The day in brief

One of the joys of having active high schoolers in the parish is the randomness of their ideas.

This morning three of them served the Mass and a fourth helped lead the singing. We do not normally sing during the weekday Masses (with the exception of the Alleluia [if the lector is comfortable singing] and the Doxology and Amen), but this morning I thought people might expect to sing.

Knowing that we would not have an organist or pianist (the Mass was to be at the cemetery but was moved to the church on account of the weather), I chose songs that are easy to sing, are good, and that people know: "Holy, Holy, Holy," "Where Charity and Love Prevail," "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence," and the requisite patriotic song, "America."

I was greatly surprised at both the quality of the singing and the number of singers this morning. You could even hear the men, and more so than the women! It was wonderful! We might not have an accompanist more often.

It just goes to show that, as people remarked after Mass, if you chose songs that are easy to sing, have a good melody and good lyrics, people will join in singing. If the songs resemble waltzes, people are much less likely to join in.

At any rate, after Mass the high schoolers wanted to see the pictures they took from the ordination Saturday. Unfortunately, not many of them turned out too clearly.

After chatting in my office for a bit and helping another understand e-mail, they asked me along on a bike ride around Effingham. I accepted their invitation and rode around town with them for a little more than an hour. We then stopped at the local coffee shop for a late lunch. It was an enjoyable time, but I know I'm going to feel it tomorrow. I already do.

I've just returned from a brief visit with a gentleman that we helped last summer with loding and a bit of food for the night. He was very kind and gracious - and unwilling to ask for and to accept help - and promised to repay us when he was able. I didn't think much of it.

These are words we hear quite often, but almost never see fulfilled. Only once before have I received a thank you note and I can't recall having been repaid, until tonight.

This man remembered his promise and had a few days in Effingham. He called when I was out of town and left a message that he wanted to repay us. True to his word, he did. And then some.

He is a man of very few words but a large and generous heart. May God bless him.