Dear Family,
We are on our way with ABCD. In our first week you have pledged $48,246. This year, as you heard last Sunday, our goal for 2017 is $101,948. The amount is based on our past contributions. I am hopeful that we will be as generous as we have been in the past. We will be missing one anonymous gift this year because the giver is now with the Lord, hopefully enjoying the life of heaven in peace. That gift determined our success in reaching our goal. So maybe all of us must stretch a little more to cover that. I’m just hopeful that the needs will dictate our contributions.
I will tell you very frankly that it’s not easy to go through the mail with the countless number of very valid appeals that continually come in the mail. It’s not unusual for me to get five in a day. Deciding where your treasure goes becomes an unwelcome chore of choosing. Sometimes, I even find myself becoming a little skeptical. At that point I stop and I pray and just ask for a little guidance. Usually it helps. I am grateful that I have something to give away and that is the only motivation I really want.
I’ll let you in on a little secret. I have absolutely no problem going to another parish or place to ask for money for them. I can pitch with the best of them. I have a very difficult time doing it here at home for our needs. Somehow asking you for money to run the parish seems self-serving. ABCD falls somewhere in the middle, because it’s our goal at St. Sebastian, but it’s going to help other people. Go figure. I know you don’t want me to be suffering this angst, so if you just give us the money we’ll be fine. Even though he really messed up, recall that Judas held the common purse for the apostles. Jesus had no problem multiplying the bread – the edible kind. But I’ll bet he never made drachmas magically appear in the purse. They probably depended on the kindness of the people they met.
And Jesus wasn’t the accountant – at least on this side of the grave.
I’m writing this letter on Inauguration Day, January 20th. The reason is that Annie is going to take some long-overdue and well-deserved time off. The coincidence of the day for me is that the gospel we read from Mark this morning (Jan. 20) is his account of the call of the apostles. As we prayed for our president, all I could think of was the process of President Trump trying to pick a cabinet. I guess Jesus was lucky that he didn’t have to pass the apostles by a congressional committee.
Wherever you were on the political spectrum, I hope you know that one of the best things we can do for the new president is pray for him. Don’t we pray for the things important to us? The well-being of our country is very important to me and I would hope to you. If we have been blessed with a great country, then it also needs to work to be present to the world as a sign of peace and justice. That’s not liberal political philosophy. That’s engaging gospel truth. “To him who has been given much, much is expected.” Luke 12:48 I don’t think The Lord intended to limit that thought to individuals. It applies to us as a people as well.
I haven’t actually eaten any of it yet, but in a couple of hours I’m looking forward to the Men’s Club Spaghetti Dinner. I’ve seen the guys selling the tickets and setting up the room. I know there’s a lot going on I don’t see. At least I hope so. Anytime anyone can bring us together where we can enjoy each other’s company is a gift from the Lord. You keep hearing me say it, but I remain convicted that we are the Lord for each other.
“You’re the only Jesus some will ever see...” So, guys, thank for showing Him to me, and keep it up! I can use all the Jesus you can give me!!!!!
In our Savior and brother,
