I am somewhat refreshed after the day off but find myself wanting another day off. It was quite enjoyable. The only thing I did was go to the pharmacy, twice. I have decided pharmaceutical companies are satan's spin off! But that is another story!

For the past ten years I have had a job contract in St. Lawrence, Texas every Fall. This is not an incorporated city or town it is just a very small community located in the middle of fertile crop land and iron horses pumping Texas gold to the surface. There are two establishments that are at the center of this community. The St. Lawrence Catholic Church and the Glasscock County Co-op. I am not a seasonal Catholic so you can safely surmise my work is with the Co-op. When you are driving down FM 2401 you feel quite confident that you could not gather twenty-five people in the total radius of area that you can see. That confidence would be wrong. The Church can open its doors and people come out of the woodwork! The Co-op can schedule a gathering at the Church Hall and you may have five or six hundred people. This community is a mix of Germans, Pols, Slovs, Bohemians, and Chechs. I have met several older residents who can speak four or five languages fluently. Just a few years ago there was a convenience store, Ronda's Quick Stop that had a grill and it was the gathering point on a daily basis, but it has been gone for a couple of years. I will never fully understand why it didn't make it. I figured with the beer sales alone it would be a thriving entity, mass quantities of alcohol are consumed, I guess it is the heritage! Add in the seven dollar hamburger lunches and this should have been a solvent business. Three partners couldn't see things eye to eye and it closed. I remember the first community function I attended was sponsored by the Co-op and held at The Hall. When I walked in I counted eleven sixteen gallon kegs, iced down with pumps at the ready! A very different way of life from what I was accustomed to!

I believe that in my ten years out there, the Church has had three different priest. My favorite of the three has been Tom. All the community referred to him as Father Tom, I referred to him as Padre Tom. Call me crazy! I just had a problem with "FATHER", you know, call no man Father except ... O.K. you get my drift. Padre Tom collected Catholic University sweatshirts. I could probably count on one hand the number of times I saw him with his collar or frock. It was always interesting to see his sweatshirt, Notre Dame, Holy Cross, Boston College, Xavier and on and on. Maybe he should have been a University Padre! I had occasion numerous times to have lunch at Ronda's with "Padre Tom". He was very personable, quiet, soft spoken, sometimes humorous, always kind. This was in stark contrast to what I would hear from his parishioners. Those that went into confession first would quickly pass the word that "Father" was tough this week! Many would get together and decide if "Father" was tough they had better get their "Hail Mary's, worth" and would quickly organize a twist off event or another excursion! The community as a whole is very dedicated but they do seem to work their religion to the max!

The one thing that sticks in my mind is that I don't think I ever left "Padre Tom's" company that he didn't end it with some type of benediction. Usually it was "Bless you my Son" or "Go with GOD" followed by the sign of the Cross. Personally, I would have preferred him to say "May GOD bless you", I had no problem with "Go with GOD". To this day I continue to find the sign of the Cross very warm and comforting. Maybe it is the "points" of the Cross over my heart, maybe it is the outward signing of an inward commitment, maybe it is the proclamation of being Christ centered. I think I like the sign of the Cross.

FATHER, I thank YOU for this beautiful day and the blessings it holds! Thank YOU for YOUR LOVE, YOUR MERCY and YOUR GRACE, Thank YOU for JESUS and the HOPE and PROMISE I have through HIM. Thank YOU for the seasonal work In St. Lawrence and the friendships and memories that I have made there. FATHER, thank YOU for "Padre Tom", may YOU bless him and go with him. FATHER I pray that YOU will bless my friends with a bountiful harvest, let them be good stewards of YOUR earth! FATHER, I continue to lift up Aimee Harris to YOU for YOUR miracle of healing! FATHER, reports said she was looking so good last evening! The ATG treatments start today! She will be moved to children's ICU later today. FATHER I pray that she will have no side effects from the treatments. FATHER I continue to ask that Zach be compatible as a marrow donor should it be needed. Bless that family FATHER, comfort them, hold them in YOUR palm and let them know YOU care. Bless my day FATHER, help me to surrender my day to YOU and let YOU work through me!