Fr. Tom O'Donnell's New Year's Message
Following are Fr. Tom's comments for the New Year.
An Unusual Start to the New Year
Sometimes I think that God looks down upon us, smiles and deals us some whimsical circumstances to see how we cope. Such was the case with the beginning of 2009 nine for me.
I spent New Year’s Day with my sister Mary, brother-in-law Jim who I affectionately call "Archie", and my nieces and nephews. After the traditional pork and sauerkraut dinner, I began the journey home from just south of Butler to the Burgh.
This trip traverses Route 8 South which on a normal sunny day is not very pleasant but on a snow/sleet evening it can be downright treacherous, especially if your window defroster is not working. My front window kept steaming up and since I did not have a defroster, I had to stop about every five minutes to wipe off the window. I made it back to St. Mary’s Rectory in about twice the normal time. I think my Guardian Angel was with me.
When I got to my room, I pulled out my new car driver’s manual to see if I missed anything. I have a Dodge Charger now since the 39 month lease on my Chrysler 300 ran out. After looking at the page on the defroster, low and behold what to my wondering eyes should appear but the fact that the defroster on this car is all the way on the left.
I have been driving for fifty-four years now and every car that I have owned has had the defroster on the extreme right. My dumb – I should have read the manual.
After finishing with the defroster fiasco, I suddenly realized that there was something frosty about my rooms. Touching the radiator, I discovered that it was ice cold. There was no hear in the house and the temperature in all of the rooms was about 40 degrees.
On a holiday evening there is not much you can do but suffer until you can call a serviceman in the morning. I pulled out a couple of extra blankets from my cedar chest and went to be. The next day was Friday and the receptionist told me the heating and cooling technician was called but would not be there until about two in the afternoon. I decided to go out to the Tribunal Building because I had some documents to sign and I had to finish some judicial decisions.
On my way to my office I would stop at the drug store and pick up my medicine. When I got to our indoor garage which is located under the Diocesan Building attached to the rectory. One of the other priests met me and informed me that the massive steel garage door which operated electronically would not open and that a repairman had been called. All five priests were trapped in a building which had no heat. The only thing we could do was wait, go back to our frigid rooms and put on overcoats, hats and gloves. The heat finally came on about two in the afternoon, but the garage door was not fixed until after three.
So much for doing some work at the Tribunal.
I am thankful that these inconveniences were only temporary and pale in comparison with some of the problems that many people are facing in the world today – wars and violence in many parts of the world. Here in the United States there are also multiple problems as we begin the New Year – home foreclosures, lay offs, job losses, businesses collapsing, and declining financial markets.
We pray for anyone in these circumstances, especially any of our Hibernian brothers and sisters who are trying to support their families and their livelihoods.
In these troubling times we have to hold fast to our faith and our hope. At this season we are sustained by the Infant Savior who is always extending his arms out to us in love and tenderness. Our Lord has always promised to stay with us.
May the love of the Christ Child continue to comfort and strengthen us. Let us greet this New Year with hope and joy in our hearts and be grateful for the gift of Christ’s love for us all.
- Father Tom O’Donnell – AOH Penna. State Chaplain
An Unusual Start to the New Year
Sometimes I think that God looks down upon us, smiles and deals us some whimsical circumstances to see how we cope. Such was the case with the beginning of 2009 nine for me.
I spent New Year’s Day with my sister Mary, brother-in-law Jim who I affectionately call "Archie", and my nieces and nephews. After the traditional pork and sauerkraut dinner, I began the journey home from just south of Butler to the Burgh.
This trip traverses Route 8 South which on a normal sunny day is not very pleasant but on a snow/sleet evening it can be downright treacherous, especially if your window defroster is not working. My front window kept steaming up and since I did not have a defroster, I had to stop about every five minutes to wipe off the window. I made it back to St. Mary’s Rectory in about twice the normal time. I think my Guardian Angel was with me.
When I got to my room, I pulled out my new car driver’s manual to see if I missed anything. I have a Dodge Charger now since the 39 month lease on my Chrysler 300 ran out. After looking at the page on the defroster, low and behold what to my wondering eyes should appear but the fact that the defroster on this car is all the way on the left.
I have been driving for fifty-four years now and every car that I have owned has had the defroster on the extreme right. My dumb – I should have read the manual.
After finishing with the defroster fiasco, I suddenly realized that there was something frosty about my rooms. Touching the radiator, I discovered that it was ice cold. There was no hear in the house and the temperature in all of the rooms was about 40 degrees.
On a holiday evening there is not much you can do but suffer until you can call a serviceman in the morning. I pulled out a couple of extra blankets from my cedar chest and went to be. The next day was Friday and the receptionist told me the heating and cooling technician was called but would not be there until about two in the afternoon. I decided to go out to the Tribunal Building because I had some documents to sign and I had to finish some judicial decisions.
On my way to my office I would stop at the drug store and pick up my medicine. When I got to our indoor garage which is located under the Diocesan Building attached to the rectory. One of the other priests met me and informed me that the massive steel garage door which operated electronically would not open and that a repairman had been called. All five priests were trapped in a building which had no heat. The only thing we could do was wait, go back to our frigid rooms and put on overcoats, hats and gloves. The heat finally came on about two in the afternoon, but the garage door was not fixed until after three.
So much for doing some work at the Tribunal.
I am thankful that these inconveniences were only temporary and pale in comparison with some of the problems that many people are facing in the world today – wars and violence in many parts of the world. Here in the United States there are also multiple problems as we begin the New Year – home foreclosures, lay offs, job losses, businesses collapsing, and declining financial markets.
We pray for anyone in these circumstances, especially any of our Hibernian brothers and sisters who are trying to support their families and their livelihoods.
In these troubling times we have to hold fast to our faith and our hope. At this season we are sustained by the Infant Savior who is always extending his arms out to us in love and tenderness. Our Lord has always promised to stay with us.
May the love of the Christ Child continue to comfort and strengthen us. Let us greet this New Year with hope and joy in our hearts and be grateful for the gift of Christ’s love for us all.
- Father Tom O’Donnell – AOH Penna. State Chaplain
Labels: Chaplain's message
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