Personal Website

Check out my new personal website.  You might find some interesting food for thoughts in some of my columns.
You can access the website at : www.michaeltracey.net

Column being axed

 "Gulf Pine Catholic," newspaper for the Diocese of Biloxi, will cease publishing my columns beginning in January. The columns, begun in 1976, will be published instead in this blog at regular intervals. I will inform my Facebook friends when each column will be published in the blog.

The Cycle of Life

 Miniature roses, surrounded by dying autumn leaves in my garden, remind me of the cycle of life and death and gives me hope for a new spring and a reminder that life springs eternal.

Reversal of Fortunes

Today, as I think about our Sunday gospel of the story of the rich man and Lazarus, I am reminded of how easy it is to take people, gifts, blessings, opportunities and things for granted. The rich man took poor Lazarus for granted. He passed him by every day at the gate to his house. Lazarus became part of the scenery and the rich man was too busy, too preoccupied to notice, to care.
It reminds me of an old saying that says, " Never take someone for granted. Hold every person close to your heart because you might wake up one day to find that you lost a diamond while you were too busy collecting stones.”

It's hard to be humble!

Today's (Sunday readings) remind us of the need for humility. they remind me of some pithy sayings. A.A. says, "humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less."  We are good at comparing ourselves with others. we were trained well as children when we heard messages like, "Why aren't you like.... " Usually, we compare ourselves with people not as fortunate as ourselves; not as smart as ourselves, not as wise as ourselves, not as accomplished as ourselves, Obviously, we win such a comparison with ease. 
The greatest act of humility was Jesus becoming one of us; embracing, not only our humanity, but embracing those on the fringes of society. As someone once said, "Knowing God makes us humble. Knowing oujrselves keeps us humble."

Moving house!

This morning, I saw this slow, methodic, moving experience on my driveway in Ireland. I hoped that he finally made it safely across without being crushed by a car tire or a person's careless footstep.

Mountainside Mass at Grotto

I had the opportunity yesterday evening of celebrating Mass at the shrine in Glenmask mountains. Around 100 people showed up on a wonderful sunny evening to pray and celebrate.  May Tuffey, a native of the area, now 100 years old, came from Chicago to participate as well. Here are some pictures:

A view from the mountainside grotto.

 

A view of the grotto