"YOU JUST CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP" 2025 #2

Last year, every Saturday I featured  a post called "Wisdom for 2024" 

This year, every Saturday, I will post a series of unusual personal experiences 

from the past under the title "You Can't Make This Stuff Up."

Sometimes, names or locations will be changed or disguised to protect the guilty! 

Besides, I am retired! What can they do, fire me?

MY ATTEMPTS TO ASSOCIATE WITH MY ASSOCIATE 

Father Joe Vest, (God rest his soul) my first associate pastor at the Cathedral of the Assumption, was a very talented man in his own right, but he was not easy to work with! He never really embraced the "associate" part. He actually acted more like he thought he was a "co-pastor." Archbishop Kelly let me pick my "associate pastor" so I have no one to blame but myself. 

The first mistake I made was giving him the front office facing 5th Street. I took the smaller one behind it - out of sight! I got a lot of grief from some of the parishioners because he insisted on having a huge stuffed Garfield the Cat glued to the front window that stared out at people passing our parish offices. I thought it was tacky and silly and made us look less than professional, but I tried to overlook it because I soon found out that he had a strong personality that did not take direction readily. Finally, because people thought it was silly and embarrassing, I got up the courage to tell him in no uncertain terms to "take it down." He did, but I felt the punishment that followed. 

Because he had been a monk for a while at St. Meinrad Archabbey, a place known for good liturgy, I put Father Vest in charge of the Holy Week Liturgies. He was good at it, mostly, but he did pull a few stunts that got us both in trouble.  

Part of the Easter decorations that Father Vest came up with was a huge flower-garden, with a fountain,  cascading down the steps in front of the pulpit that almost blocked the path up the altar on its right side. 

For some event during that season, Bishop Maloney was participating. Bishop Maloney said nothing about the flowers blocking his path up the steps, but he made his "statement" by plowing through the garden as if it wasn't there! Almost falling on his hands, half-way through, he regained his balance and finished his deliberate "tip-toe through the tulips" as if they were never there to begin with!

Father Vest was never reluctant to express his displeasure. One evening, at dinner, Archbishop Kelly, Father Vest and I were at table. The cook had prepared Waldorf Salad. Well, Father Vest declared how much he hated Waldorf Salad. I made the mistake of saying how much I liked Waldorf Salad. Father Vest took his plate of Waldorf Salad and pitched it across the table toward me. Most of it landed on its plate right in front of me! I took it and pitched it back at him, saying "I don't like it that much!" I still remember the look on Archbishop Kelly's face as he realized that has witnessing his first "rectory food fight!" 

The night before he was being sent to another parish, I decided to take the "high road." I called him to my office and said, "Well, Joe, it was not always pleasant, but if I had to do it over again, I would!" Mistakenly thinking I would get some kind of gracious response, he snapped back, "Well, I wouldn't!" 

He was followed by two wonderful Associate Pastors of my choosing - Father Peyton Badgett and Father Bill Medley. Father Peyton left and got married. Without knowing it, I had introduced him to  his new wife. Father Medley later became the Bishop of Owensboro. Both of them were a pleasure to work with! 

IT'S A NEW YEAR! IT'S ABOUT TIME TO REINVENT YOURSELF!

You should put away your old self, be renewed in the spirit of your minds

and put on the new self.

Ephesians 4:22-24

Don't waste your time on "New Year's Resolutions!" That requires too little of you and will probably just come down to cosmetic changes anyway! Decide to become a "new you" instead! Trade in your "old self" for a "new self," not just once, but over and over again! As I used to say to the people of the Cathedral of the Assumption when I was called to "do something with it" by Archbishop Kelly, "Who says you only get one "golden age?" I kept saying it, over and over again, in hundreds of ways, until they "got it," until we did actually usher in their "second gold age."

I said it and meant it! That wisdom did not come from some trendy self-help book, it came from personal experience. It came from a "fire escape experience" I had when I was in college - when I finally realized that there was no rescue party out looking for me! That day, on a fire-escape, I said to a friend of mine, "I am so damned tired of being backward, bashful and scared of life, I am going to do something about it even if it kills me."

I later came across a quote that summed up quite clearly what I set out to do. It was George Bernard Shaw who is accredited by some with saying, "Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself!" It worked and I have been "reinventing myself" every few years ever since. At 80 years old, about to turn 81, I am on a mission to do it again this year now that I understand how it works and have a lot of practice under my belt! When I complete this next "reinvention," I am going to keep doing it again and again till I am dead!

In the supposed George Bernard Shaw's famous quote, "Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself," he encapsulates a profound perspective on the essence of life. At a straightforward level, the quote suggests that we are not passive recipients of an already established identity, but rather active participants in shaping who we become. Instead of embarking on a journey to "find" ourselves, we should focus on consciously and intentionally creating the person we aspire to be.

This approach fundamentally shifts our understanding of personal growth and empowerment, emphasizing the importance of self-determination and deliberate action in shaping our lives. However, let's delve deeper into the profound implications of this quote by introducing the philosophical concept of existentialism.

Existentialism posits that individuals are responsible for creating their own meaning and purpose in life. It emphasizes personal freedom and choice as the driving forces behind our existence. In this context, Shaw's quote resonates strongly with existentialist thought, as it encourages us to actively engage with and shape our own identity.

Existentialism challenges the notion that our identities are predetermined or given to us by external factors such as biology, society, or fate. Instead, it asserts that we are in a constant state of becoming, continually defining and redefining ourselves through our choices and actions. By embracing this philosophy, we recognize that we have the power to transcend our initial circumstances and transform into individuals who align with our authentic selves.

Shaw's quote becomes even more meaningful when we contrast it with the idea of "finding" oneself. While the concept of finding suggests that our true essence is somewhere external, waiting to be discovered, creating oneself carries a proactive and empowering connotation. It implies that we are not passive recipients of a predetermined identity, but active agents who can actively shape our own lives.

Moreover, the quote challenges the notion that there is a fixed and static self to be discovered. It suggests that our identities are fluid and ever-evolving, influenced by our experiences, growth, and the choices we make along the way. This perspective challenges the idea that we are limited by past mistakes, regrets, or societal expectations. Instead, it encourages us to embrace change, take risks, and continuously strive for personal growth.

Embracing the philosophy of self-creation can be liberating and transformative. It empowers us to break free from societal constraints and explore our potential without being confined by the expectations or judgments of others. By recognizing that we have the agency to shape our own lives, we open ourselves up to endless possibilities and opportunities for growth and self-fulfillment.

However, it's essential to acknowledge that the process of self-creation is not without its challenges. It requires introspection, self-reflection, and the willingness to confront uncomfortable truths about ourselves. It demands that we take responsibility for our actions and prioritize personal growth above complacency or conformity. The path of self-creation can be tumultuous, as it often involves stepping outside of our comfort zones and confronting uncertainty.

Nevertheless, the rewards are immeasurable. By embracing the philosophy of self-creation, we become active participants in our own lives, architects of our destiny, and creators of our own unique identities. It is through this process that we discover our true potential, authentic values, and deepest passions.

In conclusion, George Bernard Shaw's quote, "Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself," challenges us to rethink our approach to personal growth and self-discovery. By rejecting the notion of a predetermined identity and embracing the philosophy of self-creation, we become the architects of our own lives. It is through conscious choices and deliberate actions that we shape our identities, fulfill our potential, and discover our true selves

Despite the challenges that come with self-creation, the journey is incredibly rewarding as we tap into our underlying agency and realize the power we hold to design a life aligned with our authentic selves. So, let us dare to create ourselves and embark on this extraordinary journey of self-discovery and personal transformation.

bottom part used from: www.socraticmethod.com

I PROMISED NOT TO TAKE ON ANY MORE MISSION PROJECTS...

... BUT I HAVE TO CONFESS THAT I HAVEN'T STUCK TO MY PROMISE

I Have Agreed to Build a New St. Veronica Church in Kenya

Sister Stephen, a Little Sister of the Poor, is stationed here in Louisville where I volunteer each Monday to celebrate Mass. She is from the African country of Kenya. One day, in a conversation with her, she mentioned her dream to build a new church in honor of her mother, Veronica Makosi, in Kenya. Her mother was an illiterate catechist and a model of the Christian faith. She walked great distances to church, instructed people in the faith in her own home at night and taught people Catholic prayers until she died.  She was the godmother to thousands of newly baptized members of the Catholic Church. 

In 2020, as she grew too old to make the long walk to church, Sister Stephen's mother made an appointment to meet with the circuit-riding priest to request the establishment of a small church in her village even though they had no resident priest at the time. The circuit-riding priest liked her idea and Veronica set about securing the land on which to build it. Sadly, she died in October 2021 before the church could open officially.  

After her death, the priest asked the people what name they should give their new church. Many ideas were suggested. The priest proposed the name "St. Veronica Catholic Church"  and everyone clapped in approval. The priest told them: "We want to honor her great example of faith."  Below is a photo of the present St. Veronica Church - no floor, no walls, no windows, no lights, no doors, no religious pictures or statues and minimal seating. 

Below is a photo of a recent baptism in the present St. Veronica Church. Father Benedict Mutinda serves St. Peter Claver Church, in Ndalani, with its 14 outstations, one of which is St. Veronica Church.  

I have agreed to do what I can to replace the present simple stick building with its sheet metal roof with something more stable, lasting and appropriate. It will probably be built with stones cemented together with a metal roof.  

I have a lot of experience in raising funds for mission projects in the Caribbean. I know that donations need to be protected and monitored so that they are not misused, misdirected or confiscated. As a result, I have made arrangements to funnel my donations through the Father John Judie Ministries, an official legal tax deductible 501-3c non-profit organization operated by Father John Judie, a local Louisville priest, who volunteers in Kenya and Tanzania. In appreciation for his help with this project, I have promised to pay for his next flight to his east African missions with my unused American Airlines Frequent Flyer miles. I have no desire to fly long-distance anymore for a vacation so I am happy to give them to him. Father Judie has agreed to oversee the distribution of my funds. He will require receipts and progress photos from Sister Stephen's brother in Kenya who has agreed to oversee the purchase of materials, oversee the construction itself and help recruit local volunteer labor to hold down the costs.  

The total estimated cost of this new church is 20,000.00 US Dollars which I will guarantee in four equal payments to Father John Judie Ministries as proven progress is made on the construction. I have already made the first $5,000.00 payment so they will have something on hand to buy materials to get started. 

                           

Father John Judie of Father John Judie Ministries

Once I know for certain that the church is nearing being finished, I have promised to look for possible ways to collect and ship "used" church furnishings to them. I have some time to research the shipping possibilities very much like I did for sending medical supplies and used church furnishings to the Caribbean Missions. I have been clear that this last step will occur only if I can find cost-effective shipping methods and suitable progress has been made on the church itself. 

$5,000.00 ALREADY DONATED

 $15,000.00 TO GO

 ON THE TOTAL GOAL OF $20,000.00

I have agreed to personally guarantee the total $20,000.00. It is a bit of a stretch for one priest, but I believe that "nothing is impossible with God." If you are moved to help me with this project, please let me know. If not, I will go it alone if necessary. Anyone donating $5,000.00 or more will be able to have their picture, printed on canvas, hanging in the new church, but any amount will help the project along.

I could, however, most certainly use some help at the end to ship some used church furnishing over there to completely finish the inside of the church. This shipping expense is not included in the $20,000.00 building costs.   

Make your tax deductible checks out to: Father John Judie Ministries - St. Veronica Project

Send your donation checks to me to be forwarded to his attention for deposit so I can keep up with the totals as we go along and report them to you on this blog.

Rev. Ronald Knott

1271 Parkway Gardens Court 

#106

Louisville, Kentucky 40217 

502-303-4571

COME ON! BE A SPIRITUAL SEEKER! BE A MAGI!

 

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in the days

of King Herod, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem,

asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?”

Matthew 2:1-12

Just when you thought Christmas was over, we are presented today with these strange out-of-town stragglers called "Magi!" Just as the party is about over, this mysterious band of foreign visitors show up asking for a peak at the new baby, completing Matthew’s picture of Jesus’ birth in which the poor and the rich, the simple and the smart, the Jew and the Gentile are all part of welcoming the savior of the world.

In this story we have a contrast of characters. On one hand we have King Herod, the paranoid, self-focused, self-absorbed, brutal, ambitious narcissist! On the other hand, we have the magi, the learned, curious, trusting and other- focused spiritual seekers.  

I can’t run fast enough to get away from self-absorbed, ambitious narcissists! On the other hand, I can’t get close enough to people like these magi, these driven spiritual seekers from the east, these men on a mission! Oddly enough, these magi were from present-day Iraq of all places! They were part of a tribe of priest-teachers to the ancient kings of Persia. They were men with an eye out for God. Their job was to watch the heavens for any unusual activity. Unusual activity among the stars was a sign to them that God was up to something! An unusually bright star, combined with a feverish search for God, meant they just had to check it out! The star they followed even had a name. It was called “the birth of a prince.” Astronomers today believe there actually was a dramatic star-event about this time in history.  They left everything that was comfortable and familiar to them and set out for new lands, for new insights and for new understanding.  Their search led them to Jesus.

These brave souls stand in contrast to that woman in eastern Kentucky that I remember seeing interviewed on KET many years ago. She had never been more than two miles from the mountain cabin she was born in! When asked why she had never been anywhere else, she answered the reporter, “I just don’t believe in goin’ places!” These brave souls, these strange magi, did believe in “goin’ places,” in having new insights, in expanding their understanding. These magi are my kind of people!

My friends, these magi, these ancient spiritual seekers have a lot to teach us about the spiritual life.  In a world of people obsessed with working on their outsides and accumulating stuff, these men teach us about passionately working on our insides: pursuing the truth, stretching ourselves and our potential, being people in charge of their own passions and hungering and thirsting for holiness. They also teach us that spiritual growth is always a risk, always dangerous, always requiring great personal courage, but always worth it. As one of my favorite writers puts it, "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." 

My life as a magi started on a fire escape at St. Meinrad in the Spring of 1966 when I was in college. I was extremely bashful.  I avoided meeting new people or getting myself into unfamiliar situations.  I was scared of life.  I was what George Bernard Shaw called “a feverish little clod of grievances and ailments, complaining that the world would not dedicate itself to making me happy.” 

That day, I was standing on a fire escape outside my room at St. Meinrad Seminary with a fellow seminarian, Pat Murphy.  In what had to be one great moment of grace, an impulse gift from God, I suddenly blurted out, “Pat, I am so sick and tired of being bashful and scared of life that I’m going to do something about it even if it kills me!”

I was shocked by the words that came out of my own mouth! But from that moment on, I have been standing up to the coward inside me.  I have been deliberately “slaying dragons” and “confronting demons,” in my head and on my path, ever since!  I decided that day not to indulge my resistance to personal and spiritual growth any longer. That day, on that fire escape, I made my first conscious decision to enter the world of intentional personal growth and deliberate living!  How appropriate and symbolic that my decision was made on a “fire escape!” I decided that day to quit being a coward and become a "magi." I decided to put myself in new and challenging situations so I could grow as a person! I decided to quit always being "safe" and, as a result, quit being "stuck!" As a result, I have worked in Chicago as a house painter and in Crater Lake National Park as a desk clerk, a bar tender and a campground preacher for the United Church of Christ. I have moved from being too bashful to lector at Masses in the seminary to preaching over 70 parish missions all over the United States. That experience pushed me to preach well over 100 priest retreats in England, Ireland, Wales, Canada, the Bahamas, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and most of the states in this country. I have been a home missionary, a pastor, a seminary staff person, a campus minister, a teacher, a weekly columnist, a foreign missionary and a nursing home chaplain. I have accepted opportunities to preach in a Lutheran Church, a Baptist Church, a Presbyterian Church and do ministry not only in the Catholic Church, but also several other churches as well. I just published my 41^st book. It all happened because of that fire-escape decision I made back in 1966 as a college seminarian.

In my retirement, after finishing my latest renovation projects down in the Caribbean and in my home parish of St. Theresa, after recently committing to mission projects in Tanzania and Kenya, this will be the year when I hope God will reveal another inner journey for me to take in spite of the fact that I am just 4 months away from turning 81! I would like to keep re-inventing myself, over and over again, till I am dead! I will prepare myself for these “re-inventions” by standing up to the temptation to “shut down” and say "no" to new opportunities just because “people in their 80s and 90s are not supposed to do stuff like that!" As Henry Ford put it, "Those who believe they can, and those who believe they can't, are both right!" 

Maybe this is your year as well, the year to begin that spiritual journey and make that big change you have been thinking about for years. If so, be brave! Take a risk! Get started! Reinvent yourself! Don't be a coward! Get out there! Be a magi!  As one of my favorite authors, Anais Nin, puts it,

 "It takes courage to push yourself to places you have never been before....to test your limits...to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to stay tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." 

 

A Little Humor For The Occasion