Month: December 2013

Projects

We’re all about projects here, in our missionary outreach to the world. We need to witness that we’re movers and shakers; we have dominion over our environment. We know how to get things done!

Still, there are a thousand things not done yet, while we plan out our Soup Kitchen and missionary outreach to the poor and the homeless.  And minister to everyone in the Parish.

empty house

There’s the ‘Finish Moving into the Rectory” Project.

copier

The “Get This Copier That Came w/ the New Rectory Out of the House Project”.  It works beautifully and is full color, btw, if you’d like to own it. I should have a giveaway.

Barre Center

The nowhere in the near future “Finish This Side of the Campus” project.

Virgen de Guadalupe

The “Refinish Our Lady of Guadalupe Project”, which is butting heads with the ongoing “Garden Project.”  Both of these are extremely interesting by the way, and I’ll have to update them both so you can see how they’re progressing.

The Garden

Then, there’s simply “The Garden Project”.  I think it’s fallen flat on it’s face for the moment.  But we’re getting there.

There’s no stopping the powerhouses behind “The Garden Project.”

Bill Painting

The “Keep Christ in Christmas” Project is up and going, and Bill is a great help for that.  Here he is painting away to keep everything spruced up and looking good.

The Choir Loft

The “We’re Getting a New Organ and Have to Clean up the Choir Loft Project” is moving along just swell.  Ray is fantastic with this kind of thing, and here he is finishing up the electrical work, after installing the flooring.

Miss Thelma

In the midst of all of these project inspections I met Miss Thelma,  who assured me I had not met her before.  She is a bit over 90, and drove herself to Church to get the Bulletins and new Misallete.  I must have met her before though. She has a wonderful history here, and her family is a lifelong fixture in Abita Springs.  Her father had a land grant, and helped build many historic building around town,  including the roof and ceiling of our Church.

20131202_0328

Then there’s this project.  

Pray for me.

Advent

My Homily today was a good opportunity to share these notes from Archbishop Aymond, delivered at our recent Priest Convocation in late September. They outline challenges which we face as a Presbyterate in today’s world.

Advent is always a reminder that we are situated in time, and that ‘we know not the day or the hour’. Rather we need to live simply, and to live prepared for the Coming of Jesus Christ — whenever that may be.

These pointers are also important for all of the Christian faithful, as these are signs of our times, which can cause us to fall off of the narrow path, and straight into the deadly abyss. Not to be morbid.

But here they are…

Archbishop Aymond’s Notes on the Future of the Presbyterate

    1. We have no quiet time in society, and have lost a sense of quiet, and of openness to the Sacred
      • Many people can go from dawn to dusk surrounded by noise, of all types.
      • Can we move people to quietness if heart?
      • Can we help to bring about a Sense of quiet and solitude to our people’s hearts?

A) Respect quiet times in liturgy
B) Foster adoration, quiet prayer, 40 hours devotion, lectionaries divina… Quiet times before meetings;
C) People should see us in prayer
D) Don’t be caught up with latest things in life… Be filled with prayer and quiet
E) Know Jesus and what he wants

    1. We’ve lost a sense of the personal
      • Concern for young adults, who are losing the skill of relating to the other one on one
      • Virtual-long distance relationships are becoming common and the norm.
      • Such can only affect a relationship with God, who is personal, and one on one with us.

A) we need to be one on one and very personal

      • Be very present and personal – there’s an intense need for that
      • The Incarnational aspect of our spirituality – We’re in the flesh, not virtual and long distance

B)Presence, not distance, is required of the Catholic.

    1. Responsibity Overload
      • People lead very, very busy lives, with increasing burdens and obligations.

A) God, church activities, are competing with priorities
B) So many people have scattered from the flock (we say honestly and sadly.)
C) People are caught up in personal bubbles.
D) Some feel that the Church is irrelevant, or they have been hurt by the Church.
E) How do we find the busy and the scattered – Knock on doors?
F) Preaching, music, and a sense of hospitality, all must be honed to perfection.
G) We are Shepherds, not functionaries. Shepherd the flock!

    • We must be Personal, one on one
  1. The Age of Relativism — We all Live in Bubbles
    • We need to proclaim the Gospel with an authentic, consistent life
    • And strive to be unifiers amongst signs and camps of division
  2. The Age of Addictions
    • Societally there is Rampant alcohol, drugs, and sexual addiction.
    • Pornography is perhaps the greatest addiction in the world, raking in more $$$ than the NFL and NBA combined

“We need a church who isn’t afraid of going forth into the night… Capable of meeting people wherever they are, inviting them to know Jesus more deeply” and walk the road to Emmaus.

Thus ends the notes of the Archbishop. Tying this in with Advent is obvious… these are the things which can strive for our time and lead us away from wholeness, and holiness. They are challenges with our families and children. our lives need to be a reflection with our relationship with Jesus Christ and of our union with the Catholic Church, and her rich Sacramental life. Let’s pray for each other during Advent.)

Groundbreaking News

Today I was asked to take part in the Groundbreaking Ceremonies for St. Andrew’s Village (this being the Feast of St. Andrew, and all.)

20131130_0297

Fr. Bill Billinski was there; he helps with Confessions for a lot of the “God’s Special Children” Masses and knows many of the founders present.

20131130_0304

Sen. Mary Landrieu gave the Keynote Speech, which was a fun take on what had to happen behind the scenes legislatively for this huge project to come to pass.

20131130_0308

We listend to all of the local dignitaries giving speeches which were well thought out and brief. Then a handful of us piled into a Limo Bus and headed out to the woods about 5 minutes away where this project will be built. Fr. Mike Mitchell has done a lot of work with the Gods Special Children Masses, and so has his buddy Fr. Frank Candalisa.

Readying the Shovels

We all had to wear hardhats.

20131130_0312

It was a fun event to be a part of; everyone was in a great mood and the day was beautiful.

“St. Andrew’s Village will be a faith-based, mixed-use Village community where both adults with developmental disabilities and non-disabled individuals can live, work, worship, and socialize throughout their lifelong journey.

“Born of a partnership between parents and community members to provide for adults with special needs, St. Andrew’s Village will be the first community of its kind in the state of Louisiana.”

Glad to support them, and glad they’re finding a home at long, long last.

The Rev. Kenneth Allen