First, I want to share three important pieces of news, in an attempt to over-communicate things. I’ll tackle these chronologically. First, Bishop Zubik will be presiding and preaching at the 5:00 pm Mass on Saturday, August 11. Friends of the Bishop are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary that day, and the Bishop wants to be here to celebrate with them. Please give him a warm welcome (and more importantly, pray for John and Noreen). Second, as of the time of this writing, the plan is to release the new Mass schedules the weekend of August 18/19. I’m not exactly sure how that’s going to work, but the Diocese has told us that they’re going to try to over-communicate the message. Remember that the new Mass schedule does not go into effect until Monday, October 15, with the rest of the On Mission changes – so you’ll have two months to figure out a strategy should “your” Mass be changed. Finally, we have a date for Confirmation – Saturday, October 6, at 10:00 am. This is relatively soon, so I encourage the parents of our Confirmation candidates to be particularly mindful of any communications coming from the Faith Formation Office. I have no room to talk on this one, but: don’t procrastinate! If they need something in terms or paperwork, get it done. Bishop Zubik will be our celebrant this year.
I’ve inadvertently used more of my column space than I intended. So to conclude, I just want to repeat what we heard Saint Paul say in today’s second reading. Keeping this exhortation in mind will be so important in the coming weeks as we deal with a lot of transition not just in our parish, but in our diocese as a whole. Perhaps the last line is the most critical: God is indeed over all, through all, and in all. It may not always go the way we want it to, but it will go the way it is supposed to; and that will give glory to God.
“Brothers and sisters: I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”