From the Pastor's Desk, November 13

Praised be Jesus Christ! From time to time a friend sends me poetry that he composes – for an amateur, he’s quite good. Only in the last few years did someone reveal to me that the trick to understanding poetry is that it must be read aloud. Take the following verse that cleverly teaches basic grammar:

A noun names person, place or thing –
A man, a town, a thought, a swing.
An adjective describes a noun –
Small shoes, bright eyes, new gloves, green gown.
(And pronouns too, the next one down).
Use pronouns such as we, me, they
Instead of using nouns all day.
A verb says what we are or do –
They dance, she is, he laughed, it flew.
An adverb tells how things are done,
We quietly talk, they quickly run.
An interjection shows surprise,
As: Oh! how pretty. Ah! how wise
Conjunctions are for joining things
Like clauses, phrases
And prepositions? What are they?
​Oh dear! That’s difficult to say!
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We forget to thank God for many things, one of which is the art of communication. One of the reasons I use this column is to utilize another form of moving thoughts, feelings and ideas from my heart to yours. Speaking is an art, and writing well is no less so. People who read make progress in both, which shows itself in many wonderful ways. Some of the saints read very little but were still masterful in communicating the interior truths God taught them. Saint Francis of Assisi is but one example of how divine grace can transform an uneducated man into poetry in motion. Maybe you feel drawn to read more, and thanks to some very generous people, St. John’s always has free books available for you – check out the hallway near the bride’s room and you’ll find wonderful books that will further refine your imagination as well as enhance your ability to communicate with God and man. Christ the King also has a nice library in the church basement and some of those books have been waiting for a person like you to snuggle up with and share their wisdom. Now that the weather begins to make outdoor activity less and less attractive, why not read a couple of good books this winter? Before closing this column, allow me to segue to a theme apropos of November – namely the art of burying the dead. Recently Pope Francis approved a document that clarifies the Catholic Church’s teaching and what follows are some important excerpts: The Catholic Church wholeheartedly recommends continuing the "pious practice of burying the dead," Cardinal Muller said… mirroring the burial of Christ, it more clearly expresses hope in the resurrection when the person's body and soul will be reunited. When a person is buried in the ground, the final resting place is marked with the person's name, the same name with which the person was baptized and by which the person is called by God. Keeping ashes at home on the mantel, he said, is a sign not only of love and grief, but also of not understanding how the loved one belonged to the entire community of faith and not just to his or her closest relatives. "Only in grave and exceptional cases," the instruction says, local bishops may give permission for ashes to be kept in a private home. May the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace!

​Your friend in Christ,
Father Martin
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