Sunday in the Summer
It’s a HOT muggy August Sunday in Brooklyn…. The sweat drips down your back and it seems that the cooler autumn weather (my favorite season!) is very far away…..
Luckily, the children remind us of the blessings of the summer. On my way home from Mass, JJ Byrne park was filled with delighted children, enjoying the swings -- the monkey bars – running under the sprinkers -- playing ball etc…. They don’t care that it’s HOT -- they are enjoying life! Their exhilaration at being alive is a lesson from God. Thank God for children!!!
And Sunday -- at least at STA -- is the best day of the week! Thank God for the many blessings that we experienced today as we gathered together to celebrate Mass -- that we had both Fr. Jesús and Msgr. White celebrating Mass with us. The music that aids our worship as we raise our voices in song to our Creator -- the exquisite beauty of Lanie’s voice accompanied by Roger on the organ during the Saturday 5:30 p.m. Mass & the Sunday 12:30 p.m. Mass -- the timeless splendor of Gregorian Chant at the Sunday 9:30 a.m. Mass and the exuberant talent of the Coro Hispania at the Sunday 11 a.m. Mass. Of course as in any parish there were ups and downs during our celebrations -- on the upside there were 3 Altar Servers at the 9:30, and 2 Altar Servers at the 11. :-) Unfortunately, no children showed up to celebrate Children’s Liturgy of the Word at the 9:30. :-( But there were over 20 children who celebrated Children’s Liturgy of the Word at the 11 so things could be much worse!
This Sunday is a day to thank God for our families & friends and for the freedom to be able to attend Mass! Watching the children this morning made me think about how rarely I take the opportunity to return to the freedom of being a child -- as Fr. Ed Hays put in his prayer “A Summer Psalm of Freedom” in his book “Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim” Though for me -- I should substitue Computer screen instead of TV screen. ;-)
A SUMMER PSALM OF FREEDOM
O God of all seasons, it’s summer -- the season I dreamed about throughout winter’s long dreary days.
Now is the time of leisure, time to be out-of-doors-and-walls.
But so often I feel like an over-civilized child of this century of convenience and comfort.
Six months ago, it was snow and ice that screened me in from earth’s delights.
Now it’s a television screen that too often massages my mind, weary from work, that screens me in from shaman summer’s healing touch.
And even if I flick that dead-widow off and go outside on the porch, I’m still screened in or carefully protected, lest bugs and flies disturb my comfort by bringing nature far too close.
Grant me, O never-tiring Miracle Worker, the freedom of my childhood to run and play with abandon, without thought of comfort, bugs or flies, in summer’s great vacationland.
Amen
Luckily, the children remind us of the blessings of the summer. On my way home from Mass, JJ Byrne park was filled with delighted children, enjoying the swings -- the monkey bars – running under the sprinkers -- playing ball etc…. They don’t care that it’s HOT -- they are enjoying life! Their exhilaration at being alive is a lesson from God. Thank God for children!!!
And Sunday -- at least at STA -- is the best day of the week! Thank God for the many blessings that we experienced today as we gathered together to celebrate Mass -- that we had both Fr. Jesús and Msgr. White celebrating Mass with us. The music that aids our worship as we raise our voices in song to our Creator -- the exquisite beauty of Lanie’s voice accompanied by Roger on the organ during the Saturday 5:30 p.m. Mass & the Sunday 12:30 p.m. Mass -- the timeless splendor of Gregorian Chant at the Sunday 9:30 a.m. Mass and the exuberant talent of the Coro Hispania at the Sunday 11 a.m. Mass. Of course as in any parish there were ups and downs during our celebrations -- on the upside there were 3 Altar Servers at the 9:30, and 2 Altar Servers at the 11. :-) Unfortunately, no children showed up to celebrate Children’s Liturgy of the Word at the 9:30. :-( But there were over 20 children who celebrated Children’s Liturgy of the Word at the 11 so things could be much worse!
This Sunday is a day to thank God for our families & friends and for the freedom to be able to attend Mass! Watching the children this morning made me think about how rarely I take the opportunity to return to the freedom of being a child -- as Fr. Ed Hays put in his prayer “A Summer Psalm of Freedom” in his book “Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim” Though for me -- I should substitue Computer screen instead of TV screen. ;-)
A SUMMER PSALM OF FREEDOM
O God of all seasons, it’s summer -- the season I dreamed about throughout winter’s long dreary days.
Now is the time of leisure, time to be out-of-doors-and-walls.
But so often I feel like an over-civilized child of this century of convenience and comfort.
Six months ago, it was snow and ice that screened me in from earth’s delights.
Now it’s a television screen that too often massages my mind, weary from work, that screens me in from shaman summer’s healing touch.
And even if I flick that dead-widow off and go outside on the porch, I’m still screened in or carefully protected, lest bugs and flies disturb my comfort by bringing nature far too close.
Grant me, O never-tiring Miracle Worker, the freedom of my childhood to run and play with abandon, without thought of comfort, bugs or flies, in summer’s great vacationland.
Amen
posted by STA - www.stthomasaquinaschurch.org | 8/07/2005 06:14:00 PM
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