27th Sunday in
Ordinary Time
Cycle C
October 6, 2013 All 8
Masses
Saint
Margaret Parish, Bel Air
Joe and Joan
Two
weeks ago, I visited a couple in the parish, Joe and Joan.
Now, I have
made-up those names to protect the privacy of this couple. About two months ago, Joe was diagnosed with
stage 4, inoperable cancer, and was told that he had maybe four months to live.
Joe and
Joan have been married for sixty years. For
years, Joe has come to Mass every day and every Sunday, he and Joan are here
together.
So, I
went to visit them. Joe explained how
surprising all of this has been.
He said
he had been more tired than usual, but was generally feeling well. Then the doctor found something, sent him for
tests, and the results came.
Joe talked
very peacefully and calmly about what is happening. He said that this must be what God wants of
him right now.
Joe
even said that he wishes that his death would come sooner than four months
because of his growing weakness and the burden he is on Joan and their
children. But, he quickly added, that is
up to God, not me, and I just accept this from God as it comes.
Joe
then looked me in the eye and said very peacefully, “I am prepared Father. I really
am ready.”
I
looked at Joan and she silently nodded yes, affirming what Joe had said. There is no doubt in my mind that Joe is
ready to meet God.
Catholic Profile
I left
their home that afternoon uplifted and reflective.
I was
uplifted by the faith that both Joe and Joan have. No question, they are also sad, but their
trust in God is giving them much peace and strength.
What
has occurred to me is that Joe is what I want all of us and myself to
become. Some schools today – like John
Carroll – have what they call a graduate profile.
The
graduate profile is what they want their students to be like when they
graduate. So I have been thinking that
maybe there is such a thing as a Catholic Christian profile.
It is
what God wants us to be like when the moment comes for us to meet God directly. Joe expresses that profile very well.
Our Mission
I keep
this in mind when I think about the mission of our parish.
I kind
of test everything with this standard of a Catholic Christian profile. In other words, does this program or activity
or ministry help us to become the kind of person God wants us to be?
I want
us all to have an inner relationship with Jesus, to be at peace, to be trusting
of God, and to be loving in our relationships –this is something of the profile
I am thinking of. I hope to keep doings
like we did last April when we re-worked some of the budget to make room for
the book Why Stay Catholic?
We
provided over 1,150 copies of that book, they were all taken and so many of you
have told me how much you got out of this.
In September, we again re-worked some of the budget and bought 4,500
copies of the book Catholic Prayers
and mailed a copy to every parish family.
I
really wanted us to have this for our personal prayer and spirituality. I hope to do more things like this.
Now we
also have lots of challenges – like how to communicate faith better to those
not coming to Church and to our young people, or like how to do this best in
this digital age. I want to involve you
even more with me in figuring out creative ways to bring God more effectively
to everyone.
Offertory Giving
Now, I don’t want to disappoint you, so I will say a word
about money.
Your financial support is needed for this important
spiritual mission. A week ago I mailed a
letter to every parish family.
In that letter, I asked for a specific dollar amount for
your weekly offertory giving. I don’t
know if the amount I asked for was right.
You have to decide – whether that amount is right, or if
you can even do more, or if you cannot do that much. I only ask that you take a prayerful and
serious look at this.
Some of you have already mailed your commitment cards to
the office and I thank you for that. If
you brought your commitment card with you today, great – just drop it in the
collection basket.
If you are ready now to complete the card, wonderful. I ask those of you at the ends of the rows to
pass down the commitment cards and pencils.
You can complete the card now and place it in the
collection basket in a few minutes. If
you are not ready today, please complete it at home and mail it or bring it
back next weekend.
Saint Margaret’s needs your commitment this year. Our income is off, it is under budget, and we
need your financial commitment to fulfill our mission well.
There is nothing more important than our ministry. Not our buildings, not our property, not
capital campaign pledges – nothing is more important than the offertory because
the offertory equals ministry and service.
I feel very passionate about this. I want all of us to be growing toward that
Catholic Christian profile that I saw in Joe and Joan two weeks ago.
So I thank you. I thank
you for your faith and for your trusting generosity to Saint Margaret. It is an honor to be your pastor and I hope
you have a good weekend.
