Santa Matt's ramblings

So the whole family gets together for a late breakfast or brunch. All of my kids and grand kids were there and Pam's fiancee' Zack and Monica's brother and his two kids. Quite a few of us and a small table for the grand kids and their chaperon which doesn't show in the pictures.  Here we have Ralph and Angela, Monica's Brother Steve and James Here we have James again and his wife Adrienne, Pam and Zack. In the background you can see Jonathon, Steve's son and the chaperon for the grandkids table around the corner.  I peeled a blue colored egg and it must have had a small hole in the shell. Look at the interesting pattern it left.  Jonathon took turns giving his second cousins piggyback and horsey rides. Here is Sera's turn as soon as she puts down here Easter loot.  Here is Angela and Monica sitting and chilling, talking to James in the picture below. In the background you can see Jonathon giving AJ a ride. I think AJ enjoyed it more t...

So I'm sitting in church this morning, in the back row with my fellow Knights. You see 11:00 AM Mass today was a Corporate Communion and I, being a Fourth Degree Knight and in the Honor Guard, helped escort Father in before taking our seats in the back. So anyway, I'm sitting on the first seat next to the center aisle, in the back row, and I look across the aisle and I see a little strawberry blond girl maybe 4 or 5 years old. She smiles at me. I smile at her. I wave at her and she waves at me. This kind of thing goes on for a little over half of the Mass until one of the times we stand, she slips out of the pew and comes over to me. The Congregation sits down. She says, "You put a present for me under our Christmas tree." I say "Yes, I know." Then she says "Thank you." and scampers back to her pew, ju st as her parents realize she is gone and start looking around. At the rite of peace I go and give her mom one of my "I saw you being nice...

OK, it has been awhile but it seems there is more to this mystic thing then assembling a new toy for the grand kids. I have read and meditated long on this and I have some observations. My first thoughts were how to achieve my "Dark Night of the Senses". Should I deny all sensual aspects of my life? But then I realized that it is less about denial then changing my perceptions of sensual things. Ignore good food for bland food? No, eat the same but gain an appreciation of where it came from. Think about the person who prepared it. What are their thoughts and feelings as a human being, not just their skill as a cook. Then I thought about how will I know when I have passed through my "Dark Night of the Senses"? Then I realized it is not the destination that was important, but the journey. In an earlier post I talked about my vision of people as spirit guides. I had a vision of me climbing a mountain. God is at the top of the mountain. And as I climbed along the path I ...

Mom to Mom Sales! This morning my two daughters went to the Mom to Mom sale at our church. (Even though only one of them is a mom, they like to do things together. Sisters, go figure.) Anyway, Angela took 20 boxes of children clothes, most of it from preemie through 2T. She also had assorted baby furniture, cribs, high chairs that sort of thing, all of the stuff one gathers when one has twins. She also brought two little picnic tables her husband Ralph had made. Angela priced every article of clothing she had a 25 cents. She gave boxes of stuff to Heartbeat (who collects infant needs for mothers who need help and choose life over abortion). All of the big stuff was in a consignment area. The doors opened at 8:00AM and people were lined up to get the bargains. By 10:00AM all of Angela's furniture was sold. At one point a mom and her little girl were shopping and the little girl wanted some Elmo shoes sized for a preemie. Her mom told her, "They won't fit you." To which...

I got up at 6:30 am and if you know me, that is unheard of on the weekend. But I got up and went down to the First Presbyterian Church, met my daughter so we could help serve breakfast. I poured milk and juice into cups and lined them up on the serving line so the guests could pick one up as they went by. Besides hot food, cereal and an assortment of baked goods were also served. So when the guests arrived and passed through the line sometimes I would help them carry their breakfast to their table. I don't know what I expected as far as who would be there. I met obvious street people, those who have been homeless for an extended period of time. And I met the poor, people that had a place to stay some nicer clothes that maybe just needed a little help with their groceries. I met a group of what were obviously construction workers. They still wore parts of their work clothes, out of work and few prospects. And I met the lonely. Once the guests had gone through the line, the workers w...

So I'm reading this little meditation prayer book about the birth of Christ and today's message ended with look back on some of the times and ways God has blessed me. And as I thought about that for a minute I gave a little chuckle. Remember my blessings? Remember every meal I ever ate, every present I ever received? Remember every person I have ever met, whether I liked them or not? Remember every embrace of my wife? Everytime I held one of my children, my grandchildren or any child? Remember every time I was held as a child? Remember the people who have loved me and who I have loved? Remember the beauty and grandeur of the things I have seen as I travel the world, huge mountains, thunderous water falls, lushious forests, a perfect flower. Remember snow and rain and wind, the southern sky and the sweep of the Milky Way. These are just some of my blessing, blessings to many to count or remember all, in my limited humanity. No, my problem isn't in appreciating all of the thi...

Sometimes special people enter our lives. When I first met my wife's family, there was one person I did not meet, Mary her sister. Mary was only allowed home twice per year and she was never allowed to travel alone. No, she was not a secret agent or a convicted criminal, she was and is a nun, a Sister of Notre Dame. Down through the years visitation rules have relaxed some. I have seen her many times, either at the family or at church functions. Mary taught me many things. Some in her kindly cheerful voice, some just by the way she lives her life. Yeah, I know, she's a nun. She is supposed to live a exemplary life. But sometimes you meet a member of a religious order that shines in a special way. People that even if they were not in a religious vocation would still be holy. Mary is one of those. Mary is one of the people that answered my questions during the years that I was looking for a church. She is responsible for my starting to sing in church. I tell my religious ed stud...

Many years ago a friend of mine told me that at Christmas time he dressed up as Santa for his family. He even brought his suit to work and after work one evening put it on so I and others in the office could see how he looked. I still have a Polaroid picture of him tucked away. I thought it was pretty cool and that maybe some day I might like to try it. My chance came a few years later. At the children's Mass at our church, Santa would always make an appearance at the end of the service. The youth minister was always Santa but one year he told the organizer that he no longer wanted to be Santa as he was afraid that now that his sons were older they might recognize him and not believe in Santa. The organizer, Susie, could not find anyone else to be Santa. Everyone was too shy. She came to me and asked me if I would do it. I said "Sure". At the time I worked for an Alarm Company and company policy forbid having a beard but the church's costume came with a pretty nice be...