul.

How does the Holy Spirit challenge you and push you to be better, more courageous, or wiser? You might face physical challenges of your own such as disability, infirmity, aging, or something else. What about emotional, social or professional challenges -- any of these can feel nearly as crippling as a physical problem. What is the Holy Spirit teaching you through these obstacles, how do you work with them, and more importantly what do you learn from dealing with them?

Catching Up

Finally the weather is improving. Better weather = more riding + less blogging. So a quick round-up is in order. . .

Cycling
Starting cycle-commuting to work last week on the new bike. All is going well with it. I am very fortunate (and grateful!) to have access to some really fantastic facilities at work for bike storage and showers in the fitness center for cleaning up. I will eventually invest in all-weather gear so I can ride in the rain if necessary.

Speaking of upgrades, yesterday I picked up some SPD pedals for the Dew so I can click into the pedals.

They are Shimano A530. I didn't realize how accustomed I had gotten to being clicked into my bike until I was riding with standard pedals again!

Fun stuff
Went to music trivia at St. Stephen's last night. What a great time! I never go to any trivia night with the intent to win -- just to play and have a good time, which I did.

Music
Went to Barry Manilow Friday night -- yes, Barry Manilow. I am not a huge fan, but was going along with the hubby, who really likes him. Yeah you read it right -- I said my hubby really likes Barry. Anyway, it was neat hearing certain very popular songs of his live. I think I counted a 27 piece orchestra: 11 strings, 9 horns, 1 rhythm/acoustic guitarist, 3 keyboardists + Barry from time to time, 1 percussionist, 1 drummer, 1 bass guitarist. He also had four backup singers. By the way, Barry really loves his Botox.

Chaifetz
On top of it being a Barry concert, it also happened to be the first event inside the new Chaifetz Arena. They have some serious logistics issues to work out, but the facility itself was fine.

Food
Have been to several food places since I posted last. Went to The U sandwich shop, Buffalo Brewing Company, and Pappy's Smokehouse. All three are at the corner of Lindell and Cardinal, just east of Compton. Food was good in all three, though the U needs work on handling its orders well.

Faith
Last but not least, of course, is God! Since starting my new job, my schedule has not afforded me the opportunity to go to weekday Masses, which I miss a lot. I think I am going to give a try to the mid-day Mass at one of the downtown Catholic churches.

Regarding today's readings, I am always so happy when the Holy Spirit is given special attention in the readings. I think we often overlook the Holy Spirit and it is unfortunate, because the Holy Spirit is a wonderful source of wisdom and guidance for us in our day to day living. Try using the Examen of Consciousness to get in touch with that guidance every day -- you may find it to be a wonderful source of grace throughout your day by adding it to your everyday routine.

Abundance

Sometimes, rather than trying to digest all the readings for a given day together, it is useful to reflect on one idea or even just one word. The concept that really caught my attention today was that of abundance (John 6:1-15).

I have been very fortunately blessed with a great share of spiritual abundance in my life, particularly in the last few years. The Holy Spirit has led me to a Christian life, acceptance of Jesus Christ as my redeemer and soul-savior, helped me understand that I am one of God's children who is and has always been loved by the Father, and has brought me to a wonderful parish community.

In trying to understand what it means to be one of God's children, I think we all have, at one time or another, a hard time wrapping our heads around that idea. How does a being so cosmic even notice me, let alone love me, a single soul among billions? How awesome is the idea that I am sister, through the brotherhood of Jesus Christ, to all the others here on this planet now, those who came before me, and those who will exist after me?

Being a relatively new Christian (just passed my two-year anniversary this Easter), my status as a child of God is something I am only lately really beginning to fully grasp. It has been another in numerous epiphanies in this unfolding mystery of my faith.

Word for the Day Is Potential

Each day this week, the first reading at Mass has been from the Acts of the Apostles and have been focused on what I would call the Adventures of Simon Peter! In these readings (see below for complete list), Peter seems to have found his voice and his courage. He has just cured a man who was crippled from birth and this same man, who now walks on his own, enters jubilantly into the temple! Recognizing the man who once begged outside the Temple, many are astonished. Simon Peter says to them it is by God's grace that he was able to accomplish the healing.

Numerous Sanhedrin, realizing their authority was threatened, plotted against Simon Peter and John, arrested them, but ultimately could not find a way to justify detaining them. Through it all, Peter is courageous, composed, even heroic! Who is this guy? Is this the same person who denied Jesus Christ three times on the eve of Jesus' crucifixion?

Through these stories, we finally see in Simon Peter what Jesus must have seen in the bumbling, imperfect, cowardly, brash, and sometimes foolish fellow all along. He saw that Peter had potential, and in these stories, we see that Peter's potential is realized: his faith in Jesus Christ is strong and surely with a bit of help from the Holy Spirit, he becomes courageous.

What I like best about Peter's story in general is that this man -- so full of failings -- is the man Jesus Christ chose to lead the Church in its earliest stages (Matt 16:18). It is comforting, as a person who is much more like Peter than like Jesus, that Jesus might be able to see beyond my many flaws and help me also realize my potential in, through, and for him.

Monday through Saturday readings 03/24/2008 - 03/29/2008:
Acts 2:14, 22-33
Acts 2:36-41
Acts 3:1-10
Acts 3:11-26
Acts 4:1-12
Acts 4:13-21

"I have seen the Lord"

I'm a day late posting about the Gospel story from John (20:11-18) that describes the moment when Mary meets the resurrected Jesus; it's such a beautiful moment I felt compelled to write about it. The story is so abundant with meaning on both literal and symbolic levels.

Mary was utterly beside herself with grief over Jesus' death. Her eyes were overflowing with tears and her mind overwrought with countless and powerful emotions. Maybe her grief or perhaps anger got in the way of recognizing Jesus was there with her. Maybe her disbelief?

Taking this story literally, I can only have a teensy sliver of an imagining of what it must have been like for Mary to experience Jesus' return -- the incredible joy that must have coursed through her at the moment of discovery, the amazement, the excitement, the full realization that indeed, Jesus is the messiah as he had said! Taking the story figuratively, I think about the ways in which I have difficulty recognizing Jesus. Sometimes strong emotions cloud my vision so that I lose sight of Jesus in myself. Or perhaps something makes me, like Mary, not even recognize Christ in the people who are closest to me.

Go Tell Everyone!

One of the forms of prayer I use is to try to imagine myself inside the story, especially a Gospel story. What would it have been like to be Mary of Magdala in the story from today's Gospel (John 20:1-9)? It is still dark as she approaches Jesus' grave in the garden. Mary is probably with a friend or family member as she approaches the tomb -- imagine yourself accompanying her. Think about what kind of grief Mary must have been experiencing at Jesus' unjust trial, horrific torture, and barbaric death on the cross. Her pain must have been immeasurable. To top it all off, she discovers Jesus' tomb has been opened. Her reaction tells us she immediately suspects Jesus' body has been removed by someone else. As if Jesus hadn't suffered enough in life, perhaps Mary thought, now her Lord's tomb is desecrated too!

What about Simon Peter? In the Gospel story, John says Simon did not even enter the tomb, but just peered in to see the burial cloths, then walked away with the Beloved Disciple. Was he confused? Shocked? Frightened? In any case, it seems he doesn't know what to do with the thought that Jesus is not in his tomb. Imagine yourself in Simon Peter's frame of mind; the last few days have been a confusing whirlwind of events and emotions, not to mention the shame of having denied Jesus, just as Jesus said Simon Peter would.

The Beloved Disciple enters the tomb, and right away he believes! How does he know to believe? What speaks to him about the empty tomb that leads him to believe? Is it the careful arrangement of the burial cloths that lead him to believe that the body was not stolen, but rather that Jesus is alive somehow? Is he hoping against hope? Then, he and Simon Peter leave.

We have the benefit of knowing what happens next -- Jesus Christ is resurrected from the dead into new life as God has promised. But imagine what emotions the three disciples of Jesus in this Gospel story must have felt at this point: confusion, heartache, grief, ill at ease and worry or even wonder about what would happen next, discouragement, excitement, hope, but also disbelief. What would I have felt at this point? What would any of Jesus' disciples have felt?

While I imagine myself in this scene, I am not sure I would have wanted to experience firsthand the tragic, gut-wrenching, and heart shattering events that led up to Jesus' resurrection. On the other hand, being among the first to experience and receive the good news -- the amazing and world-changing news -- of Jesus' resurrection would also have been astounding and even too overwhelming to comprehend!

2000 years later, it's still hard to fully internalize the good news. In our Father's wisdom, perhaps this is why he made the Easter season last for fifty days -- just so we could begin to grasp the fullness of his love for us!

St. Patrick

Today's celebrations go much beyond that which is typical of a saint's feast day -- in St. Louis it's an unofficial holiday! But, remembering that we are in Holy Week, I thought I would share with you this prayer of St. Patrick:

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity:
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism,
The virtue of His crucifixion with His burial,
The virtue of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
The virtue of His coming on the Judgement Day.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the love of seraphim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the hope of resurrection unto reward,
In prayers of Patriarchs,
In predictions of Prophets,
In preaching of Apostles,
In faith of Confessors,
In purity of holy Virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I bind to myself today
The power of Heaven,
The light of the sun,
The brightness of the moon,
The splendour of fire,
The flashing of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of sea,
The stability of earth,
The compactness of rocks.

I bind to myself today
God's Power to guide me,
God's Might to uphold me,
God's Wisdom to teach me,
God's Eye to watch over me,
God's Ear to hear me,
God's Word to give me speech,
God's Hand to guide me,
God's Way to lie before me,
God's Shield to shelter me,
God's Host to secure me,
Against the snares of demons,
Against the seductions of vices,
Against the lusts of nature,
Against everyone who meditates injury to me,
Whether far or near,
Whether few or with many.

I invoke today all these virtues
Against every hostile merciless power
Which may assail my body and my soul,
Against the incantations of false prophets,
Against the black laws of heathenism,
Against the false laws of heresy,
Against the deceits of idolatry,
Against the spells of women, and smiths, and druids,
Against every knowledge that binds the soul of man.

Christ, protect me today
Against every poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against death-wound,
That I may receive abundant reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ in the fort,
Christ in the chariot seat,
Christ in the poop [deck],
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of an invocation of the Trinity,
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.son who thinks of me, Christ in the eye that sees me, Christ in the ear that hears me.

Holy Week Begins

Today was Palm Sunday, which marks the beginning of Holy Week. This week is filled with wonderful opportunities to marvel at the sacrifice Jesus made for us. Of the readings today, which were all very powerful, the one that caught my attention the most was this portion of Philippians 2:6-11:

Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
(Phil 2:6-8)

The idea of emptying one's self for God is one that I often struggle with. One of the hardest and most unexpected adjustments I made when I chose to become Catholic was to learn humility and obedience to God and his will. I still work on that daily! For 35 years of my life, I didn't answer to any divine authority, so it was/is quite a change in mindset.

So, how do I keep the everyday stuff from getting in the way of God's work within me? One of the tools I have been using throughout Lent is the Examen of Consciousness, which is an Igantian prayer that focuses on finding God in everyday things. It takes about 15 minutes to do this prayer and very naturally leads me to a conversation with God about my day. Some suggest to pray it twice a day -- once around the middle of the day and once in the evening. At this point, I use it in the evenings and plan to continue the practice after Lent is over.

Another thing I have done this Lent is I have gone to Mass nearly every day. I am very fortunate to have been in a position to do that this Lent and I am very much looking forward to experiencing Holy Week more fully than I have been able to in the past. I have never attended a Chrism Mass, and I am looking forward to doing that this Thursday (10 AM) at our Cathedral Basilica.

Assassins

I went with a friend to the Ivory Theatre last night to see Assassins, which is a Stephen Sondheim/John Weidman musical. As the name suggests, the play is about people who have either assassinated or attempted to assassinate American presidents. It was an interesting treatment of a tough subject. It is playing until March 29 and tickets are very reasonable.

In addition to my interest in seeing the performance, I was at least as interested in seeing the theatre space itself. Ivory Theatre, opened in 2007, was converted from what used to be St. Boniface Catholic Church. St. Boniface parish was merged with my parish in 2005. While I know many people are still sore over the mergers and some people might be offended at the use of a formerly consecrated space for entertainment purposes, the building has become a fine, tasteful performance space. Given a choice between recycling the church building into a theatre or tearing it down, I think the use of the building as a theatre is a better option.

That being said, St. Boniface was not my parish before the mergers and I only attended Mass there once. It had some stunning stained glass windows that dated back to 1893-1894 and were made in Austria. The windows have since been removed. I believe the windows have been installed in a new Catholic church in the St. Charles county area.

Things to Come

Today's readings are foreshadowing things to come. People are very near to stoning Jesus to death because he is doing things they do not understand, and he has made them afraid. Jesus escapes; where does he go? He returns to the place "where John first baptized" (Jn 10:40) and an amazing thing happens there -- people begin to believe (Jn 10:42). Once Jesus returns to the source of new life -- baptism -- people begin to see more clearly, become calmer, and understand God's works.

This Gospel story reminds us that we should also return to our baptism -- it is our source of eternal life and refreshment.