Tower Clock

There is a tower clock at Old St. Mary’s Church in downtown San Francisco.  When it is working, it chimes and tolls on the hour.  Why bother?  Everyone has a watch or cell phone now, and it can disturb people who want peace and quiet, in the evening and early morning.  But the clock in a church tower has a purpose for the people going about in a big city to get their agendas done on their time.  The bell tolls to remind us all that we are on God’s time.  It is a call to pay attention to what is important.  We are not immortal.  As Fr .Greg Apparcel used to say to me, “When it is your time, it is your time.”