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April 19, 2020
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Early Morning Texts:
Long before COVID-19 and the Stay at Home order was a reality. I started to realize that my need for a formal alarm on my phone wasn’t so necessary because text messages started to pop as early as 6 AM. Now, I don’t fault people for texting me that early because some know they will get my undivided attention at that time. If you wait until the sun has fully brightened the day, there will be so many things and people ahead of you that it may take some time before I can get to a message, a text or a phone call. Given the nature of my need to be on call to deal with emergencies, I am very attentive to my phone and our emergency line. I can easily snooze through my alarm clock for an hour without budging, but if my phone “pings” because a text message arrives or it rings because of a call, I’m on it and attentive faster than a hummingbird approaching a feeder or a flower. It’s uncanny how I can completely not hear an alarm, but I can hear a quiet little text message signal on my phone. In many ways, I have to be like that firefighter ready for the next alarm. I’ve also learned over time that some people prefer to text me rather than “bother me” with a phone call regarding a death or an emergency that requires an anointing. So, when the text message alert goes off, I’m up and ready to respond. I just never know if it’s an emergency.
There are times, however, when I just want to sleep in a bit and hope that the texts don’t come too early, but being attentive to being “on-call” I never silence my phone. One Saturday a couple of weeks ago was to be THE DAY to sleep in. With our 7 AM weekday masses and 8 AM Sunday masses since the beginning of the pandemic, Saturday has become the day to sleep in ... even if for a bit. But on this one particular Saturday, the first text arrived around 6 AM. I reached over for my phone, saw who it was, and decided I would deal with it later. I rolled over and attempted to fall back asleep. A few minutes later, another text arrived. I rolled over, reached for my phone, and realize it was something that could be dealt with later in the day. At this point, I was a bit irritated and was thinking to myself why people have to bother others so early in the morning with texts that aren’t important. Now I realize not everyone has their phones on all the time or that some may have them silenced except for important or favorite contacts. I, however, can’t silence my phone because of the nature of my ministry. So, as I was somewhat grumbling to myself, I thought about sending the very next person who texts me before I get out of bed a short text back challenging them to “get a life” and enjoy the morning quiet. I then rolled over again and attempted to get some sleep. After all, this was THE morning to sleep in. Sure enough, my text message tone went off AGAIN. “GOOD HEAVENS,” I thought to myself. As I was rolling over to reach for my phone, I was trying to figure out what THE message was going to be to “lucky texter number 3.” I don’t mind the texts, it was more that I wanted to sleep in on this particular Saturday. As I touched my text messaging app and my phone lit up enough to create a little sunlight in my room, a nice text from Archbishop Vigneron showed up thanking me for a message I sent to him the previous night. YIKES, he’s certainly not getting the “get a life” text …. he’s on THE exception list (as is Mom, Dad, my sisters, the Pope (not that the Pope would ever text me but he’s on the list just in case). So, I rolled back over and wondered what I would say to lucky texter number 4.
A Milestone Edition of TALLer Tales: Every week that I write TALLer Tales, I save the file with the edition number and the date of publication. I hit a huge milestone this week. Believe it or not, this is my 800th edition of TALLer Tales. WOW! I don’t remember who offered the challenge to me many years ago, but I remember a priest friend saying I needed to commit myself to writing a weekly bulletin article from the very beginning of my pastorate. And so, I did. And here we are some 800 editions later. Eventually, my weekly article started to include some of the funny and stupid things I would do or get myself involved in. With your encouragement and laughter, this part of TALLer Tales took off and became a regular and most requested feature every week. Thanks for your encouragement. I’m just glad I never run out of stuff to talk about!! But then again, when you’re like Clark Griswold, Dennis the Menace, and Kevin McCallister, things just happen.
Easter THANKS! What an odd and strange Easter it was. Much like you, I hope we never have to live through something like this again. BUT I’m grateful for all the wonderful ways God’s grace and light has shone and continues to shine forth during this pandemic.
I’m extremely grateful to our official “COVID-19 Church Team” who helped so much behind the scenes to make everything happen in Church for Holy Week and Easter. Thanks go to the Markielewicz Family for all the Palm Sunday decorations. Thanks to Father Rich, Dina Ciaffone, Mary Garofalo, and Vern David for decorating the huge cross and getting all the Easter flowers into place. Thanks to Richard and Kristine Hass, who have been the producers and real power behind all the streaming that has taken place. Thanks to John Perna, Kristine Hass, Rick Flores, Ken Madeline, and Jill Gutierrez, who helped provide all the music. Thanks to Dina Ciaffone, Mary Garofalo, Kevin Hendrick, and Ann Tobin, who were our lectors. And thanks to Father John, Father Rich, Deacon Tom, and Deacon Dom, who helped around the altar (COVID-19 Style). There may not have been many people IN church (okay like 7 to 10 people at a time), but we had plenty of people watching us online. I’m grateful for all the wonderful comments and words of encouragement we have received for all that we have done during this pandemic. It certainly has been a unique experience, and I’m grateful we have all this technology to keep us connected. This experience has also given me some GREAT ideas for moving forward with our streaming and new evangelization efforts. Get ready; I have plenty of ideas. After all, I’ve had plenty of time to think about all of this … in our empty church!
FESTIVAL 2020: As I’m sure you can surmise, the Festival as we usually know it will not take place this year. We will, however, still do the raffle so that SOME aspect of the Festival happens this year. We’ve had 50 years of festival fun on the weekend before Memorial Day Weekend, and we were NOT going to allow COVID-19 stop us. It may not be complete with rides and all, but the Festival will still be on! In fact, the raffle tickets will be mailed in the coming week. I’ll have more to say about the raffle tickets next weekend.
Enjoy the week. Know of my prayers.
In Christ,
gmb
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