From the Pastor's Desk: September 6, 2020

Today's Gospel reminds us that to belong to the Church is to belong to a community of brothers and sisters in Christ. Today we are reminded of the good we can do together, and of how we can do it. Today, Jesus makes it clear how important we are, one to another, the good we can do together and the way we can achieve it. As family of the faithful, every time we gather together we become much more than simply the collective number of people, we become the Body of Christ united in the love of God and one another.  “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

On Monday, September 7^th, we will celebrate Labor Day. A holiday established in New York in 1882, as a day to honor work and workers, and also a time to celebrate the contributions of the American Labor Movement. This special time offers a great occasion for families and friends to gather together to celebrate the blessing of the passing summer over a cookout meal and to get to relax from what is so often a frenzied pace in our everyday life. However, for us faithful, Labor Day can - and should - be about much more. It presents us with an invitation to examine how we view our own labor in the light of what the Church proclaims about the meaning of human work, precisely because it is done by human persons who are created in the image and likeness of God.  Our work is a vehicle through which we are sanctified. How many of us approach work with the attitude that, on one hand, we are acting in the image and likeness of God by working, and on the other, fulfilling the command He gave to men at His creation to exercise dominion and subdue the earth? We are called to perceive work in this manner, we are called to be transformed and made holy by working.

On the celebration of Labor Day, I want to take a moment to express my profound gratitude to our parishioners and staff who through their labor help our parish community.  In particular, I want to thank our maintenance department team under the leadership of David Snyder for their hard every day work.  I want to thank members of the Parish Building Committee under the leadership of Johnny Moak for their generous support of time and talent in helping with different projects in the parish. To each and every one who through they labor of love make our parish such a beautiful community of worship and fellowship – thank you!!!

The celebration of Labor Day offers us opportunities to recognize those who labor in the field of education, especially during these challenging pandemic times. I would kindly ask everyone to join me to express our gratitude to teachers from Annunciation Catholic School and St. Luke Child Care Center who are the unsung heroes during this COVID-19 crisis. Since the beginning of the pandemic the teachers and staff of the Child Care Center worked through every day serving the essential workers of our communities so they can provide care, support, assistance and relief to other people. Without counting the cost of risking their own health they remained committed to the service of the children and their families. Ever since the beginning of the extended learning in the home, teachers and staff at ACS responded with extraordinary generous dedication and commitment to ensure continuity of instruction in a new environment. In many cases, teachers have gone outside their comfort zone to transmit learning in a remote manner. Beyond the learning required preparation to the new and demanding protocols and guidelines of reopening the school, to utilize different instructional modes, as now teachers are spending countless hours in planning, delivering instruction, staying in contact with students and parents, and in reviewing student work. Administrators continue to tout their teachers’ resourcefulness and ingenuity. It is such a blessing to know and to have the type of teachers who go beyond and above of their normal responsibilities to serve children and students entrusted to our care. They are committed to providing an excellent education rooted in Gospel values. I am grateful and inspired by how they have responded to this challenge, and our students, families, parishes and community are better because of them. Exceptional words of thanks go to Amy Roberts – the Director of SLCCC, and Steve Eiswert – the Principal of ACS – your leadership and dedication are exceptional gifts that you so generously share with your teachers, students, families and our community. We are blessed because of you!

May this long weekend offer us an opportunity to relax and to grow in communion with the Lord and each other! 

Mary, the Sorrowful Mother of Jesus, pray for us!
 
With prayers,
Fr. Andy