I'm not dead, sick or missing...

...Just busy, and a little tired.

Monday being the anniversary of 9/11, I really didn't feel like posting. What could I say? I thought there were a lot of maudlin, self-serving "tributes" all over the blogosphere.

I could think of nothing to say that others hadn't said better; and I have no interest in "reliving" any of it. I didn't watch any of the TV coverage, because as important as it is for people to see what happened (if they didn't see it then), I have no desire to see it played over and over. Some people have a strange nostalgia; I have no nostalgia for 9/11. It was a horrible, dark, terrible day that affected me for days and weeks after. I remember the fear that gripped when I heard an airplane fly over the seminary that night; I remember the first time, after that, that I went to the airport, and feeling so strange, and nervous, around airplanes. I remember being so depressed at the prospect of what would come. And I remember feeling deep anger; I actually wished those men in hell, although I quickly repented of that and am ashamed of that wish.

Well, then Tuesday was a very full day, as it often is. When I come in the office on Tuesday, I have a lot of things waiting for me.

Today, I was up for the 8 am Mass, then went home to work on my homily. I got it done, and don't like it much; which could mean it will be rather good, you let me know! It's funny how, many times, how the homilies I don't like, many people do like.

Then, this afternoon, at the office, my cordless mouse decided to die on me. Amazing how something like that can really irritate me. Why, I had to get out my corded mouse and use that! Oh, the injustice! Just proves how often anger is caused by not having the control we think we're entitled to.

We had the pilgrim statue of Fatima at one of my parishes today; the retired priest had Mass to kick it off, and a parishioner took care of everything; I went over to pray during the last hour. Then I walked back to the other parish (1/2 mile) for Bible study; then drove back to the other parish to visit with the choir, gathering for the first time since spring; stopped in with the high school booster club and also a confirmation meeting for parents, with the last stop (before home) the Knights of St. John. Had beer and pizza with them and resisted all invitations to join the poker game, since I didn't want to stay too late.

In all this, I'm skimming over my "office work": a lot of it is simply clearing paper off my desk. A stack of messages need action, one by one; an inbox full of emails. Passing things along to my secretary to file, things to staff to act on. Writing up the Mass schedule for October and November; writing a memo to the other priests informing them about this and that going on; fielding calls; chatting with volunteers who are assembling a letter to all parishioners; and so forth. Sometimes I think, "my job is to move paper around--that's what I do all day long!"

Oh, and I pray: I had Mass at 8; I used the Roman Canon, and wondered what John Chrysostom would think of that! I was very happy to have the time to pray in the afternoon, and a little annoyed that people were chatting in the vestibule around a literature table set up about Fatima.

Anyway, there's a report on the week thus far. Tomorrow I have Mass at the nursing home at 10:30 am, so I can sleep a little later if I want.