Strengths and weaknesses

Sometimes it seems that our strengths are also our weaknesses.  We sometimes see this when our strengths play themselves out too well.

I have spent the greater part of this past week attending to the necessary preparations - and their execution - for the celebrations of the Paschal Mystery of our Lord Jesus Christ and early Friday afternoon one of my strengths did become my weakness.

Bishop Paprocki once quipped after I jokingly pointed out a simple lack of logic, "Father Daren tends to think too much."  When he said this, he wasn't too far off the mark.  I do think too much and one day it may well be the end of me.

But I cannot help it.  I notice this, particularly things that just do not make sense, that do not logically follow (I also notice crooked pictures sooner than most people).

As the deacons and I were preparing for the celebration of the Lord's Passion, I noticed a confusing rubric in the Ceremonial of Bishops:

Then without any procession a deacon, wearing the humeral veil, brings the ciborium with the blessed sacrament to the altar.  Two acolytes with lighted candles accompany the deacon, and they place their candles near or on the altar (325).

Doesn't the presence of two accompanying servers carrying lit candles make a procession, even if a simple procession?  See what I mean?  I notice these sorts of things all the time, whether in print or in speech.

Thinking too much in this way sometimes leads to a moment of levity, but it also often enough leads to frustration.  For me, being logical isn't terribly difficult.  One simple has to stop for a moment, think, and then proceed from the thought-through thought.

The good thing about thinking too much is that as I judge failures of logic I am - though not enough - reminded of my own weaknesses and of my need for the Lord's grace and mercy.

As we celebrate today the joy of the Lord's Resurrection, let each of us be aware of our need for his loving forgiveness and rejoice that he bestows it upon us freely.  Alleluia!