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The Immaculate Conception Blog will contain messages from Fr. Tim.   We hope you will enjoy reading about our community.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
January Retreat

I went on Retreat the week of January 8 – 15. It was my first directed retreat and well worth it. (By the way, the other priest’s retreats that I have been on are not ‘undirected,’ but were, rather, preached retreats.)

I had to make 3 trips back home before I got settled on the retreat. I left about 5:30pm for the retreat, stopping to get a bite to each. I realized that I forgot my check book (to pay) and had to go back home. On the way, I saw I did not have a watch or alarm clock. Ok, a little set back but I went home, got my stuff and headed for the retreat center (Montserrat, Lake Dallas) and, finding my room, began to unpack.

No underwear. How does anyone forget his underwear? I decided I might need them and went back home. O, wait, I also forgot any shampoo. I might need that as well. Ok, underwear and shampoo. I’ll be set.

I rushed home and got my stuff and left. Near Walmart, I realized that I forgot to get the shampoo. I wasn’t going home again, so I stopped there and bought some. Got a diet coke, too.

Finally, I’m set for the retreat; a little disjointed but I’m now headed for a week of prayer and solitude.

Half way there, I realized I needed a phone number to make a call on Monday morning. (I deliberately did not bring my cell phone – I wasn’t just forgetting it.) I had to turn back. I did have something to confess after returning for the third time! I was glad Fr. Richard was not there to catch me coming home again. “What’s wrong with this guy?” I can hear him or any reasonable person say.

Some might wonder if I did not unconsciously try to sabotage my retreat. Sure, people forget stuff, but three trips home and one of them for underwear? Come on…

I probably was unconsciously reluctant to go on retreat. I was a little consciously reluctant to go and the unconscious always makes things worse. 8 days of silence. What will I do?

Maybe the real fear is being alone with God. What will he ask of me? What will he confront me with?

Religion is a bit scary. God is a bit scary. It may be safer to keep a distance.

But I did all right. God was good to me and I was surprised how quickly I adapted and felt at home in his presence. I had no great revelations but sensed the pull of his love.

And I didn’t leave anything when I left. Not even my underwear.

 
Rain Dance

It finally rained the other day, the day of our parish Festival.  That put us in a dilemma: we had been asking God for rain for months and when it finally does rain, we have a different agenda.  What do we do now, ask for him to hold it off or just get out the umbrellas?

We sure needed (need) rain.  As bad as the heat was this summer, it was the lack of rain which was most damaging.  Water is life.

We have prayed for rain.  The bishop wrote a nice prayer for rain and asked the parish to include a prayer for rain in its intentions.  We have regularly prayed for relief, praying for a ‘gentle and replenishing rain” though we’d take a gulley washer.

But it still hasn’t rained.  A slide show I saw chronicled the devastating impact on our lakes and wildlife and I think to myself, ‘we must pray more.’

We should pray and we will.  But maybe God wants us to deal with the drought.  Maybe God wants us to learn some lessons from the lack of rain.

Like what?  I’ll name 3: 1. Prayer is not the same as control.  Our prayers express our hopes and desires but they are our hopes and desires, not necessarily God’s.  In fact, God has no hopes or desires since hopes and desires refer to the future and incompleteness, neither of which affect God.  God knows and realizes our good, even if we don’t like it.  2. Weather is not our business – It is a big world and our weather is a part of it.  God created the environment and works it as a whole.  Does God take it as an insult when we question his management?  Probably not; he may only laugh.  We can predict the weather, we just can’t control it.  3. Brown is a color – Yes, I prefer a nice green landscape but brown is another option.  Different is good.

Well, it rained as I concluded writing this.  I hope that by the time you read this, our prayer will be different, “Lord, please some sunshine!”  God hears and answers our prayers.  Sometimes he says, “yes,” sometimes, “no” and sometimes, “later.”  I hope this is a “later” answer.  Maybe we need to learn our lessons first.