First, dear ones, some words to think about, and not just in February: “In the African American experience, justice is something visceral; it is an ache, a groan, an inner fire.”
Fr. Bryan Massingale, Racial Justice in the Catholic Church, (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2010), p. 131.
And now for something completely different: As every schoolchild knows, any of the great American poet Emily Dickinson’s poems can be set to the music of “The Yellow Rose of Texas.” To wit, and please do sing along: “Because I could not stop for Death, He kindly stopped for me; The carriage held but just ourselves and Immortality.” (“The Chariot,” 1890)
Common knowledge, and loads of fun. But there’s another (very recently and in fact just this morning discovered in an ancient Egyptian tomb) set of lyrics that can be sung to the same tune (“The Yellow Rose of Texas,” in case you forgot already). Here goes:
If you’re out of checks and you have no cash, but you still want to give;
To the parish that you love so much, and the folks with whom you live.
There’s this great new thing called Text-to-Give that you’ll really want to try;
It’s easy and it’s simple too and it won’t make you cry.
Just take your phone from its hiding place and put these numbers in:
303-529-7436.
The very first time you do this thing, you’ll have to get signed up;
But that’s not hard no it’s easy too; Rags could do it, he’s a pup.
Just follow the prompts, put the number in, then punch in an amount;
A million bucks would be so nice but every gift will count.
Then press “send,” scan a credit card add your name and your address;
Add your email too and then you’re done you really are the best.
O Text-to-Give we love you so, you make our lives a cinch;
We don’t need cash, we don’t need checks, we’re never in a pinch.
Our hearts are filled with gladness now, cheerful givers we;
Just wear your gloves when it’s cold outside, and toasty you will be.
You may, if you feel so inclined, add the following, to the tune of “shave and a haircut: two bits”: “Try Text-to-Give, it’s swell!” Two bits, by the way, is a quarter. One bit is a bit less.
