Blue Sky Dawning

the morning

Fresh on the heels of being complimented for having good photos on my website, I’m posting awful photos.

I apologize.

I tried!

I framed. I snapped.

I dodged and burned and filtered.

I masked. I Gaussian blurred!

Then I started all over again. Again and again.

But I had used a different camera, and then got caught up in the busyness of the day.

And I always get caught up in looking at the sky. The sky is a thing of beauty.

On today:

  1. The Convocation for Priests was very enjoyable and energizing.
  2. It was also strangely exhausting.
  3. I’ve determined that I don’t sleep well in most hotel rooms.
  4. That has nothing to do with the Convocation, but it explains why I was up at 4AM watching Pope Benedict’s Adress to Berlin.
  5. In honor of the Holy Father’s trip to Germany, I ate sausages and potatoes for breakfast.
  6. I wish I had eaten cereal.

From Pope Benedict’s address this morning:

?”Freedom requires a primordial link to a higher instance. The fact that there are values which are not absolutely open to manipulation is the true guarantee of our freedom. The man who feels a duty to truth and goodness will immediately agree with this: freedom develops only in responsibility to a greater good.

Such a good exists only for all of us together; therefore I must always be concerned for my neighbours. Freedom cannot be lived in the absence of relationships.”

This actually goes perfectly with our theme of Presbyteral Unity.

So did the reading from St. Paul in the Office yesterday:

“…live a life worthy of the calling you have received, with perfect humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another lovingly. Make every effort to preserve the unity which has the Spirit as its origin and peace as its binding force.”

You know, it’s not always easy bearing with one another lovingly. It’s just… not always easy.

L'Hotel Again

And I did get around to taking another picture of the hotel, careful to not get any palm trees into this architectural triumph of a shot. Chrome and soft dawn sky colors don’t really blend.

And after all that, I like the picture better with the palms in it.

We had a great several days reflecting and giving input on Presbyteral Unity. Many thanks for everyone who offered prayers for us!

Much like freedom, the Priesthood cannot be lived in the absence of relationships.

St. Padre Pio, pray for us.

Better Gardening Through Photoshop

Marian Garden

Oh. Yes… This could work.

You know, there’s a lot you can’t write about as a Priest. For instance, a lot of what we do during any given day, be it working with the disenfranchised, counseling, Confessions, etc.

But when I’m not doing any of that, and I’m not reading, and I’m not at the gym, and I’m not in my office, and I’m not intently studying modern Church happenings, or doing laundry or trying to clean my room or sitting around with my feet propped up, or deep in prayer, I’m hard at work in the garden.

(This area needs a lot of work.)

(It’s going to be the Marian area.)

(In case you hadn’t noticed.)

That’s something I can write about. But it’s a work in progress, and definitely needs a bit more time. Still, it’s something to look forward to.

But you know, I just can’t bring myself to post the picture of the actual garden as it really looks. I think I prefer denial and the vision of what might be, what will be, to the cold, harsh realities of life.

On the other hand, what harm could there be in posting a picture of the back garden as a ‘before’ kind of thing, while anxiously awaiting the far off completion and the eventual ‘after’ photos?

Yes, that’s a very good idea. In fact, here is the garden as it actually looks with no Photoshopping involved. It’s very much better than it was before, and it’s a fair start to a kind of… hmmm.. why yes, that’s absolutely a very smart way of doing things.

marian garden before

AAAUUUGGGHHH!!!!!!!

::hyperventilating::

after photoshopping

OK, yes, that’s much, much better.

Excuse me. If you need me, I’ll be deep in prayer.

The Rev. Kenneth Allen