A Word from Your Pastor October 20

Dear Parishioners:

Our Second Graders have begun their preparation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation this weekend with a family workshop.  They will receive the Sacrament for the first time in November.  Their beginning is a good moment to offer a reminder to all that such a Sacrament is available to us to renew our relationship with God.

God is merciful.  As Pope Francis says, God never tires of giving us His Mercy.  We are the ones who get tired of asking for it.  The Sacrament of Reconciliation is the ordinary means of receiving the grace, the healing and the strength we need to overcome sin in our lives.  Mercy is available there in abundance.

This Sacrament is known by a variety of names: the Sacrament of Penance, Confession, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Each of the names points to an aspect of the Sacrament.  We do penance to show God and ourselves that we have made a commitment to change.  We confess our sins and our Faith in God’s Mercy.  And we are renewed in our relationship with God, made one with Him again after we have turned away from Him.

Let this be a reminder to us all that God is reaching out to us with His Mercy.  You may approach the Sacrament anytime there is a need for it.  Most parishes offer a time on Saturday afternoons before the evening Mass, as well as Penance Services for Advent and Lent.  A few have daily opportunities, especially those parishes that are staffed by religious priests.  You may always contact the priest of your choice to ask for the Mercy of God through the Sacrament.  God is Merciful.  Let us put our trust in Him!

A Word from Your Pastor October 13

Dear Parishioners:

We are in the midst of the annual “October Count.”  If our first weekend is any indication, we are headed for more sad news.  There were almost 50 fewer people present for the weekend Masses than we had last year.  Saturday’s count was up, but all the Sunday Masses had substantially fewer present. 

Even as I report this information, I will comment on a couple of things I find positive: There are more babies present at our Masses than there were in the past.  Younger families are finding a welcome at our parish.  Secondly, I notice that as I leave the church at the end of Mass, there are fewer folks rushing to leave ahead of me.  I find people still singing in the back pews. In years past, often the back half of the church was cleared out before the priest departed.  That suggests to me that more are willing to give God first dibs on their time on Sunday mornings.  People are choosing to stay, I hope, because they have a greater understanding of the full meaning of the Mass.  Welcome, Word, Sacrament and Mission are the four parts of the Mass.  Heading out before the Mission is given leaves us with just a bit less power as we go to share the gift we have received with the world.

As our ranks thin out, due to the pull of the world and a loss of understanding of the Faith, the ones who stay are better able to shine in the darkness because those who are still with us are persevering in the Faith by a real choice and not by mere habit.  Why are you here?  Because I choose to throw in my lot with Jesus Christ and His Church.  That choice has a real power to light up the world.

Faith truly has the power to save.  There is nothing beyond God’s grace, but hearts must be open for grace to be received.  This involves letting go of the reins.  When we learn to do things God’s way, we discover that the Faith that we have been taught is true.  Seeing it change us and strengthen us, the Faith becomes more attractive to the world.  Our hope is that especially those who have walked away will see this and choose to rediscover what they have lost.

Our culture is meant to be a Culture of Life, respecting life in this world from the first moment of conception and opening to Life Eternal through a sharing in the grace of Jesus Christ offered to us through the Sacraments.  May we come to believe ever more strongly and may our witness reveal to the nations God’s saving power.

A Word from Your Pastor October 6

Dear Parishioners:

In Sunday’s Gospel, we hear St. Paul’s invitation to our Patron St. Timothy to “stir into flame the Gift of God” that he has received through the Sacramental touch of the Church.  This call is fitting for us as well.  Through the Sacraments we have received, God has poured out many gifts on us.  All of us can recall the excitement and nervousness we felt when we came to church to receive the Sacraments along our journey of Faith.  Now we must renew our zeal and do all we can to put to use the power God’s Spirit unleashed in us.  The world is in need of a new outpouring of God’s gifts.

Year after year, we celebrate many Sacraments with our children.  Over the past couple of years, many children have brought their families back to Church and to practice of the Faith because they have learned about the Sacraments and asked to receive them for themselves.  In particular, time in the Atrium of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd has opened up the mysteries of our Faith in such a way that our little ones know and understand what is happening in the Liturgy of the Church.  They can participate in the Mass more readily because they have learned the meaning of symbols and gestures used to express God’s gifts.

My prayer for you is that you and your family will “stir into flame” the gifts you have received in the Sacraments.  May you find again the joy that you experienced when you approached the Altar for the first time for the Eucharist.  May the Gift of the Spirit you received in Confirmation renew and strengthen your Faith so that you may share the Gospel with the world.  Let the zeal and enthusiasm of your children deepen your desire to put your Faith into practice.

God has given St. Timothy Parish a specific purpose that has been so from the first days of our creation as a parish: to assist young families in their task of raising their children in the ways of Faith.  When we keep this in mind, we discover that there is a clear plan being unfolded in what we are meant to do as a Parish that has a School.  The education of our children in the Catholic Faith must be central to the life of our community and to every family that belongs to our parish.  All other efforts in the life we share must serve this end.

May the Lord open your eyes to see His Plan and may your heart be ready to respond with generosity and zeal.