August will be hot and busy

We have arrived at August; for us in the deep south the most uncomfortable month of the year. The weather has been very hot; today we hit 100 with a heat index near 115. That's pretty darn hot. I still managed to cut grass for about 5 hours this weekend but I waited to late in the day. We also keep a wary eye on the tropics this time of year. Hurricane season is always most active from August til mid September.

But not all is bad news. Schools down here start soon; in a week to be exact. And our local colleges and universities will be back in session in 3 weeks; including LSU where my daughter starts her senior year. And we all know that football is not far away and the Saints are in training camp preparing to defend their Super Bowl Championship. Has it really been 6 months since the Saints claimed the Lombardi trophy?

The busy comes in activities related to the diaconate. In just one week our two classes currently in formation reconvene for classes. For one group, this will be the final 5 month session before ordination. I will be assisting this group with their homiletics preparation. I count it joy to give back to those in formation as so many did for me and my classmates. Our entire diaconate community will come together twice in short order; in one week we celebrate the retirement of our long time director, Deacon Jim Swiler and then on the 10th we gather to celebrate the Feast of St. Lawrence. And if that is not enough, in a few weeks we have another gathering for the group inquiring about the possibility to a diaconal vocation.

I like busy. I still have plenty to do at the office and around the home and still have plenty to keep me busy with both my parish and prison ministry. It is a source of great joy when I realize that ministry occurs in all these events and the everyday events at home and with friends and loved ones.

So while the heat is on; I pray that all of us will have a blessed and faith-filled August. Just acknowledge that God is in control and this too will be a wonderful month.