Very Busy

I'm too busy to write much of a post, but people like my little "day in a life" posts, and I don't know that I'll have much to post for the next few days.

For example, I'll be giving a financial report to both parishes this weekend, so that means (a) preaching at all six Masses and (b) not posting my homily here. I consider these matters the business of the two parishes, not the world's business.

Also, that means preparing two budgets, because each parish keeps separate accounts, and meeting with two different finance committees. Maybe other pastors with multiple parishes do it better, but this is a pain, because a number of expenses are shared, many are separate but impinge on each other, and so forth.

In a few minutes, I'll meet with a couple preparing for marriage; then I'll run to a campsite for the cub scouts, to eat a hotdog with the boys. I really think every boy should be a scout, at least for awhile. I say that as one who was not a scout, but I wish I had been; and I see how much good scouting does for many boys. In particular, I think scouting helps with their spiritual lives, because, in my experience in two parishes, the scout packs have integrated spirituality with scouting, and thus the boys are encouraged to see spirituality as something for them as boys. Boy Scouts, in my limited experience, reinforce personal morality and religious practice as masculine. (Question: do scouts offer a merit badge specifically for serving at Mass? I wonder how one would make that happen?)

Then, I have to be at 4 pm Mass to preach, then offer 5 pm Mass.

Oh, there's lots of other things -- school, fundraisers, meetings, staff, pastoral council, and so it goes.