Pauper

Pauper came to live with us sometime in November of 2000. We named her Pauper, because we already had a cat named “Princess”. I thought it would be funny to pair them off as ‘the Princess and the Pauper’. Princess was chosen. Pauper chose us. She had been hanging around outside the house for a few days and I told my children, who were young at that time, not to feed her. They ignored me. We already had a cat and I wasn’t interested in a second. So, I left on a business trip only to call home and have my wife tell me “I let that cat into the garage. It was really cold here last night, and I felt bad for her.” “That’s fine,” I said, “but that cat cannot come into the house.” When I arrived home, I found Pauper sleeping peacefully in our sun room. Princess was not amused.

For a while, we didn’t know if Pauper was a boy or a girl. She doesn’t like to be touched and does not like to be picked up. If you have ever seen the picture of the ‘angry cat’ on the internet, that could be Pauper. Had I realized years ago that there was a market for this feline miserableness, I could have made a small fortune on coffee mugs and shirts bearing her likeness. Her gender was confirmed when we took her to the vet for shots, an ear cleaning, and to be spayed or neutered – we weren’t sure what procedure would be required. We were quite surprised when the vet told us that she was already spayed. From that, we concluded that she may have been somebody’s pet. Perhaps they didn’t like her demeanor. Maybe she hissed, bit or scratched a child and was shown the door. She might have been a feral cat who just didn’t want to spend another winter on the streets. Despite her demeanor, Pauper found a home with us.

I am sure we all know somebody who shares personality traits with Pauper. They are the ‘feral people’ who are out in the cold because they don’t know the love of the Lord or the warmth of a faith community that cares about them. Perhaps something has happened in their life that we just don’t or can’t understand. Maybe they feel unwelcome. What can we do, as a community of God, to show our concern and welcome them back into His home?

I ask these questions because recently, the Diocese of Greensburg asked the regional Pastoral Councils to focus on evangelization. The objective is to invite lapsed Catholics to come home. There are many reasons people don’t come to Mass. Some of those reasons are personal and some are just misunderstandings. You can also factor in the busy work and activity schedules for some. In case you haven’t noticed, attendance at weekly Mass across the nation is down. It’s a serious problem and it affects our parish as well. If we don’t start reversing this trend, the impact can be very profound on the future of the local church.

We will never know why Pauper was displaced from her first home, if she had one. She is about 15 now and despite her dislike of Princess, she seemed lost when Princess passed away. Pauper has a very good life that she reluctantly shares with Pumpkin, who joined our home after she was abandoned. How can we show those in our community that we have a strong, welcoming, and vibrant parish life? We can start by inviting them to come in out of the cold to share with all of us the love of our Lord and to join us in the celebration of the Eucharist.

Cliff Gorski
Pastoral Council

A letter to the Saint Sebastian parishioners...

September 2015

Hi Everyone!

It has been over a year since I have had a chance to write to you. During that time I made one of the best decisions of my life. I joined the choir! You know, singing in the choir is such an uplifting experience for me. I am able to “sing to the Lord” during Mass and enjoy the camaraderie of the choir members. What is even more important, I recently read where singing in the choir is good for your mental health as well. Doctors at a leading university were able, through experimentation, to show that people who sing in a choir tend to “feel better” as a result of immense endorphin production in the brain. I am not sure HOW it happens, but, hey, that is a good thing as far as I am concerned. And I know that happens to me!

So, with these benefits, all as a result of choral singing, why not come and be part of the Saint Sebastian Choir? We sing at the 11:00 AM Mass on Sundays and practice Wednesday evenings. Everyone is asked to attend as often as possible. However, if work, or another commitment conflicts, it is OK to miss practice. Gene, our director, is a very understanding guy!!

So, let me close by saying it is great to write to everyone again. And yes, it is great to be able to be part of such a great group of people. Finally, Saint Sebastian choir practice begins on Wednesday evening, September 9 at 6:29 PM. If you like to sing, and if you are high school age or older, please make a “note” about September 9. It really will make you feel good! God bless you all!

Sincerely,

Joyne de Kwyre

Obsessed!

I think it has been well established that Charlie leads a privileged life. He has many toys to play with, and of course he has his favorites. Of all his toys, Charlie really loves his life-like stuffed rodents best.

He finds no greater satisfaction than to carry a stuffed chipmunk or squirrel around the house in his mouth. He loves the thrill of ripping it to shreds, removing it’s stuffing, and finally getting the squeaker out so he can silence the creature once and for all.

That is, until I got him a swimming pool.

For Vacation Bible School this year, one of our Son Treasure Island games warranted a child’s swimming pool. (Only $4 at Walmart!) I promptly purchased it, and then brought it home for Charlie.

He was unsure at first, but it is clearly his favorite now. We can hardly keep him from it. As soon as he goes into the back yard, he steps into the pool and splashes and plays. He would literally be out there for hours if we let him.

It’s actually really inconvenient for him to be playing so obsessively in the pool. He gets soaking wet and filthy. Getting him dried off is a problem, and we are all concerned about his coming indoors wet with the air conditioning blowing. He’s moved passed really liking this toy to being obsessed with it. Some might even say he’s addicted to the pool.

Of course, Charlie is a dog, so he doesn’t have rational thought to know better than to constantly play in the water.

We on the other hand do. But, many of us find ourselves in the throes of obsession. Sometimes, that obsession even leads to addiction.

I don’t just mean the common addictions, either, like sex, alcohol, or drugs. What about folks who are addicted to work, or who become clean freaks?

All addiction starts out as something we find pleasure in. Often it is something that is supposed to be good for us. Whether it is a medication to help with pain, a way to show pride in one’s home, or the way we support our family, when taken to the extreme these things can be harmful to us.

Addiction is literally defined as something pleasurable or healthy which becomes compulsive to the point of interfering with our daily life. Think for a moment. Work, cleaning, the desire to be the best, all of those can become addictions just as much as drugs or alcohol can.

Sometimes we get lost in the thing. Other times we drive ourselves to it. Either way it is the same, something has come between us and our relationship with God and those around us.

It’s one of the reasons we have the ten commandments. God knows we have the tendency to take things too far. Jesus gave us the beatitudes to remind us of the same thing. The stuff of the world is not here to control us. Keeping our relationships at the center of our lives can help us to remember that.

It’s part of why we go to church, right? To remind ourselves that we are not the bosses or in control, God is. That can be a tough pill to swallow sometimes. We like control, it makes us feel safe and secure. It’s what leads to those addictions. We think we are in control, but it’s exactly the opposite of that.

God calls us back to himself. He calls us back to each other. We aren’t doing anyone any good if our entire focus is on the stuff. As a matter of fact, addiction makes us unwitting attackers to those around us. Literally the thing we think is good is hurting those around us.

So just like we have to call Charlie out of that pool, God calls us out of our sinful life. It’s not just for our benefit either, but for those around us. Ready to come in, Charlie?

Who rescued whom?

We adopted Charlie from the Humane Society of Westmoreland County. Before he was our dog, Charlie was a stray. He is, what some folks call, a rescue dog.

No one is sure what kind of life Charlie led before he was picked up, but he must have been a stray for at least some time. He was found digging out of trash cans, and was under nourished and under weight.

On his very first visit to the vet as our dog, he weighed only 34.5 lbs. After his first year we had him up to 38 lbs., and our vet was pleased that Charlie was thriving in our care. These days, we sometimes get scolded for feeding him too much, and we work to keep his weight just under the 40 pound mark.

He lives a life of luxury now. No hunting for food, no worries about where he will rest his head. He always has a steady supply of toys and treats. Yes, Charlie has definitely been rescued from the scary life of a stray. But, he wasn’t the only one who was rescued!

I’m not even sure what I did before that dog came into my life! He makes me smile. He makes me laugh. He lets me cuddle him when I’m sad, and helays by my side at the end of the day. Charlie greets me each daywith a doggie smile and a wagging tail. That dog makes me happy!

I’ve seen the bumper sticker many times, “Who rescued whom?” I definitely need that for my car!

Charlie eases my stress level when I’ve had a bad day. It’s actually been shown in studies that having a pet helps with depression and improves over all health. Charlie has certainly had a positive influence on me! It’s hard to stay upset when you have such a cute guy wagging his tail and wanting to play or snuggle!

The great thing about a pet is, they don’t keep score of who is rescuing whom. They never worry if you’ve done more for them than they have done for you. Pets are just happy to love and be loved.

We don’t do as well, do we? Sometimes we get so caught up counting what we have done for others that we forget to count what they have done for us. Sometimes we forget the benefit that others are in our lives.

We are so blessed that God doesn’t do the same! Jesus forgives us again and again when we fail. One of our biggest mistakes, though, is thinking our failure is only in not loving Jesus. We forget that we are supposed to love one another, too!

It’s funny that throughout the bible Jesus keeps telling us to love one another, but we just don’t seem to get that part. We like to focus on the part about loving God, but not loving each other.

When God gave us the ten commandments, they were about how we treat God, but they are also about how we are supposed to treat one another.

When Jesus was teaching the disciples, he constantly told them that the way you love God is the way you love others. That doesn’t just mean the homeless person, or the kids with cancer, either. It means your very own spouse and children, even when they don’t help with the chores. It means loving your next door neighbor, even when she gossips about you. Those are sometimes hard things to do, but forgiveness is part of love.

Remembering that your spouse loved you when you acted unlovable; or that your children see you as a hero, even when you don’t feel like one; remembering that your neighbor showed you kindness when you needed it--those are the things that help us to see the face of Jesus in those around us.

Keeping our focus on the positive helps us to see more positive. Remembering that we haven’t gotten here alone, but with the help of others, reminds us that we aren’t just the rescuers. It helps to realize that through others, God is rescuing us. So Charlie, who rescued whom?

- Christy Cabaniss
  Parish Minister

The Routine

Pet life has a rhythm and routine to it, and Charlie’s life is no different.

Every day when he wakes up, his first desire is to be outside. Not only does he take care of his doggie business, he “checks the perimeter” to ensure no rodents have infiltrated his yard. After that, he gets his morning meal. From there, he follows me to the bedroom to sigh and mope as I get ready for work.

Once I’ve left, I have it on good authority that Charlie regularly checks the back windows for invaders and alternately naps throughout his day. If there are people home, he will pester them from time to time to go out and verify the safety of our yard.

When I return home from work, he expects to be let out. He then has his dinner at 6 o’clock. Around 8 he has a game of fetch or tug-of-war. Then around 9, Charlie retires for the evening. It doesn’t matter who is up or what they are doing, he goes back to the bedroom and sleeps.

Day after day, this is the routine of Charlie’s life. He doesn’t seem at all dissatisfied with it. When things are different, like when we have company, it is a stress to his little doggie system. He has to get extra sleep in to accommodate all the excitement his body has experienced. Overall, though, he enjoys his routine life and is happy for it to remain that way.

We have routines too. Time for work, time for play, time for our social activities. Some people even have their meal options scheduled. Spaghetti night, taco Tuesday, soup on Fridays, etc.

As human beings, we refer to ourselves as creatures of habit. Mostly, I think that phrase is said in a deprecating fashion, but what’s wrong with some order to our lives?

I was recently on vacation, and attended Mass at another parish. Everything was different even though it was the same Mass. The church building was brand new and very contemporary. The parish was made up of so many cultures of people with different accents and styles of clothes. Even their music options were different than what I am used to.

Sometimes, I really like to go to a totally different Mass in order to force myself to focus on what I am doing and how I am praying. But this time, it wasn’t a good thing.

I was in a bad mood that morning, and I wanted the simple rhythm and routine I’m used to so I could talk to God about my problems. Instead, I was so distracted by everything being so different. It made me uncomfortable. I was out of sorts, and felt as if not one minute had been spent with God.

What a great life lesson, right?

How often are our routines disrupted? How many times have we been longing for that simple routine only to be left with sickness, death, unemployment, the list could go on and on!

Are those the times that God isn’t around? Is it in those difficult moments that God is punishing us? I don’t think so. They are just the twists and turns that are our journey.

Sometimes we are thrown off by these disruptions, and sometimes they realign our lives. Both are opportunities to see God at work in our lives, either through those we are able to help or through those who are helping us.

Life isn’t always about being the helping hand. Sometimes we need to be helped. Disruptions to our routine can make that uncomfortably obvious. It can be humbling to realize we aren’t perfect, but after all isn’t that what going to church is supposed to be about?

God calls to us in many different ways, and sometimes it can be in those disruptions to our routines. Hopefully, going to Mass is a good disruption for us. A way to realize we are more than just our habits.

Right, Charlie?


~Christy Cabaniss

We All Need to be Rescued

Psalm 82:4 "Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked."

Lucy and Kennedy are two of our adorable and faithful dogs. Each dog was in need of rescuing for different reasons. As a puppy, Lucy was being raised by a foster family looking to place her in a loving and permanent home. All it took was one look and we knew she was the dog for us. For Kennedy, her early months were darkened by abuse and neglect until she was placed in our path to begin the emotional and physical healing process in a safe and caring environment.

All of us need to be rescued from time to time. Some need rescuing from addiction, depression, self doubt, financial loss, the loss of a loved one, health issues, employment concerns, a fractured marriage or loss of faith and purpose.

Fortunately, God provides relief from all our troubling circumstances when we put complete trust in Him. We are reminded and encouraged by the words of Psalm 23 that remind us that the Lord is our shepherd and that we shall not want.

Ezekiel 34: 11-12 "For this says the Lord God; Behold I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out as a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness."

We can find constant comfort in knowing that we all are part of God's flock and that we shall fear no evil under the protection and guidance of the Great Shepherd. Just as sheep sometimes wander away from the flock and become separated from the safety it provides, we also lose our way, become troubled, question our faith and worry what tomorrow will bring us. Just as the shepherd seeks out his lost sheep, God seeks us out during our "lost" times and rescues us from danger and despair.

The Bible describes the inspiring story of Peter while in jail awaiting persecution at the hands of King Herod. The night before his execution, an angel of the Lord appeared and rescued Peter from prison. Peter remained faithful even though he faced a dire situation. Escaping his prison cell seemed an impossible task. But Peter quickly learned that with God all things are possible. He was delivered from certain death and continued to preach of his faith in God to his fellow brothers and sisters.

As Christians, the term rescued also means saved. We experienced the ultimate rescue through our loving and compassionate God sacrificing His one and only Son so that true believers shall not perish but receive the gracious gift of eternal life. With a personal relationship with God, we experience unconditional love, complete forgiveness and absolute acceptance.

Through God's example, we realize that we are being molded by the Master in the image of His Son Jesus so that we can love and care for one another just as Christ did while on earth.

Indeed, we have our own unique stories of being rescued from one circumstance or another. With these experiences, we become closer to God through a strengthened faith and heightened joy and peace by knowing we are special enough to be saved and not to become a hopeless victim.

Lucy and Kennedy needed a shepherd and the Lord brought them into our home, reminding us that we all have been rescued by someone and that God calls each of us to follow his perfect example by lending a supportive hand and gentle heart to anyone in need.

Hebrews 13:16 "Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."

-Clinton & Carol Rhodes, Parishioners

Speak!

Charlie is a dog. That means that he can’t use words like people do to communicate. Despite the lack of words, he is pretty good about getting his point across.

When Charlie is excited he has a much different bark than the one he uses when he’s upset. The happy excited bark is high pitched and short. His angry bark is lower and has a bit of a growl to it. When Charlie is not happy about something you are doing, he gives a low guttural growl and when he is annoyed or disappointed he has a growly kind of sigh. Sometimes, he even seems to make some talking sounds when he is asked a question and he wants to get a point across.

Charlie also has soundless ways of communicating. Of course the wag of a tail can indicate pleasure, but when the wag is slow and the tail held vertical it can mean he is on the offensive. When he is excited to see me and wants my attention, he jumps up on me so I will acknowledge him. At other times, when Charlie is feeling sad or bored, he comes over and snuggles in my lap. He has so many different ways of communicating that the lack of words isn’t usually a problem. Of course, it would be pretty cool if he could use language to tell me what he’s really thinking!

Do we use our words the best we can when communicating? I think, maybe not. Words can be beautiful and uplifting, but many times we use words to be hurtful and nasty. Sometimes, we withhold words to wound one another.

Perhaps, we aren’t aware of the damage we are doing. Maybe we expect that people “know” what we really mean. It’s possible we’re not aware of how negative our words are. Sometimes we don’t grasp the harsh ways others interpret our words. The negativity hurts and the unkind words leave scars. Those around us withdraw, and we are bewildered wondering what happened.

When Charlie barks harshly at me he gets squirted in the face with a water bottle. I don’t think we would get a very good reaction if we were to use that same recourse with one another.

What we can do is speak kindly. We can tell each other that the words being used are harsh, inconsiderate, or un-loving. We can try to be more peaceful with not only our words, but with our tone.

We don’t only use words with one another, though. We also use them to communicate with God. Or, at least, we should.

Sometimes we let the words be the mundane recitations of rote prayer. And, sometimes, we don’t even say those.

Are we afraid of telling God what is really going on with us? What we are really thinking and feeling?

The thing is, God knows us. It’s not like the communications between Charlie and me. The Lord knows our hearts and he knows what is going on in our heads. It’s us that has to fess up to what we are hoping for, what we are fearing, and what we are ashamed to say. Because we know, once we say it out loud, it’s real. Once we put it out there, we can’t take it back.

That’s a vulnerable place to be, and that can be scary. There’s no question whether or not God will accept us, though. The question is, do we still accept ourselves? Jesus says we should, because he still accepts and loves us in spite of ourselves. One of the beauties of our tradition is that we are always forgiven.

We just have to speak.

~Christy Cabaniss Parish Minister