A Word from Your Pastor July 22

As I write this column, I am in the midst of the experience of some continuing education, with a class that runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each weekday this week.  In addition, I was called into service for at least a daily Mass or two this week at St. Cecilia, the parish that is hosting the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd training.  What this has meant is that I am plunged back into a world that I left long ago when I entered into the life of a seminarian in preparation for priesthood – the world of “9 to 5,” in which many of you continue to live.  What a way to make a livin’, as Dolly Parton sang!

This experience is a rich one, not just for the information I am learning in the classes.  Being caught in rush hour traffic in the heart of Columbus, I recognize the practical challenges ordinary folks face day by day.  Hearing the experiences of all the other members of the class – catechists from parishes all around Columbus and even from other states – I learn about the struggles of lay ministers to address the needs of the children of their brothers and sisters and at times their own, who are in their Atriums.

The whole experience has given me a reminder of the power of God’s Spirit to “infiltrate” the world right in the midst of the chaos of our lives.  As I try to attend to duties in the evening, to keep up with the needs of the parish as well as to do the readings and study that are part of the class, I appreciate anew what you are all doing to balance your lives.  I know that “9 to 5” is far more than an eight hour day, and that the other hours available are not always enough to get done what we would like to accomplish….

The first “Message” that comes through for me at the present time is that God is truly with us.  Jesus, Immanuel, is the Good Shepherd, who calls each of us by name, inviting us to experience the riches of His Kingdom and to share all that He gives to us with our brothers and sisters.  The challenges of our lives can serve to assist us to recognize the Love of God for each one of us, that He is with us right where we are, even in the midst of a traffic jam.

Thank you for your continued fidelity in your response to God’s invitation to you.  May your heart create more and more room for the One Who calls you by name.  May you know joy, light and peace, and may you find ever new ways to share the riches of our Faith with your children, with your neighbors and friends, and with those who have yet to hear the Good News that God is with us.