It's all routine; or is it?

When a much needed vacation is over it's time to put things in order and sometimes in perspective. Tommorrow I'll be back to work, although in a training session. My desk, my clients and the dedicated staff I work with will have to wait yet another day. I'll spend a little time going through emails and voice mails, catch up on unfinished projects and try as I might to make quota with 6 days out of the office standing in the way. But life is about routine and most of the time we like to get back to them; although much needed breaks are a welcomed respite.

For the past 6 or 7 days I have not been involved in ministry. Of course, you are always involved in ministry, but like my job the routine has been broken. I will return to the things I do this week; prison ministry, marriage work, assisting at Masses, working on a homily to name a few. I did not do any of these things last week and it felt good but I will admit, I'm looking forward to doing these things again.

I also love the opportunity to update this blog, another ministry I believe I was called to do. As a Catholic Deacon, I could chose to blog about the Anglicans, or the SSPX negotiations in Rome, or the dust up last week with another disobedient Kennedy Catholic, or any of a number of things Catholic.

For the most part, I like to keep this personal. I like to stress the ministry of the Permanent Deacon and things evolving near home or in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. This entry tonight is all about reestablishing routine.

One thing we need to avoid becoming routine is our personal prayer life and spiritual direction. Yes, sometimes we pray with a certain rhythm but we should never allow prayer and reflection to be a "thing to do" like the many errands and tasks we check off our to-do list.

Perhaps one of our prayers can be thanks God for the routine, for the everyday things and thanks for the welcomed breaks and opportunities to see new sights and get away. And also for everything we are, all that we have and all that we do; this can be our prayer as well.

Tonight too I ask all of you to join me in prayer for the repose of the soul of Fr. Thomas Perrier, OSB, from St. Joseph Abbey north of New Orleans. Only 57 years old, God called him home to continue to serve Him, now in Heaven. For us left here, Fr. Thomas will be missed.