The summer schedule has come to an end, and many activities are about to begin. Before we dust our feet from the 9:30 Mass I just want to talk about the Mass schedule. Some want to have a Mass with everyone together and longer tome together after Mass; others want an earlier Mass so they can get on with their day; you catch the drift. As Catholics we sometimes forget that Mass is about community (communion, our common-union with each other) not about convenience. I have no crystal ball that looks into the future, so I don’t know what our schedule needs will be for Masses down the road. I have no idea how many priests will be able to serve our parish, or how many parishes they will have to serve. What I want us to aware of is that “keeping Holy the Sabbath” as Catholics is not at all about our personal preferences and schedule, it is about gathering with the community.
Faith Formation gatherings are in full swing, thanks to all who make this possible through your faith sharing. Saturday September 14th stop by the annual “Day in the Park” and visit our FREE Iced Coffee Booth. Then Sunday, September 15th we welcome Jonathan Fanning from Dynamic Catholic who will present “Find your Greatness.” Lots of preparation has gone into this event. We are using this as our “annual parish retreat” normally held in January, since in this four-hour presentation we will definitely be spiritually nourished as individuals on our faith journey.
I am hoping that through our “Find your Greatness” event more will hear the call to social justice for our parish and a few more will step forward to be part of the twelve - ready to begin JustFaith ministry in our parish. Someone asked what I hope to see happen with JustFaith. That is all going to be up to how the twelve view the needs that surround us. Who knows where God is calling us? Once we are equipped there are all sorts of possibilities. Would we open a shelter for the homeless? Increase our thrift shop hours? Send volunteers to Haiti for a year or move to work with our Diocesan Mission House or St. Gerard’s? The possibilities are endless, only God knows and will speak to the hearts of our first group of twelve.