THERE'S ORDINARY TIME......THEN THERE'S IN-ORDINARY TIME............

Today the Catholic-Christian Liturgical Year returns to Sundays of Ordinary Time, for the remainder of Church Year 2012, until the end of November.  On this 8th Sunday of Ordinary Time, it is Fathers' Day in the United States, the day on which we annually acknowledge and remember our fathers.  Living or Dead; Nearby or Far away; it is right we give special individual and collective consideration to the men who biologically, adoptively, mentoringly, and spiritually, have fathered us with love, care, devotion, discipline, and support.  In the midst of the next twenty six weeks of Ordinary Time, named for the progression of numbered weeks and Sundays; the ordinary occurrences of life and faith outside the high seasons of Salvation History, there are also in-ordinary passages of time.  My current involuntary exile away from and outside of parish life and pastoral, priestly ministry, is one such example of in-ordinary time.  As a Priest of Jesus Christ, with twenty five years service and experience, to currently be sidelined - when despite my physical limitations, I retain the intellectual and communicative ability to continue ministering; is disappointing, frustrating, and squandering, my resourcefulness to preside at Mass and Sacraments, and to preach the Gospel.  To all who my priestly ordination has permitted me until now, to minister to as a spiritual father, I say thank you on this Father's Day 2012, for the opportunity and support you have provided me to carry out the pastoral service I vowed to fulfill and will not shrink, walk away, or retire from, God willing for many, many, more years to come.  To all Dads and Grand Dads, a happy and affirming day celebrating the vocation you have been chosen to fulfill and denotes the Fathers' Day, we celebrate in the USA today............Fr.  Troy