Dear Family,
Here I am once again, thinking about something that, AS I WRITE, has not happened yet. With God’s help, by the time you read this Twitch, we will have had a wonderful Sixtieth Anniversary Dinner.
Next week I’ll be sure and thank all those who made it happen, but I especially know I will be grateful to Connie Reed and Liz Calhoun for arranging the venue and keeping track of all those names with their filets or salmons.
As usual, I also know I am and will be, profoundly grateful to Annie Garner who designed and made the name tags. Why tags? You know how you see someone across the aisle at the same Mass every Sunday and you always smile and say hello, and after all the years of doing that, it’s just too embarrassing to say, “Oh, by the way, what’s your name again?” And if you think you’re embarrassed, imagine how I feel.
(A few years back I think I told the story about Monsignor Rastatter who was my pastor growing up in Holy Family. He used to call me ‘Sheik.” I always thought that was pretty cool. It was not until many years later, talking to one of our parishioners here who also had served Monsignor at a parish up this way, that he too was called Sheik. That was his way of dealing with names. I guess I thought I might have been the only sheik, but thinking about it now, all I can say is how special Monsignor made me feel and I hope I can follow his example, even when I don’t know each name.)
Getting back to gratitude, that’s what this Jubilee year is about: saying thanks to the Lord for making us this special community, a community of believers. It’s worth celebrating.
Think about all that has happened here in the last sixty years. Actually, there is no way anyone can think about it all, but each believer who has passed through here has been touched by the Spirit in some way. Whether we were (are) sunbirds, snowbirds, peacocks or emus, (or a black ani, a species of cuckoo bird,) or whatever, the point is, above all else we have been and continue to be, the Mystery of the Body of Christ at work.
At the dinner, I asked the celebrators to write down two thoughts; first, to think of one particular happy memory you have of your life at St. Sebastian, and second, what one thing do you wish for the parish and its future. I can tell you my answers. One happy memory – among many – was my 50th anniversary of being a priest. My hope for the next 60 years is that we will not be under water. (Perhaps technology will give us a way to put the parish on a floating dock. That way, as the water rises, we can move the parish with us.)
Seriously folks, the bottom line is how are we making the face of Jesus visible to ourselves, and to every person we meet. It’s a well-worn question, but one that can never be asked enough.
That’s my little daily examination of conscience: did I try to find a new way to show the Lord. It’s not that it always needs to be a new way of doing, but it must always be a way of ‘showing up’ for the new things that constantly confront me (and you.)
Other events are in the works to mark our Jubilee including a special Mass of celebration with Archbishop Wenski on March 29th. (We’ll ask the Lord to let us ease up on Lent for the events.) My prayer is that we will always be a place of discovering Jesus anew. As always, I am yours in Him,
PS Special request: Are there any Philatelists (stamp collectors) among you? I’d appreciate a ‘consultation.’
