et alia

10 MARCH 2010. I am going to use the title of this post, from time to time, to post a series of probably unrelated pieces of thought that I will struggle to organize into a cogent and interesting read for someone out there.

Here goes:

Running on at the keyboard . . .

I know that Lent is a long period of preparation for Easter, but this Lenten season seems to be flying by. More than half of Lent is now behind us and the glory of East is not too far over the horizon.

I remember reading a quote from a cardinal once that said something along these lines: Thank the Lord for purgatory. I will need the time to prepare to see the Lord face-to-face. I understand the Cardinal's sentiment. I need this time of Lent to prepare myself to find again the glory of Easter, but time is drawing too quickly to a close.

I had the honor of serving in the Knights of Columbus 4th degree color guard this evening at the annual Red Mass of the Holy Spirit that is celebrated by all the bishops of Florida each year at the beginning of the annual two month Legislative Session. This year's mass was wonderful, except that our bishop, a tremendous Josephite priest, Bishop John H. Ricard, was not able to attend because he is in a rehabilitation facility. Bishop Ricard is not an old man, not at all, but in recent months he suffered a stroke and has had several complications and set-backs following the stroke. Please pray for Bishop Ricard!

We are tasting our first glimpses of spring weather here in Tallahassee. Dogwood trees are starting to bloom and it was nearly 70 degrees this afternoon. Winter was quite cold this year--Tallahassee saw its longest consecutive string of days with temperatures below freezing (14) in its recorded weather history.

What is the deal with health care reform? Our bishops could not be clearer, and the President seems to be condemned to talking platitudes about reducing abortions, but allowing federal funding of abortion to continue to sail through the health care reform legislative process. Taking the life of an unborn child is not health care! It is not health care for the mother. It is not health care for the unborn baby.

On other life issues, a recent scheduled execution (last week) of a man on Florida's death row has been stayed pending another court review. Have you ever seen death row? I have. It is the single most depressing place in the world that I have been. Men chained and treated like animals. I am not a fan of coddling those who in our society would cruelly victimize others, but the dignity of the human person on death row is institutionally erased. There is a better way. Pray that Florida, and the U.S. as a county, ends the use of the death penalty.

At tonight's Red Mass there was a section of the co-cathedral that was reserved for nuns. It was packed by the start of mass, but I only saw three habits. God bless our nuns who continue to wear the habit. I pray that more nuns will grow to understand that the sight of a habit is an uplifting and needed witness to the world of their identity as Catholic, Christian, religious, consecrated women.

Doesn't the FSU baseball team look great so far this year? They're outscoring opponents by about 40 to 1 (or so it seems). Kudos to Manager Mike Martin, the staff, and the team. But, uh, bring back the sale of frosted pecans at the ballpark. Please!

Seems to me that Archbishop Tim Dolan is everywhere these days. He seems to be a genuinely Christ-centered and loving pastor for the Church in New York. I pray that one day I will be able to sit down with him (hopefully over a meal) and enjoy a conversation with such a pastor. I also pray that the red hat will indeed be bestowed upon him in the yet-to-be-announced (but, highly anticipated) consistory later this year.

Did you realize that there are no Dominican saints on the Order's calendar for the month of March? This means that my daily blogging research gets a bit of a break this time of year. That is actually a relief, because quality time with my breviary is at the top of my priority list this Lent. April will be a busy month.

My wife felt a few flutters of movement from the baby today. We'll learn in a couple of weeks whether the baby is a boy or girl. August will be a busy month.

Take care. May God's blessings be generously bestowed on you all.