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Michael T. Barrett
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Mar
21
He said, “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
Mark 4:30-32
Mar
19
Today started like many others, and ended like many others. Focused on God.
Our morning was slow and uneventful, but as the afternoon progressed things began to get a bit stressful.
I spent the morning and early afternoon reading and meditating, it was awesome. Then someone called me about our faith sharing group at 2:45, and I told them we were meeting at 3:30, when in fact it was supposed to be 3:00. They called back 10 minutes later to remind me and we were all out the door (thank goodness it only takes one minute to get to the church).
When we arrived, we started the class immediately. That’s when the stress began. Seconds later, my wife came running in to tell us the fire extinguisher sprinklers had gone off in the kitchen at the church. If you didn’t know, tonight was the night for the big St. Patrick’s Dinner. To make things worse, there was no water pressure from the well this afternoon because people had been cleaning at the church all day. All of the cabbage and potatoes were ruined because of the fire extinguisher and we had no water to clean up the mess. The time was 3:07.
As the faith sharing class progressed, two of us made a trip to the local grocery store (GO INGLES!) to pick up 100 pounds of cabbage, 30 gallons of water, and seven bags of potatoes. When we returned to the kitchen, the ladies group (along with several people from our faith sharing group) had cleaned the kitchen so we could all work together to bring the dinner together again. Thank goodness the meat was unaffected by the catastrophe.
Everyone worked hard to make the dinner happen. From the ladies cleaning up the fire extinguisher residue to the quick thinkers who fired up the propane burners and charcoal grill outside so we could cook, we weren’t going to let the evil one ruin our St. Patrick’s Dinner.
As cabbage and potatoes were cooking outside, everyone inside was helping to put the final touches on the event. Parishioners walked into the parish hall to eat tonight and most of them had no idea what had happened just three hours earlier.
It was a long, tough day, but it was an awesome day. When all was said and done, those of us who had worked throughout the afternoon finally sat down to eat our plate of Corned Beef, Cabbage, and Potatoes. The time was 7:03.
While Mother Mary kicked the evil one’s butt, we all worked together to make the evening great for everyone who attended. When disaster struck, we all stood together, worked together, and stayed focused on God.
What a great day.
Mar
18
Lord, in midmorning you gave your Holy Spirit to the apostles gathered in prayer. Give us a share in the life and love that your Spirit brings.
Father, you illumine the night and bring the dawn to scatter darkness. Let us pass this night in safety, free from Satan’s power, and rise when morning comes to give you thanks and praise.
Mar
17
In August of 2009, I was searching for a specific song and with the help of a very special person, I found it. I thought I would share that store again tonight…
This evening I was looking for the Litany of the Saints. I am sure you’ve heard it, but I was looking for a specific copy of it. I wanted the version from Pope John Paul II’s funeral. I have heard the Litany hundreds of times, none of them with the same effect as that one. Every time I hear the Sistine Choir perform that version of the chant, I feel a few steps closer to God.
After the first hour I was quite discouraged. I could not find a copy of it anywhere (in mp3 format). I found a couple clips on YouTube, a few of which were quite horrible in quality, but then I found one copy on YouTube that was excellent, except it cut off before the end.
I followed link after link only to find that in most cases, the pages (not just the files) did not exist any more. Each and every single link I followed for the next half hour or so, led to a dead end. I was very upset to say the least. I wanted a copy for my iPod, and I was willing to pay for it, but I couldn’t find that version of it.
My search led me to a great number of Polish websites. Have you ever looked for a particular file on a Polish website when you do not speak or read Polish? It was difficult to say the least. I searched and searched for another hour and a half, and found myself saying, “Come on John Paul, help me here. I just want a copy of the Litany from your funeral. When I hear it I feel close to God. I miss you.”
As the next page loaded, there it was. The version I was looking for was sitting in the Flash music player at the bottom of the page on the site. I couldn’t believe it. With a little work (looking at the source code and grabbing the location of the file from the playlist), I finally had the version I was looking for, and it was all thanks to Pope John Paul II!
At first I thought it was too good to be true. I loaded an audio application I work with and pulled in the audio from the YouTube video as well as the audio file I had found. Once they were lined up in the application, they were an identical match. I still can’t believe it.
Pope John Paul II once said, “I have a sweet tooth for song and music. This is my Polish sin.” I should have known he would help me find the music I was looking for, if I just took the time to ask. Personally, I felt it was my own small miracle, performed by the very soul I was thinking of while looking for it.
So, to make it easier for anyone else searching for a copy of “Litany of the Saints” or “Litaniae Sanctorum” from the funeral of Pope John Paul II, here it is:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
If you’re looking for a copy to download and keep for yourself, the filename is litania_przeniesienie_ciala.mp3 and you can download it by right clicking on that filename and saving the file to your computer.
Consider it my small gift to you, courtesy of Pope John Paul II.
Mar
16
Mar
10
Mar
8
Mar
5
We went to the SCRAP Bin today. The SCRAP Bin is a center for donated materials that are redistributed for creative reuse. It is an awesome place!!!
We ventured over to check them out with our friends Misty and Quin. While we were there we proclaimed Misty to be Queen of the SCRAP Bin. (Okay, so she was the only one willing to wear the crown and hold the wand, but heck, it was a proclamation, really, it was)
They have great deals for teachers, and their selection changes based on the donations received. If you’re an artist, you’re local, and you wanna save money while helping the environment, you will want to check out the SCRAP Bin.
Mar
3
When we went to the monastery a couple weeks ago, it was clear that the new Monastic Heritage Center was taking form. I can hardly wait to celebrate with them on their renewal!
Speaking of celebrating…
Today was our friend Quin’s birthday. To celebrate we made hot fudge sundaes (with brownies) after our RCIA class. We all had a great time! Happy Birthday Quin!
Mar
2
John 7:24 says, “Stop judging by appearances, but judge justly.”
Sometimes we’re quick to judge someone based solely on their appearance, but shouldn’t we take the time to get to know them instead? I am the sinniest of sinners with this one. I used to judge everyone, and base my opinion of them, on the first impression I had of them. I try not to do that now.
If someone judged you on their first impression, what would they think of you?
Stop judging, that you may not be judged. — Matthew 7:1