Dear Friends
Deacons play a vital role in our parish and we are grateful to our wonderful and committed deacons. We thank all those who have served our parish including Dcn Jim Seidel who is retired and Dcn Don Durden of happy memories and especially those serving presently: Deacons Tom Tagye, Mike McElwee, and Pat Mongan. Our parish has been enriched by their selfless love and commitment to serve God and the people of our parish. While we honor them today for their services, we are called to seek men from our parish who could serve God in priesthood and diaconate or religious life. We have been praying for vocations steadily using our SJE Vocation Cup. One of my deepest desires is to raise men and women from our parish who could respond to the call to serve God as consecrated religious or as priests and deacons. Please continue to pray fervently for more vocations.
We are glad that Tom Buddington has entered the diaconate formation program. While we accompany him in his continued discernment and formation, we pray for more of our men to consider answering God’s call to serve as deacons. Our parish is proud to host the Diaconate Discernment Night on Thursday, November 7th, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. It is part of our Diocese’ Permanent Diaconate Office’ effort to provide an opportunity for the men between the ages 29-59 to come together to pray and discern if they have a calling to serve the church as permanent deacons. Hence, I appeal to the outstanding men of our parish to give it a try while we the parishioners will continue to raise up our hearts in prayer for more vocations.
Today we celebrate the 31st Sunday Year C and we are treated to one of the most enduringly fascinating stories of how we can take the initiative to look for God in our lives. Zacchaeus, though rich and wealthy, was a lost soul. People despised him because he was a chief tax collector who extorted money in the name of taxes. Though he had all he needed in terms of wealth and security yet something in him was not at peace. He felt the need to find peace and to find the only one who could give him that Peace. So, disregarding his position and stature in society and the dignity of a mature man, he runs and climbs the sycamore tree to have a glimpse of Jesus Christ. And that is more than enough for Jesus to recognize the deepest yearnings of his heart. Jesus visits his home and dines with him and causes his conversion. We all need to shamelessly perhaps get on to that sycamore trees of our lives to encounter the living Christ and he will certainly bring about the needed conversion of our hearts so that we can fall in love with him. What/where is your sycamore tree? Abandon everything to cling on to that tree which can bring you salvation.
Have a Blessed Week!
Love, Fr. John