Deacon’s Corner
I remember as a kid I would scour the ads in the Sunday papers leading up to Christmas. Practically every large store had a multi-page, full-color flyer featuring everything from clothing, housewares to lawn and garden equipment and auto parts. And then there were the ads featuring toys… I would thoroughly go through each ad dreaming of the cool new toys that Santa might place under the tree for me.
And then came January. Eager to spend the money I received from an aunt or uncle or some other relative at Christmas; I again turned to the Sunday ads. To my dismay, the flyers I found were much, much smaller… and all the stores were advertising something called “White Sales.” So rather than finding toys on the pages, there were towels… and linens… and draperies. Yuck!
As an adult, I understand the psychology behind white sales. We just welcomed in a new year, the holidays are over and the decorations stored away. And now is the perfect time to start anew. To put a fresh face on things so to speak.
Perhaps we can use the same psychology as we examine our spiritual life. Now that it is cold outside and we tend to “hibernate” in our homes, this might be the best time to begin a new routine, to give ourselves the opportunity to start anew in some way. Some ideas that come to mind include learning something new about our Catholic faith – Blessings Gift Shop has a wonderful variety of books on church history, the saints, apologetics, and prayer. Spend a few minutes each day and listen to a podcast – I suggest Fr. Mike Schmidtz’ Bible in a Year or his Catechism in a Year, both great resources to grow in faith and knowledge. Perhaps you prefer learning in community… Sacred Heart’s Thursday Bible Study is a great way to share and learn from each other. Classes are offered in the mornings and evenings to fit your schedule. And the very best way to “begin anew” is by receiving the sacrament of reconciliation. Confessions are offered every Saturday afternoon before the 4:00 p.m. Mass or by appointment. You do not even have to wait for a white sale!
May God continue to bless you and yours in this new year.
Dcn. Mike