Sunday, January 16, 2022

In St. Matthew’s Gospel we read “Many are called but few are chosen” (22:14) when Jesus tells a parable about the Kingdom of God. Here at St. Austin for this coming week we also say, “Many are cold, but few are frozen.”  We say this because for this weekend and this coming week we are without heat in the church.

With all the demolition, the gas line that feeds the church boiler had to be moved.  So it was shut off, and the line is being moved. You can see part of it outside the doors to the new lobby, up against the church. And until that line is complete, and then the inspection by the City of Austin approves the new (temporary) line, we have no gas to the church boiler, which means we have no heat in the church.

This weekend the weather is predicted to be cold. Saturday is expected to get down to freezing, 32 degrees, and Sunday will be only marginally better, 35 degrees. It will warm up into the 50’s, but still be chilly.

So if you are attending church this weekend, and probably most of next week, I recommend that you dress warmly. Since most heat escapes through your head, everyone (including gentlemen) should feel free to wear a cap or hat in Mass if it is cold. 

Perhaps this experience will heighten our appreciation for our pioneer forebearers, who never had any central heat in church. They were a more rugged lot. And then when the heat returns, we can be more grateful for the blessings of all the modern conveniences we now enjoy.

God bless!