Dear Family,
I said last week that I wanted to perhaps expand a little on the thoughts about our parish finances. I’ll be darned if I can remember what I wanted to say. Would $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ cover it? I suspect Mary Wood (thanking her for the great job she always does – with pictures this year no less thanks to Ron Picur) would like a little more from me, so let me ruminate.
I hate talking about money. Doesn’t that sound “detached” and maybe “spiritual?” The truth is that I’m copping out on a responsibility that belongs to all of us. Hating it doesn’t relieve me (or you) from the responsibility of puffing my money where my mouth is; namely, what does it take to spread the gospel?
Let’s be clear. It doesn’t take a lead penny to spread the gospel. “Love one another” means just that: LOVE ONE ANOTHER. The task is what helps me keep on point?
In my bathroom, I have a small poster. It’s an art piece that is a quotation from the musical Godspell. The song is “Day-by-Day’ and the quote
is,
“O dear Lord, three things I pray:
to see thee more clearly,
to love thee more dearly,
to follow thee more nearly,
- day by day.”
I see it every morning as I come out of the shower. It’s right above the towel rack. It’s a perfect “Morning Offering.” Of course, the trick is making that offering. How many times I slide by. I need things to remind me to look, to pray.
Then, there is another dimension. Light helps us to see. It’s not simply the light we need to read the prayers. It’s the light we shine out to let other people know, through our hospitality and our outreach that there is a Lord who loves them.
In the broadest, and I hope the best sense, that’s the role we play for each other as Church. It’s a short leap from being that kind of Church, to paying the light bill. You all get that. What you don’t get is the light bill, even though it’s yours.
Last week we spoke of the parish situation. We seem to be experiencing a small decline in membership and hence funding. This week we talk about our Archdiocesan Family we call the Church of Miami. Living in Lauderdale doesn’t give us a pass. In fact, we might even have a bigger responsibility if we’ve been given more.
We need to be “realists” as the saying goes and not ignore the portents for our future. We need to be aware that the needs of the greater Church of Miami exist whether we choose to see them or not.
And yet, I do not believe that I am being naïve when I tell you I am convinced that if this is the Lord’s work then He’s going to help us take care of business. This year’s ABCD takes a bit of attention because we do not have the generous anonymous contribution we received yearly from the donor of $10,000 who now sees the Lord face-to-face.
Recall the old joke about the pastor who got up to announce that the building fund for the new church facility was complete and they “had the money.” Then he said, “the only problem is that it is still in your pockets.”
There are three kinds of lies: black ones, white one, and statistics. Nevertheless, the message is that I thank you generous people who help keep us afloat, and I ask the other 80% of you to really spend time facing a mirror and looking at yourself with God looking over your shoulder. What does He want from you? What has He chosen to NEED from you?
In Jesus,
