tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562133.post6337178454947849559..comments2024-02-28T17:57:05.725-05:00Comments on The Black Biretta: Just What the Doctor OrderedBlack Birettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758160681203816829noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562133.post-6077492522695841572008-06-12T15:44:00.000-05:002008-06-12T15:44:00.000-05:00Hi Father T, I do like your blog, Father, and my f...Hi Father T, <BR/><BR/>I do like your blog, Father, and my family appreciates your courage in stepping up to the plate day by day, to take on your priestly duties. So great to see you and dear Fr. Levis on EWTN! It does us laity good to see a priest like you both are, who, as you said, is a priest, first and foremost, rather than a politician or one concerned more with material things.<BR/><BR/>That said, in our previous rural corner of the Cdn woods (and in a particular diocese--I'm not lumping all together!), we learned that to make known to our Bishop our high regard for a particular pastor was not prudent. It seemed as if we were then regarded as "Father followers", and that the priest in question might be viewed more negatively by the Chancery Office. Perhaps the bishop than worries that we might follow a priest rather than the Church???? Represented, of course, by the Bishop??? I'm not sure--but the lack of enthusiasm for any sort of positive encouragement for a priest on the laity's part did not seem to be received at all well.<BR/><BR/>Rest assured, though, that if for one minute, we could know that our support and admiration of our parish priest would be kindly received by our Bishop, we would not hesitate to do so, and in spades!<BR/><BR/><BR/>God Bless and Mary love you for all you do in the building up of the Church.<BR/><BR/>Embattled CatholicAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562133.post-85714078982613928872008-06-12T12:50:00.000-05:002008-06-12T12:50:00.000-05:00Wonderful post...gratitude is so important.Thank Y...Wonderful post...gratitude is so important.Thank YOU Fr!Jackie Parkes MJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07986690514568554656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562133.post-88495745542554770822008-06-09T06:37:00.000-05:002008-06-09T06:37:00.000-05:00Well, this puts me in a pickle. After reading your...Well, this puts me in a pickle. After reading your post, I WANT to write the Bishop thanking him for the priests who serve our parish/cluster.<BR/><BR/>However, on one level, it's going to gall me to thank His Excellency for The Jesuits! :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562133.post-25630203757329139912008-06-07T10:03:00.000-05:002008-06-07T10:03:00.000-05:00Amen to all you say here, Father. I work with anot...Amen to all you say here, Father. I work with another attorney who left the same firm I did because the atmosphere was so constantly negative, the partners regarded staff as cogs in the machine, not as human people, and acknowledged mistakes far more often than a job well done (unless you happened to settle a lucrative case!). The work was plentiful but the environment was toxic. We just couldn't stand it, but the thought of going it alone was scary, too, as we both had young families to support. Within 6 months of each other, though, we decided it was not worth spending 8-10 hours each day being miserable and wondering who was going to snipe or backstab at you on any given day, so we left, to the shock of many, and with all sorts of threats from the partners if any clients followed. <BR/><BR/>When we opened our current office, we could barely afford the basic bills, let alone a receptionist, but we swore that when we had employees, we'd make openness and gratitude a priority - praising the good things at least as often as correcting the not-so-good. We tried it out on each other until we banked enough money to afford a part-time receptionist.<BR/><BR/>Two years later, we have three employees who will tell you that they love their jobs AND their bosses. Two even tease us for being so quick with the thank-you's, while the third, who was a paralegal at the old firm, nods her head in appreciation of what we're doing and why we're doing it, and tells them "you have no idea what it's like NOT to be thanked for two years straight, no matter how hard you work."<BR/><BR/>I try to carry that "attitude of gratitude" over to other areas, too - if I am dealing with a customer service issue and calling a helpline, an insurance company, whatever, I remind myself to be polite to the person, no matter how frustrating the problem might be. Even if the first person I talk to can't solve the problem, I make sure to tell the supervisor that the first person was nice, did a good job, was helpful despite not getting the answer I needed, etc. (as long as they were, of course). More often than not, it is worth the effort, but it is definitely a hard habit to pick up in the culture of negativity and sarcasm all around us.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, ramble over...and I am eternally grateful to you, Father, for writing the book with Fr. Ken that got my underchatechised cradle Catholic husband up to speed and re-committed to his faith. :)Kithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01016763543666450600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562133.post-20316958943850067702008-06-06T22:07:00.000-05:002008-06-06T22:07:00.000-05:00Congratulations on your anniversary. One of my rea...Congratulations on your anniversary. One of my readers sent me your way. Happy to find you.Sister Mary Marthahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00580244097177195453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562133.post-18780417493072611022008-06-06T07:45:00.000-05:002008-06-06T07:45:00.000-05:00Great post, Father - gave me interesting things to...Great post, Father - gave me interesting things to think about, especially in the area of giving positive feedback. I heard somewhere or other that the ratio of positive comments to negative comments ought to be 4:1. Most of the time, I think I reverse that, esp. to my kids. So thanks for the reminder.<BR/><BR/>And speaking of "downtime" - have a safe and refreshing Catholic Answers Alaska Cruise next week. Hope to read some posts of your experience. Watch out for the melting icebergs and drowning polar bears! :-)Larry Denningerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06015803653090711740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562133.post-26790367484620671202008-06-06T01:56:00.000-05:002008-06-06T01:56:00.000-05:00Thank you, you are the bomb.The bees knees.When yo...Thank you, you are the bomb.<BR/><BR/>The bees knees.<BR/><BR/>When you need love, we are certainly here, and SO MUCH appreciate our priests.<BR/><BR/>--Dan L.Dan L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04894738392074075163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562133.post-63532785960725120632008-06-06T01:35:00.000-05:002008-06-06T01:35:00.000-05:00thanks for the kind words. I think if my Blog pro...thanks for the kind words. I think if my Blog program made it easier to answer as well as post responses, then I would reply to every one. Right now, when a response comes in, I see at an email and click an option to post it but there is no option to reply to it. I have to go manually to the Blog space and do it. Yes, I know, LAZY, but what can I say, I'm Italian. We only sweat when it's hot, not from doing too much work.Black Birettahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08758160681203816829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562133.post-57458227888498213902008-06-06T00:30:00.000-05:002008-06-06T00:30:00.000-05:00Dear Sweet Father:After reading this post...I real...Dear Sweet Father:<BR/><BR/>After reading this post...<BR/><BR/>I really, really feel for your own really, really touching and close personal feelings. God bless you, Father.<BR/><BR/>If it is just as simple as an email to help lift you, let me suggest...<BR/><BR/>We, me, or anybody...often visit your blog and adore your posts. I, or we, or us, sometimes comment. I understand you are likely maxed out, as probably all priests are, so though, being the trusting soul that you are, and the commitment you have made (so big, so immense, God love you), give us...<BR/><BR/>...HELLO!...a chance to help you.<BR/><BR/>I have seen comments on your blog...so cool and grateful they are....but they go unanswered. That, in itself, is entirely understandable. But...if you, Father, whom many as I do...really admire, please....<BR/><BR/><BR/>Let some us know you even READ our slim commentary to your very well and fine posted blog pages, OK? I have read here, in your post, you are much assisted by a very loving email to you....May God love you even more, but...<BR/><BR/>Who has your email? I understand you would not want the world to have that, yet, consider please that even as we visitors share your blog with you, we too, love you, and you might yet come to know our love....<BR/><BR/><BR/>...if only we knew you knew, or if only we knew how you know.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Most Sincerely,<BR/><BR/>--Dan L.Dan L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04894738392074075163noreply@blogger.com