I baptized Vera on Mother's Days.
She's 7 and has a great personality.
She's an only child, like me, and her parents were so happy.
I gave Bern a single rose and a card.
Mimi donated $300 to a women's health clinic in West Virginia, where Bern and I are from and where both our children were born.
Josh sent her 2 dozen roses of different hues and called her.
We had take-out fish and chip (Bern's request) for her mother's day dinner.
All in all a great day.
Let me just say it, I don't like abortion.
I don't like it--it seems like a waste.
But what I HATE, really Hate, is the government telling people what they can and cannot do with their bodies.
While abortion seems like a waste to me, it could be a life-saver for some women.
The Supreme Court draft is an invasion of privacy and 'privacy' is what makes this a great nation.
So, if the Court actually does invalidate Roe vs. Wade it will be an evasion of privacy that could see other privacy issues be weakened.
Plus it will discriminate against poor people and people of color.
And it could result in dangerous procedures that could harm women's lives.
If you're rich, you can get around the law and have a safe abortion.
Besides some states have laws waiting in the wings prosecuting women and doctors and make leaving the state for an abortion in a state like CT or NY a crime.
Plus, between 70 and 80 percent of Americans support safe and legal abortion.
Demonstrations across the country have shown how many people are willing to speak up for a woman's rights to her own body.
It will be a terrible, hateful, vengeful attack of freedom if the SC does do this.
TERRIBLE. VENGEFUL. HATEFUL IN ALL CAPS.
VERA’S BAPTISM
Baptisms are the most fun thing of all that I do as a priest.
There are other important things.
Sitting by a sick bed.
Administering last rites.
Buring the dead.
Offering healing.
Hearing confessions.
Teaching classes.
Celebrating the Eucharist.
But the most fun of all is baptisms.
I wear this stole for baptisms. It was given to me by some Sunday School kids when I retired from St. John’s in Waterbury after 21 years.
I probably baptized most of them.
I’ve done over 500 baptisms in my career. The oldest person was 78. And there were lots of babies.
But what I like most is baptizing children like Vera, who are old enough to know what’s going on and can say “yes!” when I ask her if she wants to be baptized.
In today’s gospel lesson there is lots of talk from Jesus about his ‘sheep’.
We are all Jesus’ sheep and today we will welcome Vera into the fold.
Baptism makes us ‘all new’—not on the outside, but on the inside…in our soul.
We become “Christ’s own forever!”
That’s what you will be today, Vera—“Christ’s own forever. Forever!”
This is so much fun!
Let the fun begin….
Vera, parents, god-parents, grand-parents and all the young people here today, come on up the font.
Let’s have some fun….
Finally, a May day!
Around 70 with lots of sunshine and little breeze.
It drops from that for the rest of the week, but today feels like May.
Alleluia and Amen...
I felt a little queasy today, if you know what I mean.
I don't eat breakfast on Sunday, since I have to be in Milton before 9:30 a.m.
That could be part of it.
Besides I had to finish the wine at communion.
Then I ate some chicken that might have been a bit off for lunch.
That could have done it.
I did manage to eat some asparagus and salmon for dinner.
Pepto Bismol helped too.
Feel much better now at 8:04 on May first.
Don't like that feeling though.
North Carolina's Republican Congressman and MAGA loyalist makes Margery Taylor Green look a bit normal.
He accused people in Congress of cocaine driven orgies.
He's been stopped twice for driving with an expired license.
He's twice tried to take a loaded gun onto an airplane.
Then, this defender of Men being Men has been shown in pictures wearing women's lingerie!
Never mind all the other crazy things he says and does.
MTG seems a bit more normal--but not much!
How are these people being elected to congress?
Has our country--or parts of it--gone THAT crazy???
I ate mac and cheese at 6 because I have a zoom call at 6:30,
And another at 7!
I'm going to ask those people on the call when they eat dinner.
7 p.m. is civilized, like Bern and I are.
8 p.m. if you are French.
What the hell, a zoom call at 6:30!
Unforgivable.
