JANUARY 6, 2008

" I was going to do something about my bad habit of procrastinating, but I never quite got around to it." That about sums up how I feel about this week's Pastor's Corner. Since it is the first one of a new year, I had a bunch of ideas floating around in my head of what I would like to write about.

I toyed with the idea of the traditional "10 best /10 worst" lists that everyone in journalism indulges in at this time of year. You know, the 10 best things that happened in our parish in 2007, etc. But when I mentally began compiling the events - there were far more than 10 things that I thought should be included under "best". And far less than 10 bad things that I could think of. Somehow a "87 best / 3 worst" list didn't seem elegant enough.

I then contemplated doing a "year in review" type column, highlighting the many things that have gone on in our parish in 2007. But since I have trouble remembering what I had for lunch two days ago, I was afraid that I would miss some important things, include some trivial things, and if I just stuck with statistical things, the column would be boring: if not for you to read, then for me to write.

The next thought was to do a preview of the year to come: some plans and hopes that I as Pastor have as a vision for the coming year. But the holiday season is so hectic that I have trouble enough figuring out what I need to do next. I don't seem to have the energy at the moment to look ahead. I don't mean to give you the impression that those hopes and plans are absent or uncontemplated - I assure you they are there. It is just that I don't relish organizing and making a coherent exposition of them right now. Besides, we all like surprises, don't we?

I finally decided that I would do my Pastor's Corner on New Year's resolutions, but I put off writing the Corner so long that I ran into a stepped up deadline because of the holidays and this has to be modemed in the next 15 seconds or it won't be printed, so I guess that will have to wait until next year. I firmly resolve to do it!

P.S. On a personal note, my gratitude to all who were so kind and generous with cards, gifts, food, greetings, etc. to me over the holiday. I still haven’t opened all the Christmas stuff yet, but as I do I say a prayer for each one by name. You and God are much better to me than I deserve. Thank you and God bless you!

A blessed, peaceful and prosperous New Year to one and all, and, since it is the Feast of the Epiphany and the exact 12th day of the season, it is STILL Merry Christmas!