En Route

I am writing this from the small airport in Wichita, Kansas, while waiting for the first of two flights that (hopefully) will bring me home tonight. I'm en route to Chicago for a flight to Pittsburgh. I'll be home in Western PA for just about a day to attend tomorrow evening's McDonald Borough Council meeting.

The Midwest Catholic Family Conference here in Wichita was well organized with a solid turnout of about 1,500 folks. The featured speaker yesterday was Fr. Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R. Fr. Groeschel (pictured) is one of those great old curmudgeons who tell it like it is -- blunt and maybe a bit jaded but always displaying humor and love.

I attended the conference's large Sunday Mass today at the Century II Center. It was celebrated by Bishop Michael O. Jackels. (Bishop Jackels is notable as the last bishop to have been appointed by JPII.)

The Gospel at Mass was Jesus' parable that cautioned to not stockpile wealth and instead seek to be "rich in what matters to God."

From Luke Chapter 12:

Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.”

He replied to him, “Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?”

Then he said to the crowd, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.”

Then he told them a parable:

“There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?’ And he said, ‘This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’ Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God.”