Yeah, it’s me. You have no idea – actually you probably do have a pretty good idea – how hard Father Ryan works. He’s amazing. And Hallie Card is a mother and beekeeper with not one but two parish jobs – running the parish as Director of Operations, and freshening our souls as Director of Discipleship. So Father and Hallie are buried this week, and I’m filling in. Late in the Book of Revelation, John sees a new heaven and a new earth. A moment later, he hears the Lord exclaim, Behold, I make all things new. Variations on those phrases – a new heaven and a new earth, and the Lord making things wonderful and new – are found throughout Scripture. While we cannot know the rich fullness of blessings the Lord has in store for those who love Him, we do know that we are called to be ever a people of Hope. And our Hope is not blind optimism – we know that significant challenges can be found in our homes, our nation, and around the world. Rather, our Hope is Godly, as we await the eventual Day of the Lord, and as we daily cherish the endless graces He shares in our lives. It’s autumn – the favorite season of nearly everyone in the Great Lakes. The colors will soon be upon us, and the crisp nights are already drawing us under an extra blanket or two. Yet autumn also marks the end of the vibrant days of summer. Crops fall to the harvester. Fruit is brought in to the canner. The hive shares its sweetness. Plants go dormant. Insects, bears, and pontoon boats search out their winter lairs. In this fallen world, all things have an end. And yet, there is always Hope. One of the many powerful scenes in the first “Godfather” movie comes just before the senior Don Corleone has his fatal heart attack. He is speaking with Michael, the youngest son, the one whom the Don had hoped might pursue a more respectable occupation. Together, they lament that “there just wasn’t enough time.” There is never enough time. Life is short. And autumn comes calling again. So in this autumn, let’s remember where and in Whom our Hope is found. It’s certainly not the unserious people whose unserious campaigns are producing the rancid ads that we must watch every half inning. Rather, our Hope is in the Lord, and in His many gifts. So let’s embrace all that He provides. Let’s enjoy an autumn of family. Of walks and sweaters, of good books and deep chairs, of fireplaces and good dogs. The world grows quiet as the leaves fall, but nature rests only for a time. Even under the snow, there will be the growing handiwork of the One who makes all things new! That One is Christ, today and for ages unending! It is He who always is making His Church new and fruitful, it is He who comes to be with us in every Mass, it is He who is present whenever and wherever new Life comes forth. The Tigers have been fun to watch, and autumn is rich in seasonal enjoyment. But now and always, our Hope is in the Lord! frmike