They tell me that sometime this morning we passed from summer to fall; the autumn season. We are desperately trying to embrace it. Down the road in my idyllic little home town of Abita Springs the community is celebrating our annual Water Festival. Last night, more than a few of the area high schools celebrated Homecoming. Just this past week we did indeed experience lows in the high fifties and escaped highs in the nineties. Today though feels warm and humid, more like summer than fall but far from those horrific days of July and August when we can hit triple digits and not even see overnight lows get out of the eighties. All in all I am hopeful for a great autumn season.
If you live around these parts you have to love this time of year. Even if you are a fan of summer, too much of the same thing is too much. We can experience hot humid weather from March through October(and sometimes in the remaining months too) so whatever relief we will feel in the weeks ahead is good! Football season helps get us in the right frame but 2012 looks like a different experience for us Saints fans but our beloved LSU still is looking good. Maybe the real joy of fall football still resides on those local gridirons of the high schools where young men play for shear love of the game.
The first full month of autumn will bring great opportunities and challenges. As a new grandpa(Pops) I must rely on pictures from long distance to experience my new grandson. For my wife Wendy, she has managed a gig as a two week babysitter for little Calvin at the end of October. I'm happy for her; a little jealous for me, not to mention, who will be taking care of me for two weeks? I'm mostly still basking in the glow of grandparenting and the blessings of our little man.
This will be my first autumn at the new job. I can't believe already that I'm already at FNBC Bank for two months. My grand job change is still going well but I am anxious to turn it up a notch. As a branch manager of a small branch in small rural community I am still getting used to the change of pace. I look forward to what the future holds in what is my first job change since 1994.
What about ministry as we enter the fall months? The prison ministry will experience a great event in October as we will have the first visit of Archbishop Aymond. He will be with us the first week of October and will celebrate a full Mass for the men of the Catholic community at Rayburn. There is also a big retreat weekend coming up at Rayburn and I know many of the men participating will experience the love of God personally for the first time ever. In other ministry activity I am preparing four couples for December weddings; yes, I said four. And I also have several families planning Baptisms too. Our weekly Bible study at Most Holy Trinity is going strong, now in it's 15th week. Ministry is good!
Perhaps one of the really big events this fall for us here in the Archdiocese of New Orleans will be the ordination of 20 Permanent Deacons on December 1st. This is the class I've been supporting since their year of inquiry and have been happy and blessed to be one of the homiletics facilitators. I was overwhelmingly touched by the classes decision to ask me to proclaim the Gospel at the ordination Mass, an honor I was happy to accept with great joy and humbled by their invitation.
On this first day of autumn I am very reflective; it's been a very hard and difficult week. Soon I may be able to share more with you but for now, I have been helping two families that in the week that was experienced a great, tragic loss. Despite this reality, I have also experienced great grace, love, and mercy while witnessing family love and support in a difficult time. Today, I am emotionally and perhaps spirtiually worn out. I have the place to myself. I'm thinking of my son and daughter-in-law as they enjoy their weekend with Calvin nestled far to the north in the beautiful state of North Carolina. And my daughter, who we did get to visit with yesterday, is back in the H'burg working diligently on our Masters paperwork. As for my wife, alas, work calls and she is spending a Saturday afternoon at the desk. For me, a time to perhaps reflect and prayer, maybe do some housework, preapre for a little LSU football and get ready to meet with one of my couples in the morning.
It's the first day of fall in the deep south and I'm excited about whats to come. But boy it's still hot today!
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