Monsignor

Our Catholic friends have this fine word for it.  I met a Monsignor Friday night at the Community Theater presentation of "The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever".  It was the night when the young, red-haired "angel of the Lord" showed a hint of her future in theater with a fine first-time performance.

As I visited with Monsignor, he reminded me that it was a fine title for retirement, but it only meant the title was retired.  He was busy every weekend, somewhere.  Sounded a bit like my preferences, with a splendid title.  I've often said I flunked retirement, but that's not so dignified.  It's not any different in terms of personal mission, just less dignified.

It was nice to meet something of a kindred spirit.  Travel is fun, something of a "free schedule" is fun, and my Bucket List is long, long, long.  But nothing is so good as coming to the end of the day knowing that good things happened on your watch.

Today: one sermon delivered, fellowship with choristers between services, singing with orchestra in a cantata (and a minor solo shared with two other guys), one baptism, a nursing home communion service (two served individually outside of the service), and a visit in a hospice room.

Retirement?  Sure, I'm interested, as long as I get to keep my involvement with the life-stories and personal histories of God's children.  THAT is where my heart gets fed, after all.  It's hard to REALLY retire and still get the blessing of doing all that.

A friend used to say:  "May you be so involved in faith's journey with Jesus that you die in the middle of your tactics."  Not a bad wish for any of us - may you be useful for the entire journey, every moment of it.

It's been a good day.  The same for you, I pray.

Blessings.