Today's Letter: E

From Ron Rolling via Julie D at Happy Catholic.

The rules of this game:

1. Comment on this entry and I will give you a letter.


2. Write ten words beginning with that letter in your journal, including an explanation of what the word means to you and why.


3. Pass out letters to those who want to play along.
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Julie gave me "E". The first is obvious.

Eucharist
The Body and Blood of Christ - my sustenance
Easter
The most glorius day of the year.
Emily
The baby of our family.
Education
The focus of my professional career.
Energy
The increased result of #8.
Excitement
The expression I see on my kids face this last school day of the year.
Excellence
What I strive for in everything I do (to no avail many times)
Episode
My life changing experience.
Equinox
Vernal, that is, which marks the day of my birth.
End
That's all folks!

Letter anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Minute Meditations - May 24

Scripture
"Mary...journeyed in haste into the hill counttry...where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth."
(Luke 1:39)

Reflection
"In the interior life and in the apostolate, let us always work with Mary.
For then everything becomes easier and more certain, quicker and more delightful."
- St. Louis Grignion de Monfort

Prayer
Lord Jesus, help me to labor hard in the Christian apostolate. Teach me to work always with Your holy Mother so that I may obtain the best fruits from this work.
- Every Day is a Gift

Tags: Minute Meditations

Minute Meditations - May 20

Scripture
"If a man is just and does what is right..., he has withdrawn his hand from evildoing."
(Ezekiel 18: 5-8)

Reflection
"Justice can be unsterstood in many and varied ways.
Among other things, justice is the constancy of a good will."
- St. Bernardine of Sienna

Prayer
God of all justice, infuse me into the true virtue of justice. Let me have a good will toward You and toward all human beings - rendering to each everything that is due each.
- Every Day is a Gift

Tags: Minute Meditations

A Prayer for Students

On this last day of school (at least for my students), I offer this prayer to (my) all students and graduates this summer:

Father,

They have knowledge, so will You show them now,
How to use it wisely and find a way somehow
To make the world they live in a little better place,
And make life with its problems a little bit easier to face.

Grant them faith and courage and put purpose in their days,
And show them how to serve Thee in effective ways.

So their education, their knowledge and their skill
May find their true fulfillment as they learn to do Thy will.

And may they ever be aware in everything they do,
That knowledge comes from learning, and wisdom comes from You.

Amen.

(modified from this prayer)

From My Inbox: Scratching the Door

What a wonderful way to explain death

A sick man turned to his doctor as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side."

Very quietly, the doctor said, "I don't know."

"You don't know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is the other side?"

The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness. Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing... I know my Master is there and that is enough."

I just hope that the Pearly Gates are a little more durable than the door in the picture.


Tags: From My Inbox

First Communion Sunday

On top of being Mother's Day, we also celebrated with about 25 second graders as they made their First Communion today. One of the things Father Jim hoped, was that these children would remember this day for the rest of their lives.

I remember my first communion in 1974 (see picture), albeit vague memories. It took place at St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church on Bridgetown in Cincinnati, OH.

Does anyone remember their First Communion??

A prayer for the little ones:

Dear Jesus,
Bless these little children, who come to You today. Live in their hearts and touch their hearts in Your kind, loving way. Watch over and protect them, Lord, wherever they may go, for they have brought a world of joy to those who love them so. Amen.

Happy Mother's Day

From Women for Faith & Family, a prayer for mothers on this Mother's Day:

Most Gracious Heavenly Father,

We thank You for our mothers to whom You have entrusted the care of every precious human life from its very beginning in the womb.

You have given to woman the capacity of participating with You in the creation of new life. Grant that every woman may come to understand the full meaning of that blessing, which gives her an unlimited capacity for selfless love for every child she may be privileged to bear, and for all Your children.

Watch over every mother who is with child, strengthen her faith in Your fatherly care and love for her and for her unborn baby. Give her courage in times of fear or pain, understanding in times of uncertainty and doubt, and hope in times of trouble. Grant her joy in the birth of her child.

To mothers You have given the great privilege and responsibility of being a child's first teacher and spiritual guide. Grant that all mothers may worthily foster the faith of their children, following the example of Mary, Elizabeth, and other holy women who follow Christ. Help mothers to grow daily in knowledge and understanding of Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and grant them the wisdom to impart this knowledge faithfully to their children, and to all who depend upon them.

Assist all "spiritual mothers", those who, though they may have no children of their own, nevertheless selflessly care for the children of others -- of every age and state in life. Grant that they may know the joy of fulfilling this motherly calling of women, whether in teaching, nursing, religious life, or in other work which recognizes and fosters the true dignity of every human being created in Your image and likeness.

We beseech You to send Your Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to all mothers who sorrow for children that have died, are ill or estranged from their families, or who are in trouble or danger of any kind. Help grieving mothers to rely on Your tender mercy and fatherly love for all your children.

We ask your blessing on all those to whom You have entrusted motherhood. May Your Holy Spirit constantly inspire and strengthen them. May they ever follow the example of Mary, mother of Our Lord, and imitate her fidelity, her humility, and her self-giving love. May all mothers receive Your Grace abundantly in this earthly life, and may they look forward to eternal joy in Your presence in the life to come.

We ask this through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. AMEN.

St. Mark School May Carnival

Well, despite not winning the $10,000 in the Lion Share drawing (you had your chance!) we had a really good time. It was well attended. It rained for a little while, not not enough to send everyone in. I worked the inflatable boxing ring from 3:00-5:30 then headed to the beer garden! The kids had a wonderful time and won so many junkie little prizes!

Kathy had fun with the silent auctions. We ended winning the basket of lottery tickets, so after we finish scratching them off, the evening may prove to be more profitable than the grand prize drawing! Family of a parishioner won the $10K. The classroom plates and quilts went for close to $100 each!

I didn't have time to snap alot of pictures, but check out this slideshow to get a glimpse of what happened.

Safety Fair 2006

Just got back from the Safety Fair. Here's a slideshow of the pix I took. Off to the St. Mark School May Carnival...

In and Out this Weekend

Going to the Madison County Safety Fair this morning. Then on to the St. Mark School May Carnival this afternoon/evening.

Tomorrow - celebrating Mother's Day with Mass in the morning, then lunch. Visiting mom/sister and mother-in-law in the afternoon/evening.

Will try and post some pictures this evening.

Have a great weekend!!

News Briefs: Bill Cosby

From CNS News Briefs May 11, 2006:

Appearances by Cosby, Philbin help Kentucky parish pay off debt
RICHMOND, Ky. (CNS) -- Bill Cosby and Regis Philbin represent celebrity bookings any first-time agent would be proud of. But when the "booking agent" is a Catholic priest and the celebrities are raising funds for his parish and other charities, the story takes a twist. To top it off, the parish is not in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago or Philadelphia. It is in Richmond, some 25 miles down the road from Lexington. The story of how a small-town priest could attract big-name talent is an amazing one, and it's all tied into the drive, determination and the never-settle-for-no attitude of Father James W. Sichko, pastor of St. Mark Parish in Richmond. Facing a parish debt of close to $1 million at the time he was named pastor, Father Sichko was searching for a way to chip away at the debt, while involving hundreds of St. Mark's parishioners in the process. The idea he came up with led to the annual St. Mark's "An Evening Among Friends." The first event in 2005 featured television personality Philbin of "Live With Regis and Kelly." The second event April 30 featured comedian Cosby.

Prayer Answered!

My special intention has been answered!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen

An Evening Among Friends II - Cosby

Our local paper covered the performance very well. Read about it in the Richmond Register.

Update:

I decided to copy the story and picture here so I'd have it, even if the Richmond Register link broke:

Cosby proves himself a master of comedy
Bill Robinson
Register Feature Writer

Bill Cosby is such a master of comedy, he merely has to squint or look out of the corner of one eye to make people laugh.

Cosby may not have invented the situation comedy, but he has certainly perfected the art of finding humor in almost any situation.The best-selling author, who was star of televisions long-running, top-rated Bill Cosby Show, brought his wry sense of humor to Richmond on Sunday for St. Mark Catholic Church's second annual "Evening with Friends".

Proceeds from Cosby's church-sponsored appearances will benefit St. Mark's building fund as well as Madison County Habitat for Humanity and the Enis Cosby Foundation.

After performing before a packed house at Eastern Kentucky Universitys 1,850-seat Brock Auditorium in the afternoon, Cosby gave a second, more intimate performance to another packed house of more than 500 Sunday evening in the St. Mark sanctuary. Extra chairs were brought in to accommodate the crowd.

Prior to his performance, Cosby met a number of patrons who had paid extra to met the world-famous entertainer and be photographed with him.

Bishop Ronald Gainer of the Catholic Diocese of Lexington and Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher with his wife Glenna were among the many out-of-town guests who heard Cosby at the church.

Fletcher said he had spoken on the phone with Cosby last year to invite him to the Kentucky Derby. "I had an uncle named Ernie Fletcher who is now deceased," Fletcher said Cosby told him. "It's interesting to learn that hes come back as a white man and is now governor of Kentucky," Cosby said.

Before Cosby spoke, Richmond Mayor Connie Lawson recalled meeting Cosby about 35 years ago in Las Vegas. "My husband and I had gone to Las Vegas to see Elvis Presley perform," she said. "In the hotel elevator we met Bill Cosby dressed to play tennis. He told us he had to hurry to his room and change. Elvis had canceled his show and he would have to go on early."

The Rev. Robert Blythe, pastor of the First Baptist Church on Francis Street, who also serves as Richmond's mayor pro tem, said he had gleaned lots of sermon topics from lessons that Cosby in his TV role of Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable had taught his children.

Taking his cue from his performance location, Cosby, who was dressed in a St. Mark Lions sweatsuit, worked religious humor into his show.

Growing up in a Protestant family, Cosby said he regarded Catholics as quiet people. "They could communicate with God using hand gestures," he said. "They didn't have to shout the way we Protestants did."

Cosby said both his grandmothers were Methodists, while both his grandfathers were Baptists. One grandfather was a Baptist preacher.

As a child, Cosby said he was awakened at 5 a.m. every Sunday by his father to be present as his grandfather led the family in prayer.

The prayers sessions often lasted for extended periods. "I'd be praying that he would get done quickly, so we could eat the fried chicken, biscuit and gravy breakfast that was waiting for us," Cosby said.

Much of his grandfather's Sunday morning prayers were unintelligible, Cosby recalled. After he joined the U.S. Navy as a 19-year-old, Cosby attended a Catholic worship service with a buddy. "A lot of the service was in Latin, and I couldn't understand it," Cosby said. "It reminded me of my grandfather's prayers."

During one visit home from the Navy, Cosby worked up the courage to tell his grandfather that he did not understand a lot of what he was saying as he prayed. "I wasnt talking to you," his grandfather informed him.

In much of Cosby's routine, he lamented his role as the hapless husband, always in trouble with the "little woman".

Whoever came up with the term "little woman"? he asked. Going over to Bob Geiger who was sitting near the stage with his wife, Cosby asked how long he had been married. "Forty-two years," Geiger replied. "How long before you found out you weren't the boss?" Cosby asked. "About two minutes," said Geiger, as the audience roared with laughter.

"I idolized Bill Cosby as a kid," said Kevin Rahimzadeh after the performance. "To see him in person is a dream come true."

Pat Reister said, "I thought he'd eventually run out of laughs, but he just kept them coming."

Bishop Gainer thanked Cosby for his generosity in coming to Richmond. He also congratulated Father James Sichko of St. Mark on the success achieved in two successive "Evenings with Friends".

Not many people, and "certainly not many clergy could pull this off," he said. "This is one church event where we passed the collection plate ahead of time," the bishop joked.

Father Sichkos mother, Thereze Sichko of Orange, Texas, came to Richmond for "An Evening with Friends". While his decision to enter the priesthood came as a surprise to her, his success and staging fund-raising events did not, Mrs. Sichko said.

"I've got 20 scrapbooks at home from all of his church as school activities as a boy," she said. As a high school student, her son organized disaster drills, among many other activities, she recalled.

As a college student at the New England Conservatory of Music, her son raised $25,000 and secured many in-kind donations to bring the conservatory choir to Texas for a performance in his hometown.

Before Cosby came on stage, Father Sichko and Bishop Gainer presented the parishs annual awards. The honorees included: Julia Hinkle, who joined St. Mark in 1938; Dr. and Mrs. James Bennett, who hosted last years "Evening with Friends", Deacon Richard Jackson and his wife Madeline, who have been married for more than 60 years; and church volunteer leaders Emma Esker and Ellen Kessler.

Gil and Carla Smith won an autographed caricature of Cosby that was raffled off as part of the fund-raising event.

St. Mark plans a third annual "Evening with Friends" for next year. A special guest has been secured, but will not be revealed until later, Father Sichko said. "Today is about Bill Cosby and An Evening with Friends."

Bill Robinson can be reached at brobinson@richmondregister.com or at 623-1669, Ext. 267.

KLC - Day One with pictures

Well, the conferences are over for the day and we have the rest of the evening free, so I'll take this time to describe the facilities.

I took some pictures, but the batteries died after five shots. I brought everything but the kitchen sink, but forgot to buy batteries. Oh well. I'll get some later tonight.

The Kentucky Leadership Center is....rustic. Simple. Non-luxurious. Away from civilization (Somerset is about 45 minutes away). We each have our own room which are equipped with two bunk-beds, a sink, a bathroom with shower, a clock radio and that's it. It is very quiet, and I hope to use some downtime to pray and unwind.

The main lodge has four conference rooms, a dining hall, a big screen TV (I hope there are other Lost fans here) and wireless access. The gounds are expansive, and I hope to walk tomorrow morning (if its not raining) and take some pictures of the cabins 4-Hers use in the summer and the lake.

Last year I hiked two miles to the lake, which wasn't bad considering it was all downhill. Unfortunately, the hike back was all uphill. This was pre-event and I was about 20 punds heavier. Hopefully the hike (if I get the guts to do it again) this time will go much easier.

While it is nice to have some time to unwind, it is frustrating tonight because today is Nicholas' 10th birthday, and I am not at home celebrating with the family. I had considered driving back home this evening to kiss him goodnight, but that would mean 4 more hours of driving this evening or two tonight and two tomorrow morning and the conference tomorrow starts at 7:30 am, so I called him instead. He understands, but still, its hard.

I hope to read and reflect this evening (after Lost) and write some more posts for uploading in the morning. Until then, good-night.

Out of town

I will be out of town today through Friday at a Transition Summit (job required) at the remote Ky Leadership Center in Nancy, KY.

They have wireless access in the conference building, so I'll be posting pictures and information in the evenings.

Have a great day

For a Good Cos

What this article doesn't say about tonight's or either of the Evening Among Friends events (last year's inaugural was hosted by Regis Philbin) was that both were created to give something back to the community.

Last year's event benefited the local YMCA and Kids Connection (local organization helping children in the community) as well as our church debt.

This year the proceeds will help the Madison County Habitat for Humanity and to Hello Friend: Ennis William Cosby Foundation.

Kathy and I are going with my mom and dad this evening. I'll let you know how the performance goes. It should be a great time!

Comment Moderation Off

I have turned the comment moderation off.

Minute Meditations - April 29

Scripture
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
(John 14:6)

Reflection
"Many want to go ahead of Christ not after Him - by laying out a way to their own specification. They seek to serve God and obtain virtue without effort.
But they deceive themselves, for Christ is 'the way'."

St. Catherine of Siena

Prayer
Lord Jesus, guard me from the desire to take the easy way. Grant that I may faithfully and diligently follow the way You have traced out to the Father for us.

from Every Day is a Gift

Tags: Minute Meditations

Divine Intervention - Gamaliel's Counsel

In today's first reading, we are introduced to a Pharisee in the Sanhedrin named Gamaliel. He was a respected teacher of the law, and it was at his suggestion (or was it really?) that the Sanhedrin tread very carefully in their decision to put the Apostles to death. His argument was that, based on past experiences with Thadeus and Judas the Galilean, the followers of men are often dispersed once their leader is dead. Gamaliel warned the people of Israel that if Jesus was not who He claimed to be, then these followers, the Apostles, would soon disappear. However, his argument continued, if Jesus really was who He said He was, then their battle with the Apostles would be a battle with God. And that wasn't a place Gamaliel wanted to be.

Interestingly enough, the following excerpt from the Catholic Encyclopedia had this to say about Gamaliel:

We learn from Acts, xxii, 3, that he was the teacher of St. Paul; but we are not told either the nature or the extent of the influence which he exercised upon the future apostle of the Gentiles...The Jewish accounts make him die a Pharisee, and state that: "When he died, the honour of the Torah (the law) ceased, and purity and piety became extinct." At an early date, ecclesiastical tradition has supposed that Gamaliel embraced the Christian Faith, and remained a member of the Sanhedrin for the purpose of helping secretly his fellow-Christians (cf. Recognitions of Clement, I, lxv, lxvi). According to Photius, he was baptized by St. Peter and St. John, together with his son and with Nicodemus. His body, miraculously discovered in the fifth century, is said to be preserved at Pisa, in Italy.

A simple Google search on Gamaliel's counsel turned up a variety of interesting pieces touting his wisdom. I like to think it was more than wisdom that led him to advise Sanhedrin to ust beat the pulb out of the Apostles and forbid them to preach in the name of Jesus. I like to think there was Divine Intervention at work there, and throughout the history of Christianity.

Oh, and the Apostles, after they were flogged and forbidden to preach, left the Sanhedrin and rejoiced that they were made to suffer in the name of Jesus. How many of us have experienced real persecution for what we believe? Would you be willing to be beaten or killed to hold fast to what you know to be true? Should we thank God for living in a free country where we can proclaim what we know to be true? Certainly. I think we should look forward to the opportunity to suffer for what we belive, for it is in suffering that He is glorified!

pray-as-you-go

I try and find quiet times times throughout the day to pray. As a school principal, and a father of three kiddos, you can imagine that finding that time can be difficult. It can be challenging for many of us. Now, thanks to pray-as-you-go (PAYG) is become a little easier.

This trial-site, which originally opened for business to offer daily downloadable audio files to aid in prayer during the Lenten season. The response was so great that they decided to extend the trial period through the Easter season as well.

This site offers:

• Breathing exercises to prepare you to pray


• Body exercises to help you prepare to pray


• A Review of the Day audio file as a short reflection back over the day


• Daily audio files with different music, daily Gospel, and reflections


• Pauses in the audio files for self reflection and prayer

This site is offered through the Jesuit Media Initiative out of the UK.

So, get out your ipod, burn that RW CD, or fire up iTunes and listen to the podcast. This is a great opportunity for commuters and busy people to put prayer back into lives!

Don't forget to stop by and fill out the questionnaire. We don't want this one to go away!