Saturday, June 07, 2014

Pentecost and random thoughts...



*The right judgement call can save you a lot of pain and suffering. Last week as I set out to go to work I walked along a path that goes from my building's back door, through a garden to the sidewalk. It has a portico which is nice on rainy or snowy days. As I was trudging I looked up and saw a young man standing at the end of the path. He was wearing flip flops, shorts, and a jacket with the hood up. All I could make out were his eyes. He was looking at me. Oddly enough I felt that someone was staring before I even saw him.  I got off the path and took another connector path to the sidewalk. It put me several feet out of my way but there was nothing on earth that was going to make me walk up to that guy standing in the shadows. When I hit the sidewalk I looked back and saw that he was gone. Interesting.
It's possible that the guy was just meditating. It's possible that he just wanted to say "hi". I didn't care to find out. I've seen him again and he had his dog with  which made him look less sinister but was he still standing motionless in the one shadowy spot on the path and the dog is was not relieving himself.

Our Lord said "Judge not, lest ye be judged," but Our Lord was not saying, be reckless with your life. When you get that weird "danger, danger Will Robinson" feeling act on it.



*Anne Barnhardt, is thinking about quitting blogging.  I would hate that becuase I've learned a lot from reading her. Let me warn you though, in case you're about to link out to her, that Anne is blunt. She is as subtle as a broadsword swung at your head. If you can't take strong language don't go there. She is correct about the thing that grieves her so: Many, if not most Americans, particularly Catholics have gotten spiritually dull and are content to be so. Quite possibly the only thing that will wake folks up is a chastisement of some kind.  I hope she takes a break and comes back.


 *Lately I've been getting copies of Magnificat magazine to take to a dear Catholic lady at my uncle's nursing home. She loves it and reads it every night. The June cover showing a 14th century illumination from a book of hours is just gorgeous.


I'ts mind boggling to think of what happened at Pentecost  Peter and the others went from being frightened and unsure to fearless and faithful unto death.



*Way back in the 60s there was a Gospel album with inexpertly done cover art called "Swing that Gospel Axe" St. Boniface, bishop and martyr, whose feast was this week really did and he lifted the pagans he'd come to evangelize out of the misery of worshipping creations instead of the Creator.

*I just found out that I am going to be the embedded librarian for a department at the law firm I work for. I am not thrilled. Embedding is a cute way of saying that I'll be the designated researcher for this one topic along with all my other duties. Alas, this department covers a topic of law that I have no interest in. Oh well. It might be fine. I might come to enjoy this subject. Our Lady of Good Help, St. Joseph and St. Jerome, pray for me.