<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px 0px 3px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 28px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-weight: bold;">Marsi Gras Feb. 21</span></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2"></span><br></p><p class="p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2">Hi all. my Irish side has pancakes with maple syrup on <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Shrove Tuesday. </span></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2"></span><br></p><p class="p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2">Today’s Gospel’s reading, Mark.1, 29 - 39 involved Jesus and his power over demons. </span></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2"></span><br></p><p class="p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2">It’s time for this fellow to prepare for a forty day retreat this Lent. My last attempt at the retreat was during Advent, to have the Spirit open its light. The Spirit happened ,so gentle , on the Wednesday of the last week of the four week retreat. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>A reality check on my physical powers at retreats. </span></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2"></span><br></p><p class="p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2">Why retreat this Lent ? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I am searching for the eye of the Holy Spirit to match it with the eye of the Demon. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Straight on no withering retreat. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>It is just to hold my ground with Jesus help? not to defeat the Demon but to love the Demon’s children. </span></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2"></span><br></p><p class="p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2">By chance I had the opportunity to meet one of the Demon’s children of Haitian authority. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>It was a truly stunning awakening. A Haitian Voodoo priest. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Her gaze caught me for a few seconds, I had two grocery bags and a back pack, while I was choosing which door to enter the subway train. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>We did not meet eye to eye. I entered the nearest door and took a free seat for seniors beside a fellow with my grocery bags on the floor. </span></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2"></span><br></p><p class="p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2">Oh oh, my side view told me the priest was at a close right angle facing me. Two older women were across the aisle, somewhat attentive. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The man beside me rose and went past me back in the car. Oh, oh again. why did he change seats? </span></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2"></span><br></p><p class="p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2">The priest ordered me, “move over there” to the vacant seat. I had only one stop to go and said to her, “hasn’t your mother ever told you to say please”. </span></p><p class="p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2">This is a line I heard from a good friend when she looked in my fridge for something to drink. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I asked her” can’t you say please”. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Please, I learned from my mother. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>My friend said “her mother never taught her to say please”. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>A deep serious answer. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Please may not come easy. </span></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2"></span><br></p><p class="p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2">The onslaught by the priest was a lesson on crucifixion . The priest ohming howl, clicking teeth dancing snapping hands , humming words in Voodoo, French and finally English, a towering blast from above. </span></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2"></span><br></p><p class="p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2">By the time it was over my head , and arms had been cut of my torso, a bloody offering to her Demon god. </span></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2"></span><br></p><p class="p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2">I talked to friend about it and she warned not to seek more on the event. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I called the Flynns , past members of our community. John Flynn warned me in the past not to go wandering on Halloween. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Joselyn was great. She said trust a community of genuine friends. </span></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2"></span><br></p><p class="p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2">Last week I was on a street car. A large woman was across from me. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>She was carrying a great load of <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>many bags strewn on the seat and floor. She was talking on a cell phone about family being ready to feed her grand children in twenty minutes. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I lowered my head, closed my eyes and offered a prayer to levity the weight she carried. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>She started to sing, shape fingers in zeros, pointing and singing while looking at me. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I looked back, eye to eye, a good grand mother,maybe Haitian, woman. </span></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2"></span><br></p><p class="p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2">I’m excited to start the retreat for Lent. </span></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2"></span><br></p><p class="p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2">Pax</span></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2"></span><br></p><p class="p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2">John Scandiffio</span></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2"></span><br></p><div dir="ltr">Sent from my iPhone</div></body></html>