Things happen in 3's....

Today was the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.  I went to mass at my brother's old church in Greensboro this morning.  This is the church I first attended when I would visit him during my NC trips, long before any babies were in the picture, and before I made the bi-weekly babysitting trips...

This morning, as I waited for mass to start, I couldn't help but reflect on my "church-time" here in NC.  I love going to different churches, in general, and enjoy each for very distinct reasons.  In Greensboro, St. Paul's has awesome music and a beautiful building, I immensely enjoy the homilies over at St. Pius and wish it weren't so far from home while I enjoy Fr. Chris and browsing the Lighthouse Media Cds kiosk at Our Lady of Grace.  Our Lady of the Highways and St. Benedict's remind me of my childhood church of St. Joseph's back home but I have to say that I love my church family I've found at Immaculate Heart of Mary where I am a parishioner.  The layout of IHM reminds me of my beloved St. Joseph's Church in York, PA, and of course the chapel at Maryfield holds a special place in my heart. 

As I sat alone in the pew, at OLG this morning, I remembered the "record streak" I had when I first moved here for school in July/August 2010.  The record of something like 6 or 7 months of having my brother or a friend attend mass with me on Sundays, holy days, Stations of the Cross nights, etc. was incrdible!!  That was a special feat for me considering how many years I attended these events alone in PA!!!  Now, I'm back to attending mass alone, once in a while, when my schedule doesn't quite mesh with my brother's and his family's and I'm okay with that.  Sometimes, one just needs to sit and enjoy the peace and solitude in a church before or after a mass.

What I was reminded of this morning as I browsed the bulletin was that today is the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.  Those, who are close to me, know that I enjoy the expression, "Things happen in 3's"...because they do!  Anyhow...a few weeks ago, I had thought of how I should probably enjoy this next year (2013) since I will be 33 and that might mean extra good luck of things happening in 3's.  ;)  I forgot about that fleeting thought but was reminded of it this morning when I opened my missal before mass and read this:  "The Lord says:  my plans for you are peace and not disaster;  when you call on me, I will listen to you, and I will bring you back to the place from which I exiled you." - Jer 29:11, 12, 14      This is one of my all time favorite pieces of scripture and I'm going to take it as a sign that I need to remember this now, more than ever, as we prepare for 2013!!

Then, during the homily, Fr. Chris emphasized that we, as Catholics, "Do not need to be afraid".  If you follow this blog, you might remember an earlier posting in which I talk about the meaning behind this song for me, especially since I've come down here to NC. 

Yes, 2013 is going to be goooood! 


Or maybe the Ravens will beat the Steelers by 33 points in a few hours? 

Today is when one of my favorite football games in the season happens!!  =)