From the Pastor’s Desk: November 18, 2018

     On this last Sunday before the end of the liturgical year and Ordinary Time, the liturgy speaks to us of God's judgment and the end of time. Jesus warns us to be prepared and to be ready for the Second Coming, when He will come again and God will be all in all. When and how the very end will come is known to God alone. “But of that day or hour, no one knows…but only the Father”.  This we know for sure: the end time has begun with Christ, when He became one of us in His humanity, died and rose from the dead. With Him among us, now we live our faith daily, not in fear but in the firm hope that God's love and justice will triumph and that Christ will complete in us what we try to build up as we trust in Him. Therefore for us- His faithful people- this is a special time…a time of readiness and preparation, a time that requires patient waiting. This waiting is a time of renewal, growth, and an authentic embracing of Jesus’ life and His gospel as we await His coming in glory.
 
     There is very little room for waiting in our world today. Fast food restaurants break records of how many people they serve per minute. Travel delays annoy us to no limit. No answer in a few minutes to a text message or an e-mail is unacceptable anymore. We grow frustrated, angry, and disappointed. This waiting for us Catholics, however, needs to serve as a special time to encounter the presence of Christ now and today. This should be a time of vigilance that we long with joyful expectation as we wait and listen to the Word of God, as we practice the virtue of patience to be more open to the presence of Christ who is always near. In all, through patient waiting, we become attune to the upcoming glory of God.
 
     It is with profound gratitude that I want to express my words of appreciation to the Stewardship Committee for their incredible work during the Ministry Fair and Stewardship Renewal of Time, Talent and Treasure. They worked tirelessly to create an event that offered all parishioners an opportunity to experience the wealth of the ministry that we offer at our parish. I also want to thank everyone who participated and expressed their commitment as a Christian Steward. You have recognized that the Lord has blessed you with time, talent, and treasure that can be fruitful for Him and His work among us.
 
     This Saturday, November 17 ^th, we celebrate the 16 ^th anniversary of the dedication of our church building. This year our celebration offers mixed feelings s we are faced with the urgent and expensive expenditure related to the replacement of the roof. In a special way, I am grateful to everyone who already responded to support our Emergency Roof Project and I pray that many others of our parishioners and friends will join in sacrificial generosity to make this urgent project a great success story, so we will continue to share and to pass on of the faith from generation to generation.
 
     Thursday, November 22 ^nd is Thanksgiving Day. Although it is not a holy day of obligation, please consider to come to the Mass that we will celebrate at 10:00 AM to offer our thanksgiving in the Eucharist - the greatest act of thanksgiving to God - the source of all our gifts.
 
A Blessed Thanksgiving to you and your families!
 
With prayers,
Fr. Andy