My Summer Assignment - part 3

Some of you have noted that I have not posted in a while.  Thanks for reminding me.

For my friend Bill who suggests that my emails are very terse, perhaps a longer post is in order.  I have two things that I feed the need to blog about today.

First, I firmly believe that my current role is pastoral service.  What does that mean?  Well, I'm here to assist where I can, listen a lot and not step on too many toes.  For instance, at our two daily Masses, we have a reader and a server. These folks have been sharing their gifts with the faithful for years.  Should I take over because I am a seminarian and an acolyte?  I say "no".  If somebody is on vacation or is sick, I'll take the open spot, but I do not want to interfere with their ministry and their gifts. I check in at every Mass to see if I am needed, but if I am not, I can participate in the Mass from the pews just as well.  Now some of my seminarian brother do not agree with this stand, and that is OK, we can disagree and still be brothers.  My summer supervisor fully supports this stand and in his years of pastoral experience is glad that I came in the door with that expectation.

Listening is a skill.  Not arguing is also a skill.  On Saturday and Sunday when I stand outside to greet the parishioners, I can get an earful.  Sometimes, people just need to vent.  If I can say something positive, I will.  I don't argue, I just listen.  You cannot please everyone, but it is also important to listen to the minority voices to balance the viewpoints and acknowledge their concerns.

Second, I am envious (but not to the point of confession) of some other bloggers who can write so well of their emotional and spiritual struggles on their pages.  So much of my blog is day to day stuff and not deep thoughts.  Those who know me know that I am a deep thinker and feeler, but rarely share those thoughts and feelings.  A good friend told me once that when I do speak up, people listen because it happens infrequently.  So, my first point here today was an attempt to voice one of those deeper thoughts.  The life of a priest (or laity) is one of pastoral service.  We are called to care for each other and consider our thoughts and actions. My spiritual director told me we are responsible for our second thought and our first action.  Let's think it through and then act on our thoughts with pastoral service in mind

Deacon Ordination

I attended the ordination of our own Tom Macdonald to the order of deacons this morning. Tom and I share the same home parish and I saw some familiar faces from there. Tom is two years ahead of me in his studies in Rome.  Congratulations Tom!

This would be a good time to mention a bit about our parish vocations.  We have 2 deacons already, Art and Dick. We have 2 men in permanent deacon formation, Bill and Fran.  We have nun, soon to make her final vows, Kelly.  Tom and I round out the vocation list for clergy and sisters. We also have many parishioners who take their vocations of mother, father, husband, wife or single very seriously.  It is a great parish.

Many of our men entering 4th year at Blessed John have been ordained as deacons as well this summer.  I'm looking forward to seeing them this fall and serving with them at Mass.