October 2005

In the original request that we made for funds to ship books to the Philippines, I mentioned that we would be sending the books by means of a “balikbayan box”. But just how big is one of these things anyway?

Answer: take a look!

The balikbayan system is really simple: you send a standard-size box by ship, and pay by volume rather than by weight (which means it costs the same whether the box is filled with ping-pong balls, or filled with scrap metal). The service is door to door, to anywhere in the Philippines.

This October 31 (Halloween, you got it) a proposed law is going to be debated in the Canadian national parliament. Only this is no childish “trick or treat”: the law proposes to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada.

Today I had a nice chat with a fellow named Neil Brockman, who is a sales agent for a church supply company, but who also (along with his wife Kathy) runs the Divine Mercy Distribution Centre. The name of the organization makes me smile…..like they don’t just distribute devotional materials, but actual divine mercy! I can just hear it:

I was asked by my buddy Deacon Benoit Morrier of Benedictus Qui Venit to go over to his parish and give a presentation on the topic of euthanasia and the problem of suffering. Over 20 people showed up, and there was a lively discussion. I enjoyed myself thoroughly.

Today I had a meeting with the archdiocesan Presbyteral Council. I am not a member of the Council, but I was there to give a financial presentation regarding a particular fund run by the diocese to help support priests in difficulty. The Presbyteral Council is one of the more important councils in any diocese -- every bishop must have one and must preside over it. So it was quite impressive for me to be there with 20 or so of my brother priests, as well as the Cardinal Archbishop and his two Auxiliary Bishops.

A recent time of prayer brought me to reflect on the three evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Which of these is the easiest to live? Which is the hardest? Is there one more for beginners, and another which can only truly be tackled by the spiritually advanced?

One question I get a lot is: How much money does a priest make?

Let me start by clarifying that YES, we do in fact make a salary and earn a paycheck and deposit it in a bank account etc. The priests who are members of a religious order have their own special arrangements, made necessary in part because of their vow of poverty, but we diocesan priests (also called “secular” priests) live and work in the world and so live in many ways like other folks…..including in how we take care of our living.

I decided to visit the Palliative Care residence today. Why today? No special reason. But who comes in at the end of lunch but one of my parishioners, whom I met just a few days before. She is sick with cancer and just moved in to the residence that morning. We had a great chat, and remarked what an amazing coincidence it was that she arrived on the very same day that I came for lunch.

Just where is Baranguay Consolacion, anyway? Check out this map!

Recently I’ve had a number of people approach me asking for help in praying the Liturgy of the Hours. Some were youth with whom I travelled to Germany in August, others are adults for whom I am a spiritual director, and the most recent request has come from the parish in which I now serve.

A key barrier to praying the Liturgy of the Hours is the complexity of the breviary, as well as its cost. But today I was told about the Liturgy of the Hours Apostolate, which has all this stuff on-line. Amazing!

As an enthusiastic blogger, I really believe this medium has the potential to make a difference in our world. So now, I’m putting this thesis to the test!

…hundred. Or it felt like that, particularly for hole #9 where I got so fed up I eventually picked up the ball and threw it down the fairway. It added a touch of comic relief to the situation, which was just unbelievably bad.

Fr. Stephen Otvos was with me, as I treated him to a round of golf for his anniversary. As both Fr. Stephen and I (re)discovered while out today, this can be a frustrating game! At least we had the pleasure of a beautiful day and each other’s company — even if our scores went through the roof. Gotta get back to work on my swing!