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Bellflower is right.

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Not with even the modifier of: “in my opinion” ... ???

Hmmm ... last Sunday during Mass when I cried at the haunting beauty of the Eucharistic song and thanked the soloist, I didn’t see Bellflower at my elbow .. or

when I was asked to sew satin sashes for the parish Christmas pageant and worked for hours and hours to complete them .. I got no help from Bellflower .. or

when I spoke with my priest and asked him to make sure that prayers are said each week for our brave troops at Mass, .. there was no sight of Bellflower nearby .. or

when I listened to the awe inspiring missionary priest from Nigeria who spoke at Mass a couple of months ago, and joined in the applause and tears for his heartfelt gratitude for having come from a Muslim family and how God and the Catholic Church changed his whole life .. I didn’t see Bellflower there .. or

when they were short of collection takers at Mass, and I volunteered, I didn’t see Bellflower jumping up to help .. or

when I contributed to and prayed for the effort to replace our Church’s beautifully ornate and massive burned roof, there was no Bellflower envelope next to mine in the basket ... or

when a priest came to the new home of my dear friend to bless her and those walls with warmhearted prayers and gifts .. there was no sign of Bellflower.

When I conduct my life or vote my conscience in elections, I have a lifelong history on the precepts and values of the Catholic Church for self-governance, the sanctity of life and compassion for others that have stood for thousands of years and will remain, as well as an abiding love and gratitude to God for His many blessings, and a deep faith and trust in Him.

I may question and even be outraged at the decisions of priests, cardinals or archbishops, but I’m taught that God is the ultimate judge of us all, and those without sin may cast the first stone. That doesn’t stop me from venting about those circumstances, however, for I’m a flawed human as well and I seethe at apparent inconsistencies, too. But God gave us all free will and a miraculous brain with which to discern truth from evil.

I guess somehow the Church, my reverence for and attention to the words of Pope Benedict, my life in the Church and that of my fellow parishioners and those in every parish in this country, and our love and worship of God and the good will among us ... this all somehow goes on unceasingly without Bellflower’s input or critiques.

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Bellflower’s #41 isn’t worthy of response.