Electric

Wednesday morning, an electrician came to the new house.

(We still aren’t there – the movers come tomorrow morning.)

A problem or two had emerged, involving sparks emitting from a ceiling fan and a subsequent power failure on one side of the house. He fixed it, and we talked about him returning to install a fixture here and there.

It was the first anniversary of Michael’s death, but what was I going to do? Sit around?  No need to do that in order to contemplate  – every hour was marked anyway and wouldn’t be denied in my head, even as I argued with myself about the arbitrary nature of “year.”  Why does “a year” mean anything more or less than 364 days or 366?

I don’t know. But it does – or I let it. I marked the hours and remembered what I knew about those early morning hours a year ago and imagined the rest from what I had been told.  Couldn’t help it.  Thinking about 7:30, then 8:30, and now it was 9:30, so close to the time the doctor wrote.

The electrician spread out his papers on the kitchen island. He moved some other papers out of the way and said something, and his words confused me at first – I thought he was talking about my house-in-process, but that made no sense at all.

He said, “It’s gonna be so pretty, isn’t it? I can’t wait.”

Then it hit me. What he had picked up and glanced at, a year after, almost to the minute,  what had moved him to casually share a spark of faith,   was a Mass card sent to me by a friend, a Mass card with a picture of Jesus walking in clouds, clouds with light emanating from them.

I can’t wait.

A year…maybe not so arbirtrary after all.

During 2.0

Painters today.  It’s not blue, as you might think from the photo. It’s kind of a steely grey. With some blue, obviously. But not when you’re there.  Sure, we could have painted it all ourselves. We’ve done it before:

But there was a lot to be done, and other things to do as well, and time is money as you know. I gladly wrote the check to the fellows who did in one day what would have taken me (us)  two weeks.

So yes, I bought a house.  It has been an interesting ride.

I made the offer and it was accepted in early September. We were supposed to close on October 30. Imagine! But a title search turned up problems on the seller’s end. It took ages to resolve. I felt no stress during this period because our lease here wasn’t up until 1/31 and it wasn’t my problem that was the problem.  I would just write to my realtor once a week, requesting an update, and it would come – usually in the form of  “We’re really frustrated with Citibank right now…” and I would go on.  I was completely okay about the whole thing, even if it would have fallen through completely.  Not much upsets me anymore, especially things over which I have no control.

Two weeks ago, we were supposed to close, again. We were all so relieved – seller included, because this was not fun for her, I’m sure.  I went to the bank, got my cashier’s check (or, as they call it, I found out, an “official check”) and met my realtor for the final walkthrough.  He was already there, and the door was open. I walked in and called out, “Is everything okay?”

“No…” he answered.

On this morning after a 17 degree night in Alabama, a pipe had burst and was dripping all over the basement stairs.

So…the seller had that fixed, and last Friday, yet another final walk-through in which everything appeared dry and functional, then to an attorney’s office, to sign, hand over money and receive some keys.

On Saturday afternoon, we all went over and the little boys were ecstatic.  For the first time in a year and a half, they had a yard in which to race, the freedom to run and shout indoors without being told to shush because of the old people living downstairs.   Later in the car I found a piece of paper on which Joseph had sketched out  a map of the property, including their soon-to-be secret fort.

On that same Saturday morning, before I introduced them to their new home, Joseph had played in a basketball game.  The game was held at a Catholic school very near – just a couple streets over – from where, exactly a year ago that very weekend, we had looked at a house.  It was notable because it was, at last, a house we two could agree on. Roomy enough to please Michael, old enough and with enough character  to please me.

I’m moving into a house next weekend. Another house. A different house. It’s an early 20th century bungalow. Pretty much exactly the kind of house I like. Exactly what I want.

I confess. Selfishly, short-sightedly, probably faithlessly, I confess.

I’d much rather compromise.

During

It has been suggested that we forgo furniture for the sake of an awesome scooter surface. Perhaps.

Add to shopping list: a couple more feet of chain.

Before

Finally.

Come Meet Jesus

I’m pleased to let you know that my new book Come Meet Jesus: An Invitation from Pope Benedict XVI is now available from Word Among Us Press.  (excerpt here.)

Let me tell you a bit about this so you’re clear on what it is and what it isn’t.

Word Among Us asked me to write another book for them after Mary and the Christian Life was published.  (It’s now out of print – I have a few copies here and will be doing some sort of self-published print and digital version in a couple of months) They had a topic in mind – I don’t remember what it was, but it was something that didn’t interest me very much. So I suggested a book focused on Pope Benedict instead. They were open, asked me for something more specific, and this is what emerged.

It’s not a theological introduction to or analysis of the Holy Father’s thought.  You’d want to look at Tracey Rowland’s Ratzinger’s Faith, Aidan Nichols’ Thought of Pope Benedict XVI, perhaps in concert with The Essential Pope Benedict XVI anthology volume for that.

It’s not even a popular complete introduction – my standard response to someone asking me how they should begin to approach the Holy Father’s work and thought is to direct them, not only to the Vatican website, but to the autobiography, Milestones, and the two interview books, Salt of the Earth and God and the World. And then keep going, in whatever direction interests you – whatever the topic,  he’s written on it. (as I mentioned before, his book Eschatology was of great help to me this year – such a technical, murky theological subject – but what emerges from Ratzinger is really, spiritual writing of the highest order. Very challenging and reassuring all at the same time.)

Nor am I suggesting that you read this little book in place of reading Pope Benedict himself. Long-time readers know better than that.  What is astonishing and really unique about the Holy Father’s theological work is how accessible it is, without sacrificing depth or complexity.  You don’t even have to spend a dime to immerse yourself in what he is saying, right? It’s all there – with the usual translation delays – at the Vatican website.

No, this book is centered on Christ as the center of Pope Benedict’s thought and work as theologian and vocation as Pope.   It seems to me that he is “proposing Jesus Christ” both to the world and to the Church.  He is about reweaving a tapestry that has been sorely frayed and tattered:

• Offering the Good News to a broken humanity and a suffering world that in Jesus Christ, all of our yearnings and hopes are fulfilled and all of our sins forgiven.  We don’t know who we are or why we are here. In Christ, we discover why.  But it is more than an intellectual discovery. In Christ – in Christ - we are joined to him, and his love dwells within us, his presence lives and binds us.
• Re-presenting Jesus Christ even to those of us who are members of the Body already.  This wise, experienced man has seen how Christians fall. How we forget what the point is. How we unconsciously adopt the call of the world to see our faith has nothing more than a worthy choice of an appealing story that gives us a vague hope because it is meaningful.   He is calling us to re-examine our own faith and see how we have been seduced by a view of faith that puts it in the category of “lifestyle choice.”
• Challenging the modern ethos that separates “faith”  and “spirituality” from “religion” – an appeal that is made not only to non-believers, but to believers as well, believers who stay away from Church, who neglect or scorn religious devotions and practices, who reject the wisdom of the Church -  one cannot have Christ without Church.

…and of course there is more, but that’s some of what I am trying to bring out.  The book is quote-heavy, of course, because what I’m doing is not re-interpreting, just presenting. It’s pretty simple – Pope Benedict’s witness and thought have deepened my faith more than I can say.  There are just too many people out there  – still – who are walking around with terrible misconceptions about Pope Benedict,  and even spreading those misconceptions.  I wrote this book in the hopes that a few of those people might be reached and their hearts and minds opened.  It’s a work of gratitude, more than anything else.

(I’ll be on Al Kresta’s show today at 5:20 eastern, talking about the book, btw, and on EWTN radio’s  Son Rise morning show on Monday at 8:50 eastern)

Help for Haiti

There are many places on the Web pointing us to ways to help - The Anchoress has one of the best round-ups, I think.

(Image source)

Via Abbey-Roads, I”m reminded that that the Patroness of Haiti is Our Lady of Perpetual Help:

(More OLPH – Haiti stamps here, in case you’re interested.)

A year in picture

Every individual that is called has his own place, and all the sons of the Church are separated from one another by intervals of time. Nevertheless, just as the entire body of the faithful is born in the font of baptism, crucified with Christ in his passion, raised again in his resurrection, and placed at the Father’s right hand in his ascension, so with Him are they born in this nativity.

Office of Readings, 12/31. Sermon of Pope St. Leo the Great.