Throwing pottery

Over the years I’ve mentioned spring cleaning, which I’ve failed completing every time. I’ve been doing lots of burning, lots of storage shifting, lots of putting things in order. It’s just that the more I do, the more that needs to be done. The more I do, the more that it seems I haven’t even made a dent. But I’ve done so much. Daunting. It’s how I also feel about writing projects: so many, so complex, so many files, so many printouts, so many locations.

I imagine that’s what my guardian angel thinks about working with yours truly. People frequently mention that they think my guardian angel has had to enlist lots angels and saints to help. But I defend him even if in my inept way.

I’m distracting myself with the spring cleaning. Let’s see. There were two rather humongous pottery bowls that I “threw” as a kid. After some 50 years of their being in storage with a number of people, they came my way. I’m fairly good at “throwing” – once having thrown enough to cover fully half of the parish’s budget in one country I was in – but these two pots were failures, not because of the ceramics, but because of the glazing. I’m the worst at that. And they were in the way. My rectory is super tiny, the “hut” as one parishioner calls it. So, I broke them up and, having already been “thrown” a lifetime ago, they now got tossed.

I’m nostalgic about my parents, but not about my pottery. Anyway, that’s a picture of the “foot” of one those pots with a multiple-initials-logo (including a nickname given to me by my mom) before its demise.

What I’m hoping for is that my guardian angel will take good care of the treasure in the soul of the earthen vessel that is myself and, in the end, lead me to heaven. I’m failed and broken in how many ways? At least five, those wounds in hands and feet and in the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus. I’ve broken Him up. I’ve made His visage, glazed over with blood, unrecognizable. But then He has forgiven me from the Cross.

Saint Paul encourages us, 2 Corinthians 4:7-11 –

• “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency may be of the power of God, and not of us. In all things we suffer tribulation, but are not distressed; we are straitened, but are not destitute; We suffer persecution, but are not forsaken; we are cast down, but we perish not: Always bearing about in our body the mortification of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our bodies. For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake; that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our mortal flesh.”

Wait… What? Did I just say that the way for my guardian angel to take care of the Treasure in this earthen vessel is for me to be drenched in that “glazing” of the dirt and blood and spittle on Christ’s face? While this lowly body will be tossed in the clay of this earth, I have trust that it will be raised up on the last day, and “thrown” up to heaven. Thank you, Jesus.