Praised be Jesus Christ December 21' is approaching faster than most of us like, but the good news is that anticipating the arrival of old man winter allows us to wax eloquently about what we might expect this time around. And while conventional wisdom cites the Farmer's Almanac as the most reputable source, in a tribute to the late, great Tom Petty (he died on October 2" of this year) we'll be using his music as our meteorological Sherpa guide. Probably the best place to start is Petty's song "Refugee," which first hit the scene in 1979. This was one of the first songs I introduced to Father Sedlacek (don't forget that he was home schooled and mostly grew up with Lawrence Welk and the Mandrell Sisters). During the winter of his first year he used to come down to breakfast in his bare feet - watching him shiver as he tried to shovel in some breakfast suggested the following lyrics: "Somewhere, somehow, somebody must have kicked you around some . . . . you don't have to live like a refugee." Yes, Father Sedlacek eventually got himself some cozy sheepskin slippers and no longer lives like a refugee. Given the reality of his toasty toes, the first prediction for the upcoming winter is that it will be more mild than average. The next Tom Petty hit germane to our upcoming winter is the song "Free Fallin." Last summer I went bowling a few times and once I embarrassed everyone in the building by falling face first into the lane as I launched my ball. Thankfully my friends are true Christians and so they told just about everyone they met (including our Bishop). So now when I go bowling I'm serenaded by Petty's aforementioned song, "Yeah I'm free, free fallin'." Speaking of falling, the snow will fall at slightly above average rate, which will be welcome news to our winter sports enthusiasts. Moving on now, one of the more mellow Tom Petty songs is titled "Don't Come Around Here No More." First of all, given that he has definitively moved out of our deanery, this song applies to Father Burish and his tendency to indulge in detraction against his former pastor. Moreover, it might become a refrain for those who loath sub zero temperatures. ... our prediction this year is only 12 nights of the arctic experience and you can take that to the bank. By the way, are you following all of this? If you don't know Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, then this might be an exercise in befuddlement . . . . check him out sometime and you'll recognize his nasally voice. Oh, have I mentioned the song "I Won't Back Down?" This one refers more to our parishioners than to the weather. People who ignore the curb and insist on parking on our beautiful sidewalks have made this their theme song; and as I've discovered over the years, you really "won't back down." Coming into the home stretch, Petty's hit song "Learning To Fly" is again not so much about the weather as it is about our young associate. Many of you have commented that he is really coming into his own, "learning to fly" as it were. For your information, the rest of the refrain goes like this: "Learning to fly, but I ain't got wings, coming down is the hardest thing." Yes, our dear Father Sedlacek is learning to fly, but if we don't do a better job of keeping that to ourselves, he'll never come down from an inflated ego (I'm doing my part, people, but I could use a little help from you). Lastly, we end with Tom Petty's song "Running Down a Dream." The lyrics that give away future weather patterns are these: "The last three days the rain was unstoppable, it was always cold, no sunshine." This song refers to the somewhat earlier spring that OLP will enjoy due to the frequent bursts of hot air coming from the pullpit. Well, I'm out of space and you may very well be out of patience. Oh, and as you head out "Into the Great Wide Open," don't forget spring is only four months away
May God grant us good health in the winter months ahead Your friend in Christ, Father Martin
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Monday - Thursday: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM Friday: 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM Stay Connected with Our ParishWelcome from Our PastorWelcome to Christ the King Catholic Church! Ever since 1938 this parish has been assisting souls in their quest for deeper union with God. Our mission statement is essentially found in the stained glass window above the main altar: “For Christ our King.” Insofar as God made us and we belong to Him, we have come to... Read More
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