Our Lady of Lourdes Church and School

As we enter upon what the Church calls Ordinary Time (meaning it’s not Lent, Advent, Christmas or Easter), we are moving quickly now into a New Year. For myself, returning to the parish following my time of sabbatical, it continues to be a time that is anything but ordinary. I was touched and moved by the greeting and “welcome home” that so many shared with me last weekend. I continue to be touched by your care and your thoughtfulness and the prayer of St. Paul to the Corinthians are echoing in my heart as I think of you: “Grace to you and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

I am happy to confess that returning to the parish, while filled with goodness and grace, is also a little overwhelming. Trying to catch up with everything that has been going on while I was away and get a sense of what has moved along and what has been humming along or ticking over, it all takes time. Once again I am moved to gratitude for a wonderful staff and faculty both in parish office and in our parish school, as they remind me that the continuing work of growing into ever deeper relationship with God and with one another is often messy, but always worthwhile. This past week, I was joined by some of our staff as we participated in our ongoing parish development training facilitated by the Parish Catalyst group. Our cohort of twelve parishes from across the country meets together twice a year and we continue to learn from one another and to share the fruits of our own experiences. It is quite an enriching experience for all of us.

In these coming weeks I anticipate catching up with our parish pastoral council, finance council, liturgy committee, individual parish staff, beginning planning for our next parish leadership conference, participation in our schools re-accreditation process and a whole other array of activities, all of which go to remind me that our parish is alive and growing, even if we don’t notice the growth taking place in front of us, not unlike the growth of a plant beneath the surface of the soil.

In many ways, it’s not all that unlike the growing of the Kingdom of God among us that is characterized in today’s gospel. John the Baptist sees Jesus coming toward him and we who have already heard the story know that this is just the beginning of something wonderful and great that is to come in the life and ministry of Jesus. So too, all our efforts as God’s people to get along as best we can in our lives, all our efforts to try to grow as a people of faith in our homes and in our parish community… it all points to the ongoing coming of Jesus towards us. It happens in the context of everything that is ordinary in our lives… but ultimately reveals something quite extraordinary. The God who comes to make his dwelling among us begins to reveal himself to us and our lives are touched by grace and peace.

God’s blessings on all of us.