11/12/2023

The Catechism of the Catholic Church begins with the statement: “God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life.” How does God do this? The plan is laid out in the same Catechism. It has four main parts: 1) What we believe in creeds and doctrine; 2) what we practice in terms of sacraments and sacramentals, the channels and signs of God’s love for us; 3) how we act in terms of morality in response to God’s gift of saving us, exercising our freedom in actions like choosing a vocation or loving our neighbor; 4) how we develop a relationship with God in prayer, both alone and with others. It is essential that we have a deepening and vibrant relationship with the Lord, a prayer life both private and public, that supports all that we do to serve the Lord. Please take time to pray with your children or grandchildren, to teach them how to survive and even thrive in a secular culture which so often keeps us too “busy” to pray, to contemplate the glories of God and his love for us, to read and ponder the Catechism or the Bible.
We have been encouraging you to form small groups, especially to read books or watch videos and discuss matters of faith. This has gone pretty well, as people meet at church or at home or even in the Hangar, watch videos or read and then discuss their faith over a pizza or a meal. These small groups have the potential to be vibrant epicenters that feed our souls, encouraging us by being accompanied by friends. Out of these small groups of friends can attract new members by walking together in peace and harmony and welcoming others on their pilgrimage to heaven.
I would like to see these faith-based groups flourish in our parish. These groups accomplish in a more personal way what a parish is meant to do – provide you with the encouragement, the companionship, and the challenge to grow spiritually in your personal relationship with Christ. It is important to have others with whom we go to God. We need to be nourished in our relationship with God in our personal life, we need to have good friends who accompany us and value your and their relationship with the Lord. When we live in these small groups in peace and harmony, we should naturally attract others to our network of friends, even into Catholicism as we journey together to God. Small groups are natural places for that to happen. In our parish families provide the same kind of support especially when they share the same faith. We are blessed with groups and families who fit this description. Coming to church together can be both spiritually and socially uplifting, and the Liturgy is meant to unite all of us, all of the smaller groups, into a larger unit in faith where God can share himself with us all in his Word and in Communion at Mass.
May we never lose sight of the greatness of the calling we received when we were baptized, to become children of God, loved into existence and called to enter into the community of the Trinity. What great dignity God has given to us!
It is a privilege to be your pastor.

Father Albert, O.S.B.