From the Pastor's Desk | August 13, 2023

ALICE Training August 16

Please be reminded that the entire campus will be closed August 16, 2023 for ALICE training with the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department. As explained in last week’s bulletin, the entire school and parish staff will be working through active shooter training. This is a large part of our continued efforts to ensure the safety of our children, parishioners, and staff. Please do not be alarmed if/when you see police cars in the parking lot, but I do ask that you not come to the campus during the day on August 16, 2023. Thank you so much for your patience and understanding.

**Evening Mass, Confessions, and Adoration will continue as scheduled.** I think I mistakenly announced at weekend Masses that they would be canceled.
 

Don Morgan

We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to Don Morgan! I know I also owe a huge debt of gratitude to Don Morgan and am most thankful for his knowledge, leadership, and care of the parish over these last six years. He has officially retired but will be available for consultation and for bigger projects. When Fr. Mike arrived, Don was asked to take the lead in caring for the facilities and overall operations of the parish. Upon his arrival, there were many projects that needed attention, and the amount that he accomplished in a very short time is both impressive and immeasurable. He, and his wife Jean, love and care for this parish so much. When you see Don, please offer him a ‘thank you’ because he has truly set us up for growth and success.
 

Do Not Be Afraid

I don’t know about you, but man, sometimes I find those words difficult. Jokingly, I blame any negative personality trait on my Irish heritage. I know that I shouldn’t but I often make light of my Irish negativity and self effacing humor. It is actually hilarious because, ironically, one of my top five strengths in Clifton StrengthsFinders is Positivity. Knowing myself well, however, I know that I can be a “worst case scenario” thinker. If the shoe is going to drop, it is going to drop hard, often because of my own doing. Talking about the late Jim Morrison of The Doors, Oliver Stone quotes William Butler Yeats by saying, “Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy, which sustained him through temporary periods of joy.” Sometimes, I can relate to that. I think we all can from time to time. 

Nonetheless, Jesus Christ says to all of us today (myself included), regardless of our circumstances, sufferings, tragedies, or sins - “Do not be afraid!” Pope St. John Paul II was inaugurated as our Holy Father on October 22, 1978, and in his homily during Mass, he said, “Brothers and sisters, do not be afraid to welcome Christ and accept his power.” That theme echoed throughout his pontificate - do not be afraid. In his book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope, he writes, “When pronouncing these words in St. Peter’s Square, I already knew that my first encyclical and my entire papacy would be tied to the truth of the Redemption. In the Redemption we find the most profound basis for the words ‘Be not afraid!’: ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son’” (cf. Jn 3:16).

We face, will face, or have faced many of our own storms in life. In the Gospel today, the twelve find themselves in the midst of a storm. Jesus Christ shows up not necessarily to help them get to shore but, more importantly, to show them or prove to them that He will be there in ways that we may not understand especially in the moment. Peter, for example, doesn’t quite understand and tries to come to Jesus but his fear (and maybe even his negativity) overcome him, and he begins to drown. While slipping under the water, he cries out, “Lord save me!” What an honest and human prayer! Oh, how I know that prayer well!

What are you afraid of? What fears or negative thoughts keep you up at night? What circumstances do you observe yourselves to be in that cause you strife? What sufferings have you endured or are you enduring? What tragedies of life have befallen you? In what sins do you find yourselves caught up?

Perhaps our prayer today is simply, “Lord save me!” But, let’s not remain caught in the fear. Unlike Peter who took his eyes off the Lord, let’s keep our eyes fixed on the risen Jesus, knowing in the depths of our being that He is truly risen and alive! He is our redemption! And, quite often, He is most present in our sufferings, circumstances, tragedies, and sinfulness - in our storms.

Know of my prayers for each one of you!

Fr. Ryan