Good Morning!
It is a sunny, yet brisk, Monday morning in Clonard, one that just saw us with the first hints of frost on the grass in the morning. The sunshine and blue skies more than make up for it, though, and here’s to another glorious day!
Last Wednesday saw us singing with the Folk Group for the All-Souls Day remembrance service for those in the parish who had passed away during the year. I don’t believe that I’ve seen the church so full as it was, and the parish team did an excellent job of creating a prayerful and love-filled atmosphere as people gathered to remember and pray for their loved ones. Throughout the month of November the parish continues to remember all those who have died through special intentions and a basket of cards in the chapel bearing their names, and it’s nice to add our voices in prayer with those of the parishioners.
We had what one might call a full Sunday yesterday, especially Dan. Because of the primary schools being on break, there was no Children’s liturgy group, but Dan was still there bright and early to run the powerpoints and help out for the first two Masses of the day. The rest of us joined in for the 11:15 Folk Group Mass, I assisted at the 12:30 Mass, and then all of us provided the music during a Diocesan Adoration retreat, which included a Holy Hour of Adoration, a talk given by Frances Hogan, and a concluding Mass. The retreat lasted from 2:00 to 6:00, and while we enjoyed and were challenged by the afternoon, we were glad to get home and warm up our fingers! (Little difficult to play the guitar with cold hands, and I’m sure Molly would say the same about the piano)
The liturgies this weekend included the second part of the parish’s preparation for the International Eucharistic Congress in June, and involved a focus on the place of the Word of God in our lives, as experienced through the Liturgy of the Word. Dan and I were involved on the planning committee for this Sunday, and for the 11:15 and 12:30 Mass I delivered a reflection after the Gospel about responding to the Word of God, with a focus toward bringing Scripture outside of the Sunday liturgy and into our week.
Coming soon our way are some more visitors this weekend, along with preparation for a Communion Enrollment Mass on Sunday, and we’re gearing up for… dare I say it? Thanksgiving! Battle plans are being drawn up, pumpkin pie recipes tried out, oven time divided, cooking aprons starched… uh, how else do you start getting ready?
Have a beautiful day, and God Bless!
Kurt
