Sunday, July 06, 2008

Simplicity

Today was my first Sunday at the new parish.  A bigger parish means a bigger Mass schedule, and this weekend especially I wanted to be outside after all the Masses to "meet & greet" my new parishioners.  They were all very welcoming, and certainly very nice and kind.  The fact that I have the same name as my predecessor didn't hurt, either, when it came to name recognition.

The readings this weekend hit me.  Amazing how God does that, eh?  As I'm sitting in my room at the rectory, which looks like a tornado blew through because of the mix of boxes, papers, books, and plain ol' stuff, the Scriptures brought it all home of the need for simplicity in my life.

Zechariah spoke of the king approaching on an ass.  A reliable form of transportation, but hardly regal.  In the Gospel, Jesus praises God the Father for having revealed to little ones what has been hidden from the wise and the learned.  How many times have we heard that something is "so simple that a child can do it."?  We're good at being childish; child-like takes some practice.  The people at the Masses today weren't looking for my resumé; they wanted a smile and a "hello", and I kept giving it over and over.  You can't get much simpler than that!

I need more "simple" in my life, that's why I'm throwing stuff away.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

You new parish is very lucky to have you minister to them. God Bless you and I'll keep you in my prayers as you begin this new journey.

techno_aesthete said...

It has taken a while to get through my thick head, but now I am trying to get rid of much of the stuff that has accumulated around me. Attachment to material items is like an albatross around my neck. Having said that, there are some items that I won't be getting rid of - some of my books, for example.

canon1753 said...

Frater Mihi, as I dig out of my move myself I cannot but agree with you... I'm throwing out balance statements from 3 parishes ago and even some from the good old F&M Bank of Emmitsburg.....

Hope all is well.

Dan the VT barbarian

Tony said...

The fact that I have the same name as my predecessor didn't hurt, either, when it came to name recognition.

Wow! I didn't think Toborowski was that common a name. What a coincidence!