SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT

Big, family, birthday party—MomMom Keenan’s 90th. The house was filled with children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A perfect crowd for our one-year-old grandson Asher to play Peek-a-Boo. And play he did. With a dish towel over his head, he went from room to room (sometimes walking into walls) to find that someone or more than one someone to say:

“Where’s Asher; where’s Asher?”

And the dish towel would whip off to, “Ah, there he is,” and big smiles all around.

I asked the kids what they thought made Asher smile the most—hiding from the crowd or making his big appearance? After counting the votes, I told them I thought it was neither, but instead it was that split second of a moment when he absolutely believed that he had everything to loose and nothing to gain by hiding and nothing to loose and everything to gain by making his big appearance. Better to be for others than to be alone. Believe it—really believe it—and smile.

The Transfiguration of today’s gospel is a little like Ahser’s Peek-a-Boo. The glory of the Lord promises to make a big appearance, but the disciples are warned to keep it hidden. Why? Because Jesus knows that they have not yet come to that split second moment of belief. And they won’t, until they witness for themselves the Lord loosing all of himself to gain all for others. And until they believe it—really believe it—and smile.

Girl Scout Troop 1023 says “Thanks!!!”

The Girl Scouts’ collection for the Food Bank for Westchester was a huge success. And your generosity made it so. The Girl Scouts wish to express their thanks for your many contributions. And we wish to express our thanks to the Girl Scouts for their good work.

Altar Server Training

Many have expressed interest in becoming altar servers. That’s great! We will be scheduling a training session very soon. But scheduling a conference call with the UN General Assembly is easier than scheduling anything in Chappaqua. So stay tuned. My idea is to open the training session to new altar servers in 4th, 5th and 6th grades and include our veterans for a refresher. We would all meet for a Sunday 10:30 Mass, have the training immediately after and then stay for a pancake breakfast.

In order to make this real, I will be asking parents to register their kids with the understanding that there is a commitment to serve when assigned. I will also be asking for your child’s height, so that we can have cassocks and surplices or albs ready when they are ready to serve.

That’s the heads-up. Watch for the date and registration details.

Love,
Deacon Charlie