Too Little, Too Late

 I stood outside the gate of someone's house with a couple who had wanted my help to get into that abode to speak to the occupants. I spoke through the speaker phone by the gate introducing myself and why we were there. No go. The occupants were not wanting to let us in. A few more tries to negotiate a truce and to talk but to no avail. I advised the couple who was with me to forget the idea to make contact and to go home and settle this as originally was intented through their lawyers. I gave a sigh of relief and together with the sacristian who accompanied me left the place. The couple left dejected that they couldn't resolve what they had set out to do and myself and my companion when back by bus to the church.

That was the little adventure this evening when I was asked to intervene in a family situation after the 6.00 pm Sunday mass. Not knowing how the situation could turn out to be, I asked the church sacristian to go along just in case things get a little 'rough'. Tonight's episode was a lesson for me as I have never found myself in such a situation before and with so little an experience to fall back on. The couple was desperate, so desperate that they don't mind seeking any person of the cloth to help them. Unfortunately there was no desired resolution but nothing violent occured either.

Besides the above incident, preparations have been done to facilitate the trip for the upcoming Priests' Retreat in Plentong. So, for 5 days I will be taking a short break in 'prayer' in Johor, Malaysia contemplating my usefulness as a priest of this millenium. For 5 days, the archdiocese will have a severe shortfall of priests, many of whom diocesan, and the extraordinary communion ministers hold centrestage in their responsibilities to administer the Sacrament of Holy Communion to the congregation through the Communion Services. I heard some parishes are not even having any communion services...

A song is playing softly in my head. A very familiar tune that usually continues to stay a while in the mind because it is catching. It is about two alien looking cows and a gruff, growly character with a bad hair day and something to do with "where? where?" Then again, how about this one?

Be good. Back in six!