St. Michael Parish

      Do kids still chase after fireflies on summer evenings? When I was young it seemed that every summer, at the first sightings of fireflies (or lightning bugs, as we called them) all the kids in the neighborhood would scramble around to try to cup their hands around one of the glowing, fluttering little things. Every few seconds, one firefly or another would suddenly flash into a bright, tiny yellow-green light and then softly fade back into the darkness. To catch one of them, the trick was to try to keep your eye on the critter even after it went black so you could anticipate its moves and grasp it (good luck). Some kids would raid their mothers' kitchens for empty glass jars to keep the fireflies in, making sure to punch holes in the jar lids so the little captives could breathe; a few blades of grass were thrown in as pet food.
     
     Simple, wonderful pleasures. Fun provided by God, and it didn't cost a penny.
     
      As we all take some time this summer to rest and revive, let's remember that every true delight we will enjoy is a gift from God. As we appreciate the abundant natural beauty that surrounds us, let us give thanks to God for the peaceful, restorative therapy we receive from a star-filled country sky, the aroma of a campfire, a gently rolling ocean surf or the sun shining high in the sky. Let us remember Who makes this all possible. And let us live our lives for Him. God bless you!

     Father Tom Quinn
     Pastor