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Dear Friends,

              I am finding it more difficult to stay in the present.  Every time I turn around it seems that I am always doing things for the future.  I constantly meet with couples who are getting married 6 months or even a year away.  I sat down with someone a few days ago to speak about the possibilities for a Lenten program next March.  We have a little hiatus from some of the Council meetings during the summer, but I am already meeting concerning goals and objectives for next year.  The list can go on and on as I think it can for you.  With all the talk of the future it can be difficult at times to live in the present, appreciating who and what we have around us.

Presiding at liturgies during the week, on the other hand, I find myself celebrating events in the life of Jesus and honoring saints who lived centuries ago. The events in the life of Jesus always challenge me to look at how I am living in the present.  I find that reflecting on the Gospels and sacred scripture is absolutely necessary for me to come to grips with the present. As for the saints, well there are some that particularly touch me.  For example this past week we celebrated the feasts of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More.  Both were beheaded by King Henry VIII. Relating to the world of politics as Christians and Catholics has always been a challenging aspect of life.

Maybe the more difficult challenge is to understand what Jesus asks of us and then to live it. I saw a great quote from St. Thomas More:  “Give me, Lord, a full faith, a firm hope, and a fervent love for you incomparably above the love of myself. These things, good Lord, that I pray for, give me your grace also to labor for.” I love the adjectives: full, firm, and fervent.  Would that we are able to use them to describe our faith, hope and love!  Would that we make time each day also to labor for them!  I believe this is essential.  We can’t be content with our past, and we can’t bank on the possibility we will have time in the future.  The present is where we are asked to live!!

As we come to the end of June we also come to the end of our fiscal year. We will get a better picture of how the economy has affected us.  I appreciate the sacrifices you, our loyal and faith-filled parishioners, make to keep our parish the vibrant center of faith that it is.  Your stewardship of time talent and treasure, manifested in your many sacrifices, are why we are able to do all we do.  Thank you so very much!

Peace,

Fr. Rich

A Church in Crisis:
Is Catholicism in conflict with the American culture of
the 21st Century?  Printed version of Dr. Anthony Massimini's talk