Chronicles

Ken-AYE

Random life

When you’re named Kenneth it doesn’t really matter what you prefer, because people make their own decisions on what your name is. (In the same way, the cover picture on this post doesn’t really matter as to the content of the post. But Fox Squirrels are fascinating creatures. Less fascinating than us, but still… More on that later.)

Kenneth

For instance, growing up my family always called me Kenneth which to this day most of my grammar school friends and all of my family still use.

My grandparents were pretty formal on both sides and called me Kenneth. The Monsignor in my Parish growing up also called me Kenneth, as did all of my teachers.

I love it.

I still remember Monsignor Melancon coming into class with our Report Cards, sitting down in the middle of the room as the entire class was rearranged, and calling our names to come up and get our reports, as we trembled in fear and expectation.

“Kenneth?”

*tremble*

“Very good.”

*reflect*

Kenny

Some of my friends shortened that to Kenny. That transferred to music, and all of my music friends have and still call me Kenny. The Archbishop of NOLA is friends with some of my music friends and has always insisted on calling me Kenny.

I love it.

Ken

The business side of the world has always decided they can’t call someone Kenny, and that Kenneth is too formal, and Kenny too informal. So they call me Ken.

I’m OK with it.

At times I’ve encouraged it because I don’t really have the time to deal with people’s personal issues over my name. I can’t help but feel that anyone named Kenneth goes through the same thing.

“What’s your name?”

  • “Kenneth.”

“What would you like to be called?”

  • “?”

Call me what you will, but don’t call me late for dinner. ;-]

But the thing is, my brother eventually took to calling me “Ken-aye”! (A for Allen of course, and a play on Kenny.)

So, to this day I often sign my name as Ken A.

I know you’re fascinated by these tidbits of info. But I’m actually fascinated by the tidbits of info which you all share with me. It’s not that I have a low threshold of excitement, it’s that you are all fascinating people. I’m just trying to share and be open while we’re all going through this COVID shutdown mess. My heart goes out to all who are struggling.

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KenA

The Courageous Catholic

Calix

I’m always hearing about courageous priests. “The world needs more courageous Priests!” “We need a courageous Priest to defy the Bishop!” That type thing.

What we actually need are courageous Catholics who do something more than complain about the Church. We can find fault in every corner of the Church, and never run out of fodder. We can find fault in the life of every Priest, and never run out of fodder. At some point, one tunes it out and focusses on the spiritual life, and one’s duty, because nothing is ever courageous enough. No deed is courageous enough unless one ends up in prison, and then one is promptly forgotten as the populace turns it’s attention to another Priest in the public’s circus of entertaining commentary.

But the search for courageous Priests is ruining the lives of some Priests.

Defy the Bishop and be assigned to a place of lesser impact – then what? What authority has the time to deal with rudeness, anger, and confusion caused for really no reason other than the fact one is being prompted to disobedience, impoliteness, and lack of charity for the sake of pleasing a populace which is entirely incapable of being pleased?

Many also complain about the Church and deciding that their children will never go to a Seminary, or never enter a Convent unless it’s a “good” one.

But the problem there is – if the Lord is calling one’s child to religious life as a Priest or religious, who is anyone to deny the Lord? If the Church needs betterment, perhaps one’s own sons and daughters are the ones who are going to be changing it.

One is never wrong in praying for and hoping for courageous Priests. One is never wrong also in living their own lives courageously – and dealing with the matters of the world which need to be addressed with great courage, and which can only be addressed by the laity, whilst Priests tend to their own matters.

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“Just the Flu”

Flew the Coop

“I may speak with every tongue that men and angels use; yet, if I lack charity, I am no better than echoing bronze, or the clash of cymbals.”

1 Cor 13:1 Knox

There’s a growing number of people who simply don’t care about coronavirus – it’s just the flu, it’s a hoax, don’t lock me up – and I get all that.

But why on earth would you not care about getting the flu?

I had the flu once in my adult life and have taken precautions ever since. I cleaned my apartment immaculately and lay around for three or four days with a high fever praying I wouldn’t die. But if I did die, at least whoever found my body would at least see I had a great, clean apartment, and know I’d had some bright spots in music. I don’t want to get “just the flu” and I don’t want to go through that ever again.

If you don’t care fine, that’s your choice. But don’t complain if I wear a mask and/or gloves to give you Communion, especially if you’re coughing all during Mass. It’s a perfectly valid and legit thing for me to do, backed up by history and Tradition itself. And don’t complain about the many people who don’t want to get “just the flu” from your lack of charity in not caring about anyone else.

Does it affect the blood, which is why it appears to affect certain populations more? Or does it simply affect the lungs? Do you know? Is your will written? Your funeral planned? “Just the flu” kills many each year – especially the elderly though I’ve known younger who’ve died also.

Aside from that, I’m very much looking forward – as are we all – to the gradual reopening happening soon, more and more, all around us.

And on a brighter note – these baby birds flew the coop! They’re out of quarantine too – all grown up and flying around the countryside as birds ought to be.

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The World’s Gone Mad

The Current Picnic Area

I keep hearing this refrain, but it isn’t true. You can look around at the world and everything aside from human beings is carrying on as usual. It’s you who’s gone mad.

That makes this a perfect time to consider our spiritual growth, and our human formation.

Spiritual growth because it’s always important. But overcoming the stresses of the world is a spiritual challenge as well as a physical one. The triumph of our spirit over any circumstance is a testimony to the power of the Trinity indwelling within us, and a testimony to our fortitude in witnessing to the life in Christ – as long as we act in charity.

In any circumstance we have the power to choose our actions and our responses. No matter what the world throws at us, we can still consider our actions in the light of faith, and choose to remain in the peace which only Jesus Christ can give. No one can rob us of that.

So, the wild-eyed reactions on social media, the vocal irritation with the Church, the complaining about things out of one’s control, the near hysterical reactions to authority – it’s all understandable as frustrations boil over. It’s also just as easy to choose to act in different ways.

In that sense it becomes a matter of human formation as well. What kind of man or woman are we becoming through our continued actions? Calm, recollected, centered in Faith, serene in Hope, confident in Charity? Or irritated, frustrated, controlling, and miserable?

Personally I’ve gone through many different stages during this lockdown. But I came to realize the things I was experiencing simply didn’t add up, in the big picture. People were complaining about things they weren’t involved with, reactions to certain ecclesial actions and governmental responses are predictable, animosity was palpable. It helped me to grow as a person, and to simply choose to respond differently. Aside from having to be very strong about various issues, it’s a fruitful time, and Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament has been invaluable.

We can always choose how to respond, and to live in a considered manner, considering who we are in Jesus Christ, no matter how busy life is, or how stressed out others may be presenting.

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.

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The Rev. Kenneth Allen