Dear Parishioners,
Isn’t it the case that life will always bring surprises.
Notable for me is the fact that astronauts from the US went
up in a US rocket to the Space Station. It takes me back to
the moon landing years ago when I was much younger. I
can remember the grainy, black and white image of Neil
Armstrong with his, “One small step for man, one leap for
mankind” statement upon setting foot on the moon. The
crisp images of the SpaceX launch and docking with the
Space Station are a reminder of how far things have come.
But also, we are in the midst of yet another death of an
African American at the hands of a policeman caught on
video. How much longer will racism show its ugly and vile face in our culture? And finally, it seems that the
pandemic numbers are decreasing, slowly yet still with fatal consequences. The lower numbers coupled with the
opening up of society, churches included, may slowly bring our world a little closer to normalcy. I don’t think
however that things will be as they were, but we shall see!
We have been through a great deal of pain and suffering, and hopefully it will lessen. I reflect on these things because our Christianity, our Catholicism, must inform our
reaction to the events in which we find ourselves. I believe
that Christ came not only to reconcile us with God but to
inform our way of life. We are to create with our lives, the
city of God, the kingdom of God. I am reminded of the old
adage, “may you live in interesting times,” very pertinent
for the year 2020. It is also the case that God continues to
be present to us and calls us to live out the wisdom of
scripture, the virtues of faith, hope, and love, the community and holiness of church, the precept of service to others, and the embodiment of goodness and truth in the
life and being of Jesus Christ.
Let us seek out the Holy Spirit as guide and companion as we live our lives in these interesting and challenging times. The mysteries of the universe are still before us, the challenge of treating all with dignity and respect still exists, and the need to care for each other in the light of sickness and death is still our call. God be with us, strengthen us, and lead us to right choices.
Blessings,
Deacon Steve
