Catholic Ragemonkey

CHRISTMAS TIME JOY-JOY ACTIVITY
The parish office is closed today in honor of the Christmas Holy Day (just today, not the whole Octave), so it was reasonably quiet in the office, especially after the madness of the phones this weekend. I think it started around 5 a.m. (so 3 hours after I got to bed from Midnight Mass), the phones ringing with "What time are your Christmas Masses?" Of course we have an automatic recording of the Mass times, but the phone still rings once before it kicks in, and if someone is on that line when another call comes the second call is switched to our "emergency line" which rings throughout the rectory until someone picks up. I answered the call of one "genius" who said that he could not figure out our bulletin because it said we had Mass at both 8 a.m. and 8:15 a.m. I pointed out that while it is true we have a daily Mass, Mondays - Saturdays, at 8 a.m. he should follow the times given in the BIG, BOLD FACE, BOXED NOTICE LABELED "CHRISTMAS MASS SCHEDULE." But one of my brother priests here at the parish got an even better call, "Uh, Father, being its Christmas, you wouldn't have any Masses scheduled for today, would you?" No, we closed for the day in honor of our Lord's birth (read the sacrasm).

As I was saying, today things have been rather quiet. I have been in my office because I had a couple, whom I am preparing for marriage and who live out of State, stopping by for a meeting. As I waited for them I decided to knock off a little task which the Diocese asks all of us priests to do, but which probably 95% have not done (Fr. Tharp, kind of like those "P.I.P.s" we were suppose to write in the seminary) -- I planned my funeral. Yep, in the middle of the Octave celebrating the Birth of our Lord, I sat at my computer figuring out what readings I want at my funeral, which hymns, who would do what, etc. I know, it sounds a bit morbid, but I'm suppose to have it filed with the Diocese within one year of my ordination, and truth be told, it really isn't that terrible of a task. Now I just have to write my will, and finish inventorying all my possessions (the time comsuming part of that is the inventory of my books). But now that my marriage couple has come and gone it is time to go to my room, pray Daytime Prayer and then nap.

Felix Dies Natalis Christi ad Omnibus. ("Happy Day of Christ's Birth to All")