So what have you remembered from your first week of Advent? You now in your second week, what has changed? I do actually remember my first weeks sermon. Fr. Daniel talked about the deck chairs of the Titanic. The gist of it was are we the people moving the chairs while the ship is sinking? Now, that I think about it I am not sure I get the relationship to Advent. Sounds more like an Lent sermon.
It has been a tough week for me. Started the week in the hospital with my heart doing flip flops which all started over a migraine which I thought was a sinus headache so I took one sudafed. Apparently I will never be able to take sudafed again. Only ended there overnight. Tuesday went for a nuclear medicine test in Pittsburgh. They told us to be prepared to be there all day and than after it was over asked me to be there again the next day. What? Really? Not prepared for that one. Actually made it happen. Ended the week on a new antibiotic that made me sick for four days. Stopped taking that one.
In the middle of the test in Pittsburgh I saw a priest sitting by himself in the cafeteria so I invited myself and Ann Marie to sit with him. I am glad wed did end up having lunch with Fr. Felix. He is from Uganda and has just ended studies at Duquesne University. We had a great discussion on the differences in Catholicism in US and Africa, Uganda specifically. We talked about the joy that the Uganda church has for the faith. We talked about the aging population of the church in the his parish here in the US and found here in north east of US. He told us of how he feels like a king in Uganda. That the people and there families come from all over for church. That at night they have to tell them to go home and let the priest sleep. Fr. Felix mentioned that he had a decision to make whether to stay in US or go back to Uganda. He was leaning on going back to Uganda, he said it is too lonely being a priest in US. What an indictment of Catholicism in the US especially in the city of Pittsburgh. Fr. Felix told us that he could tell we were not from the city as we were friendly. He also thanked us for helping bring his joy back to him on that day.
I find the comment about being friendly disconcerting as a believer I have found believers to be friendly even in the city. I do think he was speaking of the culture more than what is left of the church. For instance the day after we met Fr. Felix I went to Mass and confession in the city and afterward was asked by a man outside the church for some money. I gave him my usual answer that I would by him a lunch but not give money and he thanked me and said yes he would like some McDonalds. Not my first choice but I took Ernie to McDonalds and bought him lunch. When the cashier asked if it was for here or to go I said for here and Ernie interrupted and said his part was to go. How about that? After buying his lunch he didn't even have time to share it with me.
So what have I learned this first week of Advent. Joy is for us to share but others still choose to receive it. You could replace Jesus for the word joy in the sentence above. Oh yeah, be careful of different confessors, I got a whole rosary for a penance LOL.
