Dear Friends,
We are ecstatic to see many of our parishioners coming back to worship with us. Praise God for the mysterious ways in which he has led us along these stormy days of the pandemic. In order to heartily welcome our brothers and sisters in their return, we intend to gradually open up more seats in the church. Starting this weekend, we will have the pews on the extreme right side open without any barrier. Please continue to wear a mask while at the church and make the community a safe place to worship.
Starting this weekend, we will also have the normal 8 stations for the distribution of Holy Communion; we will also resume the crucially important act of bringing up the gifts of Bread and Wine during the offertory. If everyone is cautious and is faithful in practicing the pandemic related safety protocols, we should all be safe. Thank you all for making so many sacrifices in the past year. May your love for others shine on.
I am deeply indebted to our longstanding ministry leaders and volunteers who have served and still continue to serve our parish with such joy that we know they are filled with the Holy Spirit. Without each and every one of them and their dedication and commitment, we cannot be who we are today. I have long admired the serving culture of our community. Thank you for your generous participation in the life of the parish. In view of bringing back normalcy to our life in the parish, we will be needing more volunteers for several of our ministries. Please take time to pray and see in what ways you can volunteer for ministries.
Volunteering for ministries is totally different from volunteering for many other things in the community outside. To be a ministry volunteer needs a total change of mindset and attitude where the work we do is not about ME but is given in love of God and our brothers and sisters; it means adhering to a completely different norm and dress codes; it means that we observe reverence and silence most of the time; it means we take time to spiritually prepare and pray before coming to serve; it means to have a deeply nourished desire to be a disciple of Christ the servant; it means not looking for recognition for the ministry we do but, in humility, offer back to God who has given us such wonderful gifts; it means to serve with a smile that comes from the joy of knowing the love God has for you; it means you are open to an ongoing review of how to grow closer to Christ putting on the virtues of Christ. All of these might seem daunting but to be frank, there is no one who is perfect. Let this not intimidate you but take this as a personal invitation from the Lord to begin to be a person of action. As Catholics we cannot be merely spectators. We come to worship a living God who has outlined to us how he wants to be worshipped.
This weekend we enter into the third Sunday of Easter and we continue to read and reflect on the many different ways the Risen Christ had emboldened the nascent church through the bold preaching of the apostles. Jesus continues to strengthen the shattered and shaken and fear filled disciples with his post resurrection appearances and commissioning them to bear witness to his resurrection. John challenges us with these thought-provoking words: “Those who say, “I know him,” but do not keep his commandments are liars, and the truth is not in them. But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him” (1 John 2: 5a). Give the love of God the opportunity to be perfected in you.
Hence, let us be bold witnesses and disciples of our Risen Lord by beginning to serve St. John’s Community by stepping into several ministries each according to his or her talents and gifts. If you are so inclined please meet me for a chat and we will together discern which ministry might be more suitable for you.
Be Blessed!
With love, Fr. John