Water in the Desert

Two very nice things happened this past weekend, one the result of the other. I finally made it into the brand new CATHOLIC bookstore in Rutland. I went in in fear and trembling that it would be full of all kinds of progressive dissident stuff that I've seen in a couple of other places in Vermont in the past. Lo and behold there was all the sort of stuff I'd find at Franciscan University of Steubenville's bookstore. They don't have ALL of it yet, they are still building their inventory, but the stuff that was there was wonderful.

I had a great conversation with the owner (a nice young man whose wife is supporting them by running a nursery school while he runs the store). He lives in our town, actually just up the road from us. Since we don't attend the local parish, I'd never met him. I had thought that the local parish didn't have daily Mass on a regular basis, since the last time I'd seen their bulletin it seemed to be offered only some days. Come to find out they now have it at 8:30 in the morning Monday through Friday. That means that I can now go to daily Mass without driving 10 miles each way. It's actually within walking distance if I get up early enough.

We probably will continue going to our parish in Rutland for Sundays because we're established there, but I went to daily Mass in Pittsford this morning and I plan on making a regular habit of it.

So two little founts of water have sprung up for me in the midst of Lent.

I'm currently reading St. Francis De Sales Sermons for Lent. He points out in his Ash Wednesday sermon that it isn't necessarily more holy to be thin than fat. What a nice thing for those of us who are no longer thin to hear.