……from your Pastor’s Desk
Nobody Sunday?
For the last 16 Weekends every Sunday has had a title from ‘The First Sunday of Lent’ on March 6th up until last week’s feast of ‘The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ’. So, when I first looked at the readings for today – I saw it was just ‘The 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time’. I jokingly said to myself – aha – ‘Nobody Sunday’. My next thought was – let’s make it ‘Every-Body Sunday!’ – And rightfully so. We have just come through a very busy season. For some of you these past few months have been a time of preparation, be it preparing for your own or your teenage child’s Confirmation, your own or your young son or daughter for first Holy Communion, or indeed, for some, both!
Preparation to receive any of the Sacraments comes with many things to be done but despite this, nothing quite beats the feeling of joy and pride when we see our young people, or any sister or brother parishioners, taking the next step on their faith journey. Be it Baptism, Confirmation or First Holy Communion or adult converts professing our faith or Weddings, such steps are milestones in the life of a Catholic. We are truly blessed with parishioners receiving Sacraments. And, the fact that we have young people ready and willing to own their faith is surely a credit to both them and to you, their parents and families – for this, may God bless and reward you all.
The family unit has often been so beautifully described as “the Domestic Church” in which each family is called upon to be the first school of the Gospel where children are taught what it means to live in a loving and stable environment; taught how to pray, taught to love God and neighbor, to honor their parents and to live out their faith in accordance with the precepts of the Church. We live in a time when traditional family life is often undermined and even considered by some as an out-of-date concept. Regardless who or how many sit(s) around our dinner table each night – Let us strive to live out our high calling as Catholic families, Catholic households, in the community and may God continue to bless each and every one of you; for in reality – no matter what feast we celebrate – when it comes to God’s Love – EVERY Sunday is about us for every Sunday is FOR us.
Happy ‘Everybody Sunday’ to us all!
Father Ron
