Typical Americans, we try to cram every possible self indulgence into one day’s time frame. We do this at Christmas, St. Paddy’s Day, Valentine’s Day, etc. Egging us on for these days of celebration are the greeting card, chocolate and beer companies.

The Church has a much better idea as to how to celebrate important events . . . Take your time. Savor it. So Lent lasts for 40 days, and in that time we fast and sacrifice. Okay. So now Easter is 10 days longer, and we are encouraged to do wonderful things to remind us of the goodness of life as it comes in light of the Resurrection. Joyful things done in His honor; actions done to show our appreciation of life as God has given it to us.

In that spirit may I suggest a few Easter Events you might consider for you and/or your family? (Remember, I am very corny so these may not be your cup of tea. My purpose is to get you to take seriously your own celebration of the Easter Season.)

This Easter Season why not say “thank you” to God by doing some fun, joyful activities like:

See that good movie you’ve been wanting to catch.

• Take a long walk in the springtime.
• Visit some special place on a day trip.
• Listen to a piece of beautiful music (listen like you were in church).
• Food. Make a special meal for you and loved ones.
• Visit some person you know can’t get out to see people. Think up some excuse to tell them why you’re coming by – – – in the area, need some advice, etc.
• Find a way to tell your co-workers what a wonderful Easter you had and how blessed you feel by God to be alive.
• Visit the graves of the one’s you’ve loved and lost. Ask them to pray for you. You pray for them.
• Buy a goldfish. God made that.
• Really sing out at Mass.
• Read a book where good triumphs over evil.
• Do something with and for a child. Something fun, something silly.
• Dedicate a day to speaking only positive words about others.
• Spend 5 minutes looking out a window at a tree or a bush or people . . . thank God for making you with eyes that can see.
• Dedicate a day to listening, really listening to people. Hear their joy, sadness, hope, frustration, excitement, disappointment. Take them into your heart.
• Start your day with God. Throw the covers off in the morning, but before your feet touch the floor tell God, “Lord, I give this day to you. All that I say and all that I do, let it be for you.” Then put your foot on the floor to start the day.

Finally, we do all these things in joy and thanksgiving . . . because we are going to live with God forever in the Mystical Body of our Risen Lord Jesus Christ.

Easter Joy, Fr. Tim

Take a big nose full of air today. A long breath into your nostrils. Notice anything? The air is still dead. It’s fresh and clear but it’s dead. The hard winter has kept the spring from coming to Western New York. The snow is still melting in our parking lot. The only sure signs of spring have been the geese returning overhead and the crocuses in their crazy purple and yellow. There is no life in the air.

But that is all about to change. An absolute revelation is about to happen. The earth is about to come to life. Green will cover the ground everywhere. Trees will bud, flowers of all kinds will be every-where. And, filling the air will be this brand new smell (I’ve forgotten just how it smells – – – it’s been almost five months). Life.

Imagine, if we had to pay our town government for Spring 2015 . . . “Let’s see now. . . it’ll be $5 mill for the air conditioning, $19 mill for the flowers, and $27 mill for the grass and trees.” It’s all free!! You see God has designed it to happen that way- – -so you could have a garden and greet your neighbor and work on your putting or just let your mind wonder at the beauty of it all. New life.

I wonder if there is a tree or bush anywhere that says “no” to this new life. “No, leave me alone, it’s to hard here.”

“Waking up again to all that happens—drought, wind storms, insects, losing leaves, winter, ice storms. . . I just don’t want anymore.” It’s hard coming to life again. It’s easier to stay dead sometimes.

Friends, today we celebrate the hope of what we call Eternal Life. It is a life that nature cannot produce and for which this springtime is only a glimmer. Eternal Life can come only from He who is eternal.

And, so God like a good farmer, has sent His Son into nature. And like a seed Jesus entered the earth to die (“Unless the grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies it remains just a grain of wheat”).

Having died and been buried in the earth, Jesus is today raised from the dead!! God has begun the New Creation.

Now the question remains, —- do you want this new springtime? Do you want to risk the uncertainties of life for the sake of the prize—Life on high with Jesus Christ? I do!

A Blessed Easter.

With Love, Fr. Tim

(Below you will find a description of the Triduum)

HOLY THURSDAY OR MASS OF THE LORD’S SUPPER: 7:00 pm.

With this Mass, begins the Easter Triduum. The Church recalls the Last Supper, when Jesus on the night He was betrayed, displays His love for His disciples (and us) by giving them His Body and Blood, under the species of bread and wine. He commands the apostles to perpetuate this offering, the Eucharist. In this liturgy, through the signs and sacraments of this Mass, we remember that Christ accomplished three major objectives: He instituted the Eucharist; he instituted the priesthood; and He commanded us all to love our brothers and sisters. The Eucharist is celebrated.

GOOD FRIDAY OR PASSION OF THE LORD: 3:00 pm.

This is a day of strict fast and abstinence. Its liturgy begins and ends in silence. Decorations in the church are sparse. The church is meditating on the Passion of the Lord. Celebration takes place in the afternoon. When the priest and ministers enter, they do so in silence without any singing. A significant part of this liturgy is veneration of the cross, when each person is invited to move up to a cross of wood, displayed or held up for this purpose, and either kiss it, bow or touch it reverently. Usually the cross that is adored is not a crucifix, (with a body on it) be-cause the church is not looking at just a moment in history, and because the acclamation is, “Behold the wood of the Cross.” Holy Communion, which had been consecrated on Holy Thursday is distributed. When post-Communion prayers are completed, the people and ministers leave in silence, with no dismissal or formal ending. The cross itself is left in the church for meditation on the Paschal mystery (Christ’s cross and resurrection).

EASTER VIGIL: 8:00 pm.

For many people, this is the favorite liturgy of the year. It commemorates the Holy Night when Jesus rose from the dead. This symbol-packed liturgy, which does not take place until nightfall, is full of excitement. The church awaits the Resurrection. The sacrament of initiation (of entrance into the church) is distributed to the catechumens who have been studying and preparing for months for this joyful acceptance by the church. People assemble in church in darkness. At the appointed time they hear the Easter proclamation. Then they participate in the service of the light. A fire is started, preferably outside, but sometimes in a grill within the church, and the paschal candle, representing Christ, is blessed and lighted.

A procession into the church is led by the light of the paschal candle. From this candle the small candles held by the people in the pews are also lit, one by one, until the church is a beautiful picture of candles brightening the darkness. During the procession, the “Light of God” is proclaimed and the people respond with, “Thanks be to God.” The implied message is: just as the children of Israel were guided at night by the pillar of fire, similarly Christians follow the risen Christ.

The people hear seven readings from the Old Testament and two from the New Testament, all telling of the wonderful works of God. When the “Gloria” is sung, candles on or near the altar are lit, lights are turned on, and church bells are rung to ring out to the world the good news. A homily follows the joyful reading of the Gospel. Excitement intensifies for those who have been waiting to be initiated into the church.

Water is blessed by the celebrant by plunging the paschal candle into the water once or three times. The assembly recites the profession of faith, and catechumens are baptized. Standing, the assembly renews its baptismal vows, and is sprinkled with water. The celebration of Eucharist follows. As people leave this uplifting liturgy, they greet each other with “Happy Easter” and smiles of joy.

As we celebrate the 5th Sunday of Lent this weekend, I’m imagining a couple things may have happened to you in these last weeks.

Some of us have entered vigorously into this season of penance. On Ash Wednesday, with the dirt on your forehead, you were resolved to really make this a season of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. By now you have begun to feel the spiritual effects of such efforts— a felt desire for God in your life, an eagerness to do good things for the Lord, perhaps a happiness or peace in the midst of day to day difficulties. If so. . . . thank God. This is a great grace you have received.

Others of us have not been so diligent in our observance of the discipline of Lent. Maybe like New Years resolutions, we just got started and then dropped the whole project. Or, perhaps we tried to sacrifice or do something extra in prayer, but saw our efforts slowly go down hill. Maybe you are just now considering this holy season and thinking, “What the heck, it’s more than half over- – – I’ll just wait for Easter and do it up right.

May I offer a suggestion? First off, perhaps the failure to follow through on our Lenten efforts is part of God’s plan for you. In the opening prayer for the 3rd Sunday of Lent (half-way) the Church prays, “Lord, when we are discouraged by our weakness, give us confidence in your love.” Maybe God wanted you to learn how weak you are! Maybe now you know how much you need God to help you do even the slightest sacrifice. Perhaps in our failures we are beginning to learn the mysterious lessons of humility.

Whatever this Lent has been for you so far really doesn’t matter—– it’s today that should concern us. Why not let this Monday be a new beginning? Let’s call it Ash Monday.

Ask God for the grace that would give you a plan for these next two weeks leading up to Easter Sunday. Such a plan might include:

• going to confession.
• attending Mass one other time during the week.
• sitting everyday for three minutes (or more, if God so moves you) to consider how you might better spend the fleeting days of your life.
• journey with the people of Holy Trinity by being a part of the Holy Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil/Easter Sunday).
• acts of kindness for those with whom you live and work.
• some special act of selflessness offered for peace in the Middle East.

So, come along now. Up we go!! We are companions on this journey.

Bless you, Fr. Tim

Last week we held the second of three One By One events. Since we’ve asked everyone in the parish to be on the lookout for one person they know who has become distant from the practice of the Catholic Faith, I thought you should hear about what’s been happening.

The first evening was called “Let’s Play”. Twenty-three invitees joined their Holy Trinity friends for an evening of food (pizza) and fun competition at Trivial Pursuit. There was a brief talk by a HT parishioner who told us about his journey away from the church, and after a few years, why he returned. One comment that cracked us up was, “Nothing smells like a Catholic Church.”

The next event was called “Let’s Talk“. This evening was a bit more serious as we began to tackle some of the issues that caused people to step back from their Catholic practice.

The guests grew in number (26), and after some delicious rigatoni and meatballs, we broke up into discussion groups asking each table to share their thoughts about:

• In your opinion, what is the most common reason for people to stop practicing their Catholic Faith?
• Would you care to share what caused you to step back from the Catholic practice?
• What keeps you away from coming back to the Catholic Church?

Then, Jim from the Cathedral Community, told his story of Catholicism to atheism in his 20’s, and his return to the Catholic Faith with the birth of his first child. It was a fascinating example of how God uses the things right in front of us (family, friends) to touch our hearts and bring us to HIM.

We ended the evening with a Q and A with Fr. John and me. Any question was fair game (and boy we got some good ones). One person asked if women would ever become priests in the RC Church. (Fr. John thinks “Yes, but not right now” – Fr. Tim thinks “No”). Another wanted to know if gay couples could come to mass as a “couple”; (Of course they can. All are welcomed here).

But, the one that stopped me was, “About our religion . . . belief in Christ (as opposed to other faiths) . . . how do we know we’re right?” There’s a lot of things to say here, but for me, in the end, there is a “grace” from God that brings a quiet confidence that Christ is the answer. It’s not a feeling of superiority. It’s a quiet trust, like a child hearing her parents voice.

So . . . . it’s been wonderful so far! There is one more evening on March 21 called “Let’s Pray”. After a dish to pass, we’ll spend time in church with Fr. John and me walking and talking through what is called a “Dry Mass”. People are encouraged to ask questions or stop the lesson at any point for clarification.

There is still time to invite someone to this most enjoyable evening. It will be a great help to those who have been away and would like to start again. What a better time since Holy Week begins the next Sunday!

Lastly, I want to thank you for making your invitation to someone. Even if they chose not to come, you’ll never know what your words may mean to them over time. Thanks also, to the great committee that worked so hard to make the One By One Mission possible. You know who you are. Thank you so much.

Blessings to you this Fourth Week of Lent. Hang in there.

Fr. Tim

ONE by ONE lineup:

Saturday, March 21, 6:15 pm. “Let’s Pray”

• Pot Luck Supper (bring a dish to pass) and welcome.
• Move to church for an informal conversation and walk through of the Catholic Mass.
• Brief description of upcoming Palm Sunday and Holy Week.
• Invitation to join us for Holy Week and Easter Sunday.

I remember a long time ago, part of my seminary preparation sent me to a summer chaplain school in a county hospital in Dallas, Texas. There were thirteen in our chaplain class, twelve Southern Baptists/Assembly of God and one Catholic (me).

We would meet daily for intensive meetings about the patients we were working with, and then we’d break for lunch. It was during our lunches that we’d learn more about each other and what our personal faith traditions taught. You can imagine the attention the Catholic guy got!

Comments like: “You Catholics like statues!” Or, “You worship Mary.” Or, “the Pope is as important as Jesus.” Or, “Just go to mass and you go straight to heaven, right?” But, the one question that we spent most of our time on was, “Do Catholics accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior?” “Did you accept him, Tim?”

It really made me step out of my Catholic world to see what these Baptist classmates knew in their bones as little children . . . “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” A real, living, present person . . . my friend, Jesus. “Yes”, I said, but they made me dig deep inside to realize this friendship.

Many Catholics are a little slow to answer, “have I accepted Jesus into my life”? “Do you mean, do I love God? Of course I do. I go to mass. I say my prayers. I try to live right. Does that mean I have a personal relationship with Jesus?”

I would say, “yes”. You’ve got the basics covered there. . loving and serving a God we cannot see. However, I think the question goes a bit further than that, asking in a sense, is this relationship with Christ PERSONAL?

Does it bear the signs of a relationship? Is there a familiarity with Jesus that one would have in a dear friendship? Is there, at times, an emotional level to your speaking with God? (For example: “Lord, you know I can’t stand the thought of losing my friend, ( neighbor, associate, job, etc.) Please help me!!!” That’s a personal relationship.)

What if I don’t recognize these feelings in my relationship with Christ? Have I accepted Jesus as my personal Savior? Don’t be too hard on yourself. Remember, you HAVE a relationship with Christ GIVEN to you in baptism. You are a child of God, and you are invited to call God your Father. It’s a gift. Accept it.

The other personal feeling stuff comes naturally to any-one who loves God and tries to do what is good. If my chaplain friends had asked me, “do you always FEEL Christ’s friendship?” I would have to answer, “no”. Feelings come and go. There are times when we are filled with affections toward those we love. At other times, things feel dry and everyday. There is nothing wrong with that. It’s just how life is.

But, there is one infallible way to determine whether we have a personal relationship with Jesus – – – – how do we treat our neighbor in need? Why is this the measure (and not some spiritual feeling)? Because Jesus said so.

“As often as you (fed, clothed, visited, comforted) these little ones, you did it for me.” MT. 25:31ff. And, “whoever has not loved a brother/sister whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.” 1 John 4:20. In other words, Christ takes it PERSONALLY when we care for our neighbor. Kindness to them is kindness TO ME, says the Lord.

Loving our neighbor is essential to having a personal relationship with Jesus as Lord and Savior.
God bless you and meet you on your Lenten journey.

Fr. Tim

ONE by ONE lineup:

Saturday, March 21, 6:15 pm. “Let’s Pray”

• Pot Luck Supper (bring a dish to pass) and welcome.
• Move to church for an informal conversation and walk through of the Catholic Mass.
• Brief description of upcoming Palm Sunday and Holy Week.
• Invitation to join us for Holy Week and Easter Sunday.

Scripture (Mt. 6:5ff) encourages us to three special practices in this time of penance: Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Here are some ideas that may help your Lent.

Prayer:

• Start again the practice of morning prayer. (Three minutes each day before noon, telling God “thank you for ______”, asking for God’s help for any special person or need you may have personally).
• Parents, do you bless your children before they go to bed, or off to school? Say a simple prayer with them and then trace the Sign of the Cross on their forehead.
• Grace before meals, of course; parents lead one night, children the next.
• Let your teens know you are praying for them. “I will pray for that test”, or “It’s going to be okay . . . I asked God to watch over you.” You’ll know what to say.
• Are you going to go to confession this Lent? That’s a prayer you know, a very profound one. We stand weak and vulnerable before God. This so touches God’s heart.

For now, just remember that we learn to pray . . . by praying. Your efforts don’t have to be profound or eloquent, only sincere. Remember when your child would bring you the simplest words scrawled on a piece of card? Remember how that touched you? Let that be a sign to you. Let your simple prayer be a sign to God.

Fasting:

We think of this as “going without”, something we normally consume or enjoy doing for the sake of something “greater” than our own enjoyment. The common thought here is usually about chocolate or coffee or desserts. But there are other “fasts” perhaps more pleasing to God. How about:

• Giving up talking negatively about others; especially in their absence. (Just being silent in these conversations can do a lot to send a gentle message, a silent witness to people.)
• Going without your usual TV watching in order to be with family, or to read something inspiring, or to just sit and talk to God.
• Letting yourself feel hungry and then skipping a meal. Let your “emptiness” be a prayer for the half of humanity that’s twice as hungry as you.
• In general, you and the Holy Spirit can figure out what to “go without”. But, remember . . . fasting is meant to free us to do something “for” someone.

Almsgiving:

• As you look at the world (locally or globally), what issue do you feel is most in need of monies to advance its cause?
• Google: social problems. How to contribute. Pick one that touches you.
• Go without buying something (fasting). Use the money saved to send to a lunch program (St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality, etc.)
• Let your leisure time become a gift to someone. Perhaps a phone call, time spent with the elderly, time spent listening to someone who needs to talk, etc.
• Write your elected officials about a crying social need, and ask that they get back to you about what can be done.
• The City of Rochester is listed as number 1 in extreme poverty for children. Educate yourself about the ongoing efforts to help remedy this situation.

These are just one person’s ramblings about the three fold Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. You and the Lord will find something in each of these to call you forth to action.

But, remember. Jesus tells us to do these things in secret; not for personal approval or praise. In the end it’s all about love.
Bless your Lenten journey.

Fr. Tim

ONE by ONE lineup:

Saturday, March 7, 5:15 pm. “Let’s Talk”

• Food and welcome.
• “I Need God in My Life. My Catholic Faith Helped Me Find Him” Talk. Witness talk by a parishioner about how they found their place in the Catholic Church.
• Conversation at tables about peoples’ own stories. (Personal sharing only as people feel comfortable – – – no forced, uncomfortable admissions).
• Anonymous Question Box. Fr.’s John and Tim will do their best to answer all questions and address burning issues.
• Invitation to next event.

Saturday, March 21, 6:15 pm. “Let’s Pray”

• Pot Luck Supper (bring a dish to pass) and welcome.
• Move to church for an informal conversation and walk through of the Catholic Mass.
• Brief description of upcoming Palm Sunday and Holy Week.
• Invitation to join us for Holy Week and Easter Sunday.

Back in high school, if you were trying out for one of the varsity sports there was this thing called “two-a-days”. Generally it consisted of four hours of grueling practice, two hours in the morning and two in the afternoon. It was meant to see who really wanted to play. Fainter hearts would soon find other interests. We hated “two-a-days.”

That’s kind of how we look at Lent, isn’t it – – – six weeks of getting in spiritual shape. The same feelings get stirred. “No chocolate! No whiskey! No TV! No whining! No fun for six weeks. Oh dear, how will I ever make it?” Spencer Tracy, in God is My Co-Pilot, reaches over and smacks me . . . “get a hold of yourself! This is a good thing.”

This is not a very helpful way to begin! It’s important that we start this journey in the right frame of mind. I like to look at it as getting back to some basics in life. Things like balance, temperance, accountability, moderation and focus, can re-order our personal lives so we begin to see what really matters in our life.

Meanwhile, renewed kindness, generosity, devotion and prayer can, by God’s grace, increase charity in our lives. And, as we all know, charity is our participation in the life of Christ. (“I live now, not I, but Christ lives in me.” Galatians 2:20.)

And why is this clean-up necessary? Because we let things go. We let our appetites for all kinds of things get too big, and we know it.
Deep down a little voice tells us, “you’re getting sloppy/careless/greedy/selfish/snobby, etc.” And, most of all, lukewarm to God. We don’t mean for these things to happen, they just do – like dust on your coffee table.

Now the good news is, it eventually becomes a joyful discipline. We rediscover some wonderful things we had forgotten about; things like a clean con-science that let’s us look people in the eye with real friendship, a clearer sense of purpose to our work and why we do it, a renewed appreciation for the people in our lives we have been given to live and work with, and a better understanding of how to use the things of this world properly, without excess or hoarding.

So what is this joyful thing that happens? Freedom! Freedom to be who God intended you to be. . . Christ in your skin, with your voice.
So, let’s start slow. Say goodbye to one small thing that you know needs to go (at least for a while). Make a conscious offering of it to God. (Eg. “Lord, help me to stop looking so long in the mirror – so I can look for You in others.” Or, “Lord I’m really good at finding fault. Help me to see the good and be thankful.” Or, “Lord I always want to get my own way; help me today to help others get theirs.”)

Lent. Let’s roll!!

Fr. Tim

ONE by ONE lineup:

Saturday, March 7, 5:15 pm. “Let’s Talk”

• Food and welcome.
• “I Need God in My Life. My Catholic Faith Helped Me Find Him” Talk. Witness talk by a parishioner about how they found their place in the Catholic Church.
• Conversation at tables about peoples’ own stories. (Personal sharing only as people feel comfortable – – – no forced, uncomfortable admissions).
• Anonymous Question Box. Fr.’s John and Tim will do their best to answer all questions and address burning issues.
• Invitation to next event.

Saturday, March 21, 6:15 pm. “Let’s Pray”

• Pot Luck Supper (bring a dish to pass) and welcome.
• Move to church for an informal conversation and walk through of the Catholic Mass.
• Brief description of upcoming Palm Sunday and Holy Week.
• Invitation to join us for Holy Week and Easter Sunday.

It’s difficult for us in our modern world, where fresh water is available with the turn of a faucet and top notch medical care is available to most Americans, to grasp the desperate situation of the leper in this Sunday’s gospel.

His was a two-fold problem. Not only had he contracted a disease that was incurable and ultimately fatal, but the community around him viewed the leper as a moral degenerate. He must have done something very bad to receive such a terrible punishment. The leper truly had no-where to turn.

The meeting he has with Jesus is extraordinary. He approaches Jesus in fear. “If you wish, you can make me clean.” (So shunned were lepers that the poor fellow couldn’t even presume Jesus would want to heal him.) “I do will it. Be made clean.”

What is less apparent is how radical Jesus was in dealing with this sickness. First off, he let the leper approach him (breaking the rules set down by Moses). Secondly, and this must have freaked everybody out, he touched the man! This Jesus fights for the little guy for sure.

So has all that healing stuff stopped now that Jesus is in heaven? That was then and this is now? Jesus isn’t here in the flesh to touch the leper, so can we still call on him? Does he still “wish to make us clean”? Of course he does.

However, the leprosy has changed somewhat over the past 2,000 years. Medical advances (powered by our God given genius and the medicines we’ve found in God’s creation) has truly brought Christ’s healing to millions. But, the leprosy that pills won’t touch is the spiritual sickness that afflicts so many of us today.

What is the modern leprosy? I think it’s seeing ourselves alone in this world with no one to care for but ourselves and a few people we love. It’s a view of life that sees me in a world of limited resources of time and money. It’s a world that has no cause and no purpose other than one I invent for it. God, if he exists, is very far away and let’s everybody work things out for themselves as best they can.

It’s a world that each person invents for themselves, or worse, takes whatever world view is currant in the popular culture. Let’s call it spiritual leprosy.

And this spiritual leprosy has certain symptoms. It comes with all kinds of behaviors that try to deal with the pain of being alone in the universe. Selfishness (for sure), jealousy, greed, bullying, addiction (pick one!).

How does Jesus heal this lonely view of life? Well . . . . that’s the whole story about Christ. “God so loved the world that he sent his only Son . . . not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved (from its leprous condition) through him.” JN. 3:16.

And, here’s where we get back to that little guy in the gospel with the leprosy. You see, he came to Jesus in Faith. “Jesus, you can heal me.”

Suddenly, the worlds view changes. God has come to us and entered into our world to be Emmanuel (“God with us”). Broken are the false visions of life that have us living only for ourselves. Life now is a journey with Christ, listening to him in the scriptures and church, turning to him in a personal relationship of love and trust.

“Oh Jesus, I believe. Help my unbelief.” Mk. 9:24

Fr. Tim

ONE by ONE lineup:

Saturday, February 21, 5:15 pm. “Let’s Play”

• Food and intro’s
• Trivia Competition (real easy, goofy questions, everybody wins)
• “You’ve Been Away? Me Too.” Talk — short story of one person’s being away and now returned. “Why I came back and what I found.”
• Invitation to come back for next event.

Saturday, March 7, 5:15 pm. “Let’s Talk”

• Food and welcome.
• “I Need God in My Life. My Catholic Faith Helped Me Find Him” Talk. Witness talk by a parishioner about how they found their place in the Catholic Church.
• Conversation at tables about peoples’ own stories. (Personal sharing only as people feel comfortable – – – no forced, uncomfortable admissions).
• Anonymous Question Box. Fr.’s John and Tim will do their best to answer all questions and address burning issues.
• Invitation to next event.

Saturday, March 21, 6:15 pm. “Let’s Pray”

• Pot Luck Supper (bring a dish to pass) and welcome.
• Move to church for an informal conversation and walk through of the Catholic Mass.
• Brief description of upcoming Palm Sunday and Holy Week.
• Invitation to join us for Holy Week and Easter Sunday.

These are the remarkable words St. Paul speaks in his letter to the Corinthians. He calls us “Ambassadors for Christ”. Picture yourself sitting in that large circle of chairs at the United Nations. To your left is the Ambassador from Russia and on your left are the Ambassadors to Nigeria and Poland. You are there as Ambassador for the Kingdom of God. Really.

Your words, your deeds, are meant to introduce these people to your country. You represent a nation that experiences the love of God living and active amongst its citizens because of their faith in Jesus Christ. The people of this nation love one another because they have first been loved by Christ.

St. Paul does not call us preachers. We are Ambassadors; living, breathing citizens of a nation that God has invited all humankind to claim as their home. And that’s what ambassadors do . . . they represent in their very selves the country they come from. We don’t spout slogans. We ARE our message.

So, what’s the point? The point is: YOU are the instrument God uses to help people know Him. Think about how you experienced God’s love in your life. Wasn’t it through PEOPLE? Your parents, friends, teachers, priest. Weren’t they ambassadors for Christ for you? Christ appealing to you through them? Parents, I don’t think you see yourself having so important a role. Jesus expects you to introduce Him to your children, your siblings and co-workers.

Wait a minute. I’m no saint! How can I give Christ to others? Just be your best self. Be the person who cares what happens. Be the person who looks out for others. Be a sign of hope when everyone else is quitting. Be the person who’s not afraid or embarrassed to admit their Catholic faith means something to them.

We are about to launch our One By One outreach this week. We want to be clear here – – – we are not looking for new parishioners. Rather, we want to share something that has made a huge difference in our lives. We want to invite people to consider restarting the practice of their Catholic faith. Why? Because it brings life and hope.

Soooooo . . . . think about who you will ask to join you at the One By One events. Say the Mission Prayer. Ask away. Remember you’re doing this for Christ, the Good Shepherd, and we are his sheep dogs . . . uh, I mean ambassadors!!

God bless you.

Fr. Tim

ONE by ONE lineup:

Saturday, February 21, 5:15 pm. “Let’s Play”

• Food and intro’s
• Trivia Competition (real easy, goofy questions, everybody wins)
• “You’ve Been Away? Me Too.” Talk — short story of one person’s being away and now returned. “Why I came back and what I found.”
• Invitation to come back for next event.

Saturday, March 7, 5:15 pm. “Let’s Talk”

• Food and welcome.
• “I Need God in My Life. My Catholic Faith Helped Me Find Him” Talk. Witness talk by a parishioner about how they found their place in the Catholic Church.
• Conversation at tables about peoples’ own stories. (Personal sharing only as people feel comfortable – – – no forced, uncomfortable admissions).
• Anonymous Question Box. Fr.’s John and Tim will do their best to answer all questions and address burning issues.
• Invitation to next event.

Saturday, March 21, 6:15 pm. “Let’s Pray”

• Pot Luck Supper (bring a dish to pass) and welcome.
• Move to church for an informal conversation and walk through of the Catholic Mass.
• Brief description of upcoming Palm Sunday and Holy Week.
• Invitation to join us for Holy Week and Easter Sunday.