Dear Parishioners:
Post July 4th greetings from the rectory. Now we can say that summer is here! While many people revel in the heat and humidity, I am more of a cold-weather person. In the summer months, I try to persevere during the heat!
In the Church, summer time is also “ordinary” time in the Church year; that is why the priests and deacons are now wearing the color green at Mass. However, “ordinary time” is not supposed to be a time when nothing happens. “Ordinary time” can be a wonderful time for spiritual growth.
Certainly, we celebrate the great feasts of Holy Week/Easter and Christmas, the great seasons of Advent and Lent, etc. However, we must not overlook “ordinary time.” Ordinary time can be a great opportunity to grow in our faith so we can open ourselves up to God’s transforming grace. So, keep praying this summer and keep receiving the Eucharist every Sunday.
Recently, I read some interesting comments from President Teddy Roosevelt that I thought were challenging. He said that in this world, a churchless community, a community where people have abandoned or scoffed or ignored their religious needs, is a community on the rapid downgrade. He admonished all to attend Church on Sunday as a family. He acknowledged the argument of anyone who did not go to Church, who maintained that one can worship anywhere, that worship of God did not need to be done in Church. But President Roosevelt went on to say, “I also know as a matter of cold fact the average man does not thus worship or thus dedicate himself.”
Summer is also a time to enjoy some well-deserved “Sabbath” rest! As human beings, we do need to slow down at times and step away from all the day to day running around that we do throughout the rest of the year. Rest is one of the reasons why God gave us the “Sabbath,” so that all of us could enjoy a day of rest. In the “old days,” the “Blue Laws” used to take care of this; most stores were closed and most activities simply did not take place on Sundays. While the “Blue Laws” are still present in many parts of the country, this is not the case in New York. Thus, we have to go out of our way to get that “Sabbath rest;” we have to make a conscious decision to get that rest.
Fr. Daniel, our new priest, is home visiting his family in Ghana. He will return on August 13th. It is always good to be with family, especially when you have not seen them for a year. We hope and pray that Fr. Daniel has a restful time with his family in Ghana.
Remember: Together, we can do something beautiful for God.
In Christ,
Fr. Brian