THE BREAK IS OVER, RONALD

A GOOD LONG NEEDED BREAK ENDS   

It was so nice not having to get up early, get on a plane and head out to some hotel for a week. I just concluded three months of staying home mostly, helping out a bit here and there, staying up late at night writing, sleeping late in the morning, drinking coffee with friends for hours and accomplishing just two or three small things a week. 

Now the travel and speaking schedule starts up hot and heavy until summer. 

                

I did get a lot done over my winter break so I am quite prepared to carry out what I have on my schedule. Because of that preparation, it should be stress-free, even enjoyable,  in most cases. 

Besides, I am retired!

I don't really have to do a darn thing!

All work now is self-inflicted!

I can stop at any time!

I just don't want to . . . just yet! 

WANT TO COME TO MY PARTY?

A COCKTAIL AND HORS D'OUVRES DINNER

THIS COMING SUNDAY EVENING, MARCH 5
 anytime between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm
at
SUPPLIES OVER SEAS 
S.O.S.
1500 Arlington Avenue
off Spring Street, near Payne Street

This coming Sunday night, some friends put together a wonderful gathering of supporters at
the local headquarters of SUPPLIES OVER SEAS to give them an opportunity to offer their support to one of my ministry projects in the missions of the Caribbean. This cocktail-hors d'oeuvres reception was organized by Dr. Catherine Newton, Mr. Paul Bluel, and Mr. Tim Tomes.

Tours will be available of this marvelous local organization.
Come and meet some of your friends, make some new ones and learn all about S.O.S. and our island ministry.

Click on link below for map to S.O.S.
SOS Map

This local organization salvages tons of surplus medical supplies from regional hospitals and health care facilities, which would otherwise be deposited in landfills, and sends them overseas to countries in dire need of such equipment. 

Under the banner of my new organization for retired priests, bishops and professional lay people (not necessarily Catholic), we are assembling, with the help of some generous friends, a 40' shipping container of these medical supplies for my adopted St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Through the local Catholic Diocese of Kingstown, SVG, we hope to distribute these needed medical supplies to the local hospital, nursing home, mental facility and three childrens' homes. For fees of about $20,000, we can ship about $350,000 worth of surplus medical supplies. 

If you want to be part of this wonderful event, and to help the caterer plan the food, please try to rsvp by Wednesday evening to:
Dr. Catherine Newton
cnewtonmd@aol.com
or
Father Ronald Knott
1-502-303-4571
jrknott@bellsouth.net

or send your tax deductible check made out to "SUPPLIES OVER SEAS - SVG FUND" and send it to:

Rev. Ronald Knott

1271 Parkway Gardens Court

Louisville, KY 40217

 

ALMS GIVING IS A LENTEN TRADITION. YOUR DOLLARS CAN BE TURNED INTO MANY DOLLARS WORTH OF SURPLUS MEDICAL EQUIPMENT FOR THE MISSIONS. 

A view of a small part of the warehouse where items are sorted and prepared for shipment by teams of generous SUPPLIES OVER SEAS volunteers. "Wish lists" have been sent to the receiving institutions. From those lists, volunteers will prepare the shipping container from the warehouse stock. Once packed, it will be shipped by rail and boat to Kingstown, the capitol city of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, for distribution to the designated institutions in need. 

THE SPIRITUAL PRACTICE OF JOURNALING

HOW TO KEEP A SPIRITUAL JOURNAL FOR MONITORING YOUR GROWTH

 

"Watch carefully how you live!"  
Ephesians 5:15

A spiritual journal is an ideal way to keep a written record of personal reactions to spiritual matters. Its main function is to keep you “intentional” about your own spiritual growth by allowing you to look back to see how you have spiritually grown or perhaps shrank.

A spiritual journal is not a diary. Its focus is mainly on the growth of your relationship with God and on the growth of your effectiveness as a priest.  

What kinds of things go into a spiritual journal?

·         Observations on things that you sense going on around you as you go through times of change and growth

·         Places you have been and what you drew from them (e.g. retreats or spiritual gatherings, celebrations)

·         Insights you have about yourself and your ministry

·         Feedback you have been given by others through conversation or written communication

·         Prayers you have read, written, said or heard

·       Special insights about ministry that you have come across and want to remember (either intact or where to  find them)

·         Ways you have surprised yourself

·         Things you have discovered about yourself as you look back through your journal

·         Important dates and events that impact your marriage or priesthood

·         Things that come to you while driving, sleeping or meditating

·        Insights gained during reflections on special milestones (e.g. your birthday, your anniversary of ordination or  time in an assignment)

·        Clever and insightful ideas and quotes that can be used in ministry or personal reflections

Are there any helpful guidelines?

• The most important thing is to be honest with yourself and God during writing. Pious sentiments that you feel you should have are not helpful.
• The date and the time should be clearly marked with each entry. Since you are tracking your progress, you will not be confused about “when” you wrote something or when something actually happened.
• Get a good sturdy book, not a flimsy notebook, since you will be taking it with you when you travel, move, go on retreat. It should look “worthy” of what it contains. It should be left in plain sight so that it can beckon you to come and write.
• Remember that journals can be lost, stolen or accidentally read by others, no matter how careful you are. You may choose some code words that only you know for the most private and sensitive entries.  

Journals I gave the deacon candidates in the Diocese of Kingstown, SVG.

My personal journals back to 1968

COMING TO YOUR PARISH OR A PARISH NEAR YOU

THEY ARE LITERALLY FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD

  

One of the programs I started at St. Mienrad Seminary when I was there, was the WORLD PRIEST PROGRAM. This is the latest gathering of international seminarians and priests for a dialogue about entering our United States culture and serving as pastors of our parishes.



This was the last one I led before I retired from Saint Meinrad. This dialogue was one of my favorite things to do. They learned much from each other which was the point of the dialogues.



This is Kirt Prospere, a seminarian from the Diocese of Bridgetown, Barbados.
It was because of him that I met his bishop, Bishop Jason Gordon. Because of Bishop Gordon, I got involved in the Caribbean missions and started the Catholic Second Wind Guild for retired priests, bishops and professional lay people.



The internationalization is reflected in our local church as this poster proves. 

ON KEEPING ONE'S COOL

SOPHRONISMOS*

* a Greek word for wisdom, but a special kind of wisdom, the wisdom to know what to do under pressure, the wisdom of knowing how to keep your cool in face of panic. 

I chose this word as the name of my little publishing company, Sophronismos Press. 

It came to me when I was reflecting on a real  life experience I had when I was pastor of our Cathedral of the Assumption. When we were digging around the foundation to add space on the back of the cathedral, the walls began to crack down the back and down one side. 

During this ugly turn of events, I was watching from the sidewalk on the street behind the cathedral. As the crack was widening and spitting out small puffs of smoke, I remember clearly saying to myself, "Ron, you do not have the luxury of coming unglued. You will be pastor of this parish whether that building falls down or not. Now get a grip on yourself!" That, I learned, was "sophronismos," the ability to keep one's cool in the face of panic. 

I have known a few people in my 47 years of priesthood who have faced humiliating situations in their personal and families' lives. In the face of public judgment, ridicule and gossip, they have been able to hold their heads up, go on with their lives and reach a place of peace. I cannot go into detail without exposing them so let's leave it there in generic terms. 

Maybe you are one of those people. Maybe you, or a family member, has done something that has brought great shame on you and your family. You may have been sued for all you're worth, maybe you have had newspaper articles with photos printed in the local papers for weeks or maybe you have been stripped of your professional license and have even been imprisoned. 

I am not here to comment on the deed itself that has brought you so much humiliation, but I do want to salute you for you ability to endure, the grace with which you have handled your affliction and the sophronismos you have exhibited through it all. 

Last of all, I am thinking about those who are facing imminent death, or are accompanying  family members and close friends,  who are fully aware of what is happening and are overwhelmed by the prospects that lay ahead. I wish them the peace that comes with sophronismos. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRENDA

I WANT TO WISH MY OLDER SISTER, BRENDA, A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY. 

SHE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE FOR  ME AND I LOVE HER.

Around 1948?

THAT'S HER!    BACK ROW LEFT!
8th grade graduation - St. Theresa School - 1957



This is how I looked the year she took me in, let me live in her basement here in Louisville and helped me find a job during the summer while I was in the seminary - around 1966.
I will always be grateful.