Papa's Mass at The Garden on Friday AND How Can I Pray for You?

So I logged onto my email last week to find THIS~~~

and almost fell off the couch in shock!

The papal procession in Central Park?

Us and only about 90,000 other pilgrims??

And gawkers and curious non religious folk...and  of course, aren't they the ones who should

flock there  and get close and be enlightened? 

How perfect in our city,  which is the very definition of 

multi cultural and eclectic, our Holy Father is attracting throngs??
It's an amazing time for our city!

So there we were all set to take the train to Penn and walk uptown thirty or so blocks

to Central Park West and all happy and feeling blessed.

THEN on Saturday, by snail mail, arrives a letter from our diocese.

Hmmmmmm.....

We never assumed that we'd be chosen in our diocesan lottery for seats at

the Papal mass at Madison Square Garden, but of course, we  submitted our form regardless.

because even though we never win anything, hey you never know.

So when we opened the curious envelope from our diocese we learned that 

out of 13,000 lottery forms  were submitted, 

ours was one of the 500 randomly chosen.

I think that about sums  up our good luck and blessings for the rest of my life.

Although, wait a minute, since we were also randomly chosen in my former parish in

the Brooklyn Diocese for JPII's Octiber 1995 mass at Aquecduct, it seems

I must be really over my limit.

Someone upstairs must have let this slip.

Twice in a lifetime?

Wow.

So last night, we picked up our tickets.....

And aren't they just the most beautiful tickets ?

Now, for the important part:

I completely recognize what an honor this is and I have to tell you my friends,

I'll be praying for you like crazy.

BUT, do you have a special intention you'd like me to bring along?

If so, please let me know by leaving your name  in the comments

 or by emailing me at campfiresandcleats@gmail.com.

No need to divulge any private intentions of course.

He knows everything.

But let me know if there is something special and 

 I will definitely take it with me.

I'll be back over the weekend with a full, detailed, picture heavy (I hope) post!

How can you sponsor a child through Compassion International?

Click here for details.

Wait til you see these adorable faces!

  
 

Friends, as always,  

thank you for stopping over and 

spending some of your precious time 

here at my home on the web!
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Until next time,

~Chris