Charlie Dittmeier's Home Page
Here is some information received from the bishop of Phnom Penh about the conflict on the border between Cambodia and Thailand. Caritas Cambodia, the church relief agency, is organizing tent cities, water, food, toilets, and other assistance. They are probably the main positive force in the renewal of this century-old dispute.
The Church asks us to understand that Christ, who came once in the flesh, is prepared to come again. When we remove all obstacles to his presence he will come, at any hour and moment, to dwell spiritually in our hearts, bringing with him the riches of his grace.
From Creighton Online Ministries
Yesterday the church crew started setting up a nativity scene at St. Boniface Church. Today I was back there for a mass for the Immaculate Conception and this is what I found. From what I understand, the St. Boniface tradition is to set up stable and manger and then the next week add the stable animals and then the last week before Christmas to add supporting people statues and then the Holy Family on Christmas Day, but it seems the animals were in a hurry to get there.
“Life must always be welcomed and protected. These two things go together – welcome and protection, from conception to natural death. All of us are called to respect life and care for it.”
Pope Francis
Advent can feel like a countdown to Christmas and a hustle of preparation for the holidays, when in fact the liturgical season is all about waiting–not for a short-lived celebration but for a person.
Today I had a meeting after lunch and was debating how I could go when I depend on my bicycle for getting around. I went outside at Nazareth Home above and the sidewalks there and the nearby streets look reasonably cleared and usable for a bike.
The temperature, though, was in the high 20ºs and low 30ºs, and I learned over the last weekend my fingers–even with ski gloves–could only take about 15 minutes of that. My earlier rides were REALLY painful, so I was happy to learn today that another priest was going to the same meeting and I could ride with him–in a car. The trip was smooth and warm and I got to see more beautiful scenes from this winter’s first real snow.
Just three inches of snow fell last night but the effect has been stunning. Kentucky frequently gets a couple inches of snow but if it is not gone in two or three hours, it probably is only patchy after the first night and doesn’t last more than a day or two.
This present snow is a heavy, thick, sticky snow that has covered everything and is still sticking to the trees, wires, fences, houses, and everything exposed. Driving around the city reveals beautiful panoramas of winter bliss. After 40 years in temperate Asia with no snow, it’s a real joy for me.
A week or two ago, we had a sprinkling of snow at Nazareth Home but it was gone in a couple hours. Overnight we had about 3″ of snow this time. This is a view at 6:15 AM in the little courtyard outside my room. It is a beautiful snow but it has really disrupted my plans.
For most big US holidays when it’s expected to be with family, all the married sisters and brothers go to their in-laws’ homes on the holiday itself, and then all the Dittmeier siblings meet the following weekend. Yesterday we all got together after I got back from the trip to Bardstown with the deaf group.
We have a wonderful family and this time more of the family from Cincinnati were able to come with the younger grandchildren. Great!
This photo shows about 2/3 of the group chatting after we ate.