Dear Family,
This week I will reach 81 years. In fact, it will happen at 9:45 A.M. EDT on Tuesday. I don’t expect it will feel much different from 8:45 on Monday. I do know it will be different from last year.

When 80 came last year, it took me a little time to realize that I had feelings about my age that I cannot recall ever having before. What the number seemed to say was, “OK, now you know what it was like to climb up the mountain; now what?”

I guess it’s what you hear referred to as “sense of mortality.” You catch yourself sort of wondering about how much time you have left.

I recently heard the chairman of the Viking Cruise Lines say on a commercial that he thought they had risen to the top of their field. He then asked where do you go from here? His answer was not the obvious “Down,” but rather “FORWARD.” That sounds pretty good to me.

Dear Family,
In the Jesuit world, this is the Feast of St. Ignatius, the founder of the Society of Jesus. Today is the final day of the Ignatian Year, remembering the 500th Anniversary of Ignatius' being struck by a cannon ball, and beginning his conversion.

I found myself wondering if I had a ‘cannon ball” moment. I think maybe it has been rather, a series of little “BBs” that hit just enough to get my attention.

Then I began to wonder just how many of those little “BBs” I could remember. That’s not a particularly brilliant thing to try to do when you are couple of weeks short of 81. Remembering doesn’t seem to be at the top of my list of sparkling talents.

BUT... I have been able to think of some, and it has been very nice. A common element in each of them so far, is other people. Most of those encounters have been good. There are a few that weren’t but still offered something that maybe gave me new and better ways of looking at someone or something.

Dear Family,
What kind of a bargainer are you? In the first reading this weekend, Abraham gives us a master class in persistence. When you get to the gospel, you understand why the Abraham reading was picked. Jesus Himself says, “Ask, seek, knock.”

I remember one way we learned as kids about prayer and praying. We learned to use the word ACTS: A=Adoration, C=Contrition, T=Thanksgiving, and S=Supplication. Those were the elements that went into prayer. So, when I hear ‘ask, seek, knock,’ I feel a little guilty because I seem to ask more than I adore or atone or thank. Maybe that’s just my Irish soul saying I shouldn’t be just asking all the time.

And yet, here is Jesus Himself really stressing the supplication aspect of our relationship with God. And not only that, but He also pushes perseverance in asking, seeking, knocking.

Dear Family,
Today I get to enjoy one of my favorite picnic treats, a burnt hot dog. Don’t ask. It’s just fun. I will also top it with sauerkraut. My heartfelt thanks to all the folk who made this Summer Parish Picnic and Ice Cream Social happen. All the members of the Parish Council, (check out their names on the parish bulletin,) along with Annie G. scooping, and Sue and Scott Martinez grilling, bring us this great gathering.

Nancy, Liz, Judy, Rosemary, Frank, Patrick Connie, and Chuck (who flies in from Vermont for the occasion) will bless us with their culinary and social talents. I will made sure to eat so that they will know they are appreciated! (The sacrifices I make...)

Annie made up a “Honey-Do’ list for the members. I’m chuckling as I see one task that has been assigned to Liz, namely making sure that all the borrowed ice cream scoops get back to their owners. Given the tradition of this event, perhaps we should invest in a bunch of parish scoops. Another administrative task for your underworked pastor...