By Pat Haggerty

I am not a devoted fan of “American Idol” but I have watched it in the past.  One of my favorite winners was Phillip Phillips, who made the song, “Home” very popular.  I got to thinking about other songs about home.  There is “Home” by Michael Bublé and “I’ll be Home for Christmas” made popular by Bing Cosby.  There is the other Christmas favorite, “There’s No Place like Home for the Holidays.”

In Phillips’ version, one of his lyrics say:  “Know you’re not alone ‘cause I’m going to make this place your home.”  Another line says:  “Settle down.  It’ll all be clear!” In Bublé’s song, he just “wants to go home.”  And, certainly, at Christmas there is definitely “no place like home.”

By Pat Haggerty

The month of May brings with it many things. We see many transformations in nature---beautiful flowers of myriad colors, greener vegetation and more verdant landscapes.  We hear more chirping birds, feel more gentle breezes and sense a stronger presence of the sun and its warmth.

May also means more events to cherish---Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, graduations and First Communions.  It is the latter that I want to focus on.  My grandson will be making his First Communion and it has caused me to reflect.  It has brought me back to my own First Communion at St. Anthony’s Church.  I still have a picture of me standing in front of the altar, hands clasped in prayer wearing my white dress and veil.  There are moments of that day that I remember distinctly.  I can recall processing into the church from the school, and I can remember going back to church in the afternoon to get our scapulars.  It must have been a part of the ceremony in the 50’s to get scapulars to mark our devotion to Mary.

After the winter that wouldn’t end (and I’m not sure it has), we need to find solace and joy in the signs of spring.  The other night I was on my deck and heard the sound of tree frogs croaking.  It was like a joyous melody and cacophony of happiness.  The continual sound was a symphony of spring to my ears.  While walking into church last Sunday, I saw a multitude of crocuses erupting from the soil with their heads of yellow and purple standing erect toward the sun.  It brought a smile to my face.  Even when I am walking in my neighborhood, I delight in seeing all the spring wreaths that festoon the doors of my friends.  There are the wreaths made of dried flowers and grasses; those made completely of jelly beans that are so tempting to the children in the household; and those made of Easter eggs either speckled or in their pastel colors.

Like these signs of spring, we have our Christian signs of Holy Week and Easter that also bring with them feelings of solace and joy.  They carry with them cause for reflection, prayer and rejoicing.  They are at the heart of who we are as Christians.  They represent what we stand for as an “Easter people” and what we need to emulate as followers of Jesus.

By Pat Haggerty

Chances are, you are reading this blog on some electronic device and are reading it from either  the Assumption web site or the Word Press web site.  So, you already grasp the value of the internet and social media.  You have, hopefully, found the balance between too much technology and “just enough.”

I have heard numerous homilies on the dangers of excessive technology use.  How often has our homilist cautioned, “go without the computer for a day,” or “turn off the Smart phones, which aren’t making you smart”?

I agree with these admonitions, in part.  However, I want to present the other side---the good side of technology. Due to a recent injury, I have been side-lined from my usual busy lifestyle.· I have been housebound for longer than I had hoped!· Aside from the frustration this has incurred, there has been a silver lining (albeit ·a very thin one, I have to admit).· I have been able to reflect and pray more this Lent.· I have found my own desert spaces in the quiet of my home office.· I have been able to read more, and I have been able to search the web for spiritual nourishment.· I have to say, I have found it!