More Humor. ROTFL

posted by Fr. Jeffrey Keyes, C.PP.S. on 8:41 PM link

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God's Humor

The '70s are, for me, a forgettable experience. During that time, many in the church forgot what church and priesthood are. It was a time of everyone for themselves. We are paying the price for such idiocy even today. I am often heard to say, "will the 70s never end?!"

From August, 1971 to March 1976 I was a student and a novice for another religious community. I lived in their House of Formation in Houston, TX for four years and received a BA in Philosophy from the University of St. Thomas in 1975. I worked for a summer at one of their parishes in Lake Charles, LA and entered their novitiate in Glenwood Springs, CO. From there, I fled in March of 1976. It was to be almost two years before I was to see the inside of a Catholic Church. I can only describe it as a particularly dark time in the history of the church and my own life. My own sense of hope in God and expectations of Church were never to be met. As a young man I recognize that I had some pretty lofty ideals, but the experience of this group was the direct opposite. I returned to church and seminary in time, studying for the Diocese of Oakland from August of 1978 to August of 1980. St. Patrick Seminary wasn't much better. The highlights of that time was a negative evaluation in my second year because I identified priesthood too closely to sacraments, and rebuffing the propositions of one of the priest professors. It was also a time for exploring my musical gifts and talents. They said they did not want a musical priest and that I would need to make a choice between music and ministry. I left the seminary, got a job as a full time music minister, and began studying music at the St. Joseph College in Rennselaer, IN at their Graduate School of Music and Liturgy. That first semester all my profs were priests, Precious Blood Priests. The rest is history. I joined the Precious Blood Community in 1988. There is more history in there, but that will wait until another time. This post is about God's sense of humor.

I was convinced that God had a wicked sense of humor when I was appointed Director of Formation for this community, and soon after the Church would be made to pay for the most egregious sins of that dark period in the Church's history.

Now I am convinced that God has a warped sense of humor. I have just been invited back to Houston, TX. I am to preach the community retreat for that other religious community of priests and brothers next October.

There may be more historical twists and turns reported on next week after the announcement is made of my assignment as Pastor of ________.

posted by Fr. Jeffrey Keyes, C.PP.S. on 7:06 PM link

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A new edition of the Handbook has been uploaded. It now includes the C cycle reflections for the first and second sundays of Lent.

posted by Fr. Jeffrey Keyes, C.PP.S. on 11:47 AM link

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Handbook

A Reader writes about today’s Gaspar selection from the Handbook:

Very interesting section from Gaspar today. Makes one curious. Maybe you should think about adding a short footnote for the reader, so that we might know what he is referring too, but regardless, certainly it seems like it may speak to us today.

I am not sure what to put in this footnote, so if there is a particular selection that you find curious, let me know.

Today I chose several different letters from different times and to different people. They were chosen for their witness value to today's readings. I preached on "industrious" charity this morning. I am still not quite sure what Gaspar meant by it, but can contemplate what it would look like today.

I am wondering if I have too many Gaspar quotes for this morning.

posted by Fr. Jeffrey Keyes, C.PP.S. on 9:09 AM link

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