Meh.

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 I can't say that Lent has started very well for me.  I tend to let worrying about details get in the way of my attitude on occasion.  Well, we are a week into the season and I've already had TWO occasions.

To the naked eye and your average Mass attendee, everything at the Confirmation last Saturday was beautiful.  To those of us on my side of the cloth (especially in my eyes), it could have been MUCH better.  As hard as I tried to make things go off without a hitch (and that was my problem), we were breaking hosts at communion and ran down to the merest "crumbs" of the Body of Christ.  I simply underestimated the size of the crowd.  I even had a sleeve of hosts on the side in case it seemed like we might have needed them.  I should have/could have walked to the other side of the sanctuary to either ask the Master of Ceremonies to add them to the mix of ciboria, but I didn't.  Or done it myself, but I didn't.

To make things worse for me -- I saw the disappointment on my pastor's face.  Now to some people, that is an oh well moment.  Live and learn.  However, even the other associate was slightly vocal with me even though he was trying to be kind about it.  If he spoke up, it was not good.  He's normally reserved.  Yet, he tried to be supportive afterward.

That's not even getting to the point of the consecration of four gluten-free hosts (which we did as requested); however, the deacon who was going to be distributing communion in that area apparently didn't hear me very well.  I gave them to him, I was certain.  He either put them in his pocket or set them down somewhere.  The young newly confirmed boy was upset.  I heard about it from another staff member that he didn't seem to have them.  It all worked out, but on top of running low on hosts, I didn't need that too.

So beyond that, everything was very nice.  The newly ordained bishop was very good, like a veteran bishop who had already honed his craft.

BUT...

Tuesday (yesterday) didn't start out so well either.  Thinking that I was ok for the number of confessors for hearing the school children's confessions, lo and behold, I didn't.  The problem is that I can't even begin to find the emails I thought I had sent regarding the day.  I found the invite for the upcoming Reconciliation Service in a couple of weeks, but can't find the proof of the other invitation.  So maybe I am the delusional one.

My point is that after nearly 24 years of this life, I would say I should have the system running like clockwork.  Others are trying to remind me that I was busy working on the application for the grant I am seeking for a sabbatical coming at the beginning of 2026, but that is not a good enough excuse for my failing at my day-to-day responsibilities.

One more thing unrelated to the above, pray for God's grace to flood the hearts of all politicians.  It's crazy out there!

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