Penance, Vocations and Reality in Kroger

Feb. 26, 2008

Totally behind on the blogging so this entry is going to contain some varied response to events that have occurred recently.
Like, for example, trying to go to confession in my new hometown. On the up side, a lot of people wanted to go to confession at the big Catholic church in my VA town on Saturday. On the down side, there were 15 people ahead of me and 15 minutes left in the scheduled half hour before Mass. Father probably would have run over to accommodate as many as possible, but I had to be back home to attend the Boy Scout Blue and Gold banquet where my Tiger Scout was receiving two important badges and various beads. So I had to leave on time.
Now, I should say that I'm no longer a parishioner at this large church. My family has opted for the smaller, diverse Catholic church around the corner that had traditionally served the African-American community. But the priest there - who is wonderful - does not schedule confession, very likely because he actually serves three parishes. You have to make an appointment for confession. Our new little church is wonderful, warm, friendly, and full of the love of God. But it doesn't have kneelers or adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, which I miss very much. I am lamenting here the loss of tradition in what must be termed a liberal diocese. And I hate to see people not being able to receive the sacraments because of a priest shortage, which I think is directly related to the liberal nature of the diocese. Just my opinion, mind you.
The shortage - which mean less access to sacraments and devotions - then feeds the shortage because the flock isn't being fed. So, I shall have to be early if I want to confess around here - and I do. And I am actively praying for vocations in this diocese.
Lent hasn't gone so well as I hoped. I gave up my gum-chewing habit and planned to fast every Friday, not just Good Friday and Ash Wednesday. That worked on the first Friday, but last Friday I made the mistake of making tuna noodle casserole for dinner. Never make something you really like if you are supposed to be fasting. That just adds to temptation. So, this Friday I'll do something Spartan. Luckily, I think I'm getting the flu so I'll just stick to fluids.
Now, about reality. It's great when your first-grader can read well. What's not great is when you hear him reading this in Kroger: "Have you ever been forced to have sex against your will? Are you afraid? Are you ever beaten, punched and kicked?" And on and on.
Now, that wasn't a tabloid magazine, it was an advertisement in the fold-down seat section of my shopping cart. The ad was for a women's shelter, which is fine. But why so graphic and why on a child's eye level?
I told him to stop reading and I would explain at home. I did not complain to management, although I considered it. So, the kids and I had a talk at home about how not everyone's Daddy is nice and kind. Not everyone's Daddy hugs Mom every day and plays Jr. Monopoly with his kids or teaches his son to shoot a BB gun. I explained there are some bad people in the world who have sick souls, and the ad was about a safe place women and children could go to get away from bad people.
Yes, it's reality and yes they need to know about it at some time. But at 7 and 8? I did not know about things like that when I was their age. So, I think I handled the situtation as well as I could, but the fact that children must be confronted with this reality is a cause for prayer.
Another cause for prayer: My mother, who can remember air raid drills as an elementary school child in WWII, is now a nurse-helper in a school for a little autistic boy. At that school, they are doing disaster drills for school shootings. She remembers her own fear during the air raid drills and laments that today's children must fear such violence from their own countrymen.
So, let us pray....