Twilight Twitches

Dear Sisters and Brothers,
In the Gospel this weekend, we hear Jesus asking Peter, “But who do you say that I am?” From all indications, Peter gives an immediate response: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Twenty centuries later, the question is still very relevant for each of us as followers of Jesus: “(Your name here), Who do YOU say that I am?”

We can repeat Peter’s response, and we would be correct. Jesus IS the Christ, the Son of the living God. That’s a pretty intellectual statement. How does that filter down into the heart, into the very core of my being?

Dear Sisters and Brothers,
As I sit at the computer, staring at a blank page on Monday evening, I realize (once again) what a gifted Pastor we have. Monsignor Jim is able to write a fresh “Twitch” every week in addition to preparing a homily for the weekend Masses, as well as for the daily Masses. And here I sit, staring at a blank page. Come, Holy Spirit...

Dear Family,
Thanks to the Men’s Club, summer brings us two major projects. One is finished already, the re-windowing and then painting of what we call Father Stephen’s house, - even though he’s been gone for four years. His presence blessed us. Maybe we should call it the St. Stephen House. Patricio did a great job of filling cracks. It came out very well, and we were blessed to find a really good painter who didn’t blow us out of the water with the cost. (I’d happily recommend him to you upon request.)

Dear Family,
Do you remember Charlie the cactus? He stood guard on our altar during Lent four or five years ago. Well, we planted Charlie on the west side of the parish center, and low and behold, we think maybe Charlie is really Charlotte. As I write, there are some cactus pups springing out of C’s base as well as a flower about to bloom. In this world of missile launches and range projections, it’s nice to have something that brings a smile.

Although I’m writing this before she gets home, I think another occasion for a smile will be Annie’s return from a well-deserved break. In her stead, Cynthia did a great job. She was telling me today about all the things that Annie planned out, laid out and carried out before she left. We both decided that it sure made our job easier.