Like other aspects of our society, our Church has been affected by the COVID outbreak and ensuing restrictions. Some debated whether we overreacted as a society, others carry a prevailing concern about the spread of viruses and their own well-being. As such, within our diocese and locally we have noticed a decrease in the parishioners and visitors present at the Sunday Eucharist. At the same time, a struggle to consistently fill the ministries for the weekend Masses. We are grateful for those who continue to share their time and abilities, presence, and faith—a grace within our Eucharist. Thank you! Always open to the talents and faith of others, I’m asking you to consider sharing your presence within a certain ministry for our parish, regardless of who you are. You have something to share, humbly and hopefully, within our Sunday Eucharist, offering your faith as an instrument of grace before others. Please prayerfully consider. By the instruction of the Bishop our diocese will again offering the Cup, the Blood of Christ, beginning in June. There will be a need for additional Eucharistic Ministers for each Mass so this Sacrament can be offered with dignity. If you feel called to share your faith and presence within this ministry, or if you have questions, please call the parish office and I will graciously help you. For all those who presently share your faith and presence within the ministries of our parish, Thank you; for those who do have the faith and time to share within our gatherings for the Sunday Eucharist, God bless you as you step forward. Jesus said, “I am the gate for the sheep. . . .I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly. . . .I am the Good Shepherd.” (John 10) In scripture “shepherding” was a common occupation in ancient Palestine. A shepherd was either the owner of the flock or herd of sheep, or one hired by the owner to watch over and nurture the animals. Staying with their sheep day and night, shepherds provided the needed food and water while protecting them from thieves and wild animals. As often depicted, a shepherd would carry a curved walking stick for their own balance, and to herd, divide and guide the sheep. Sometimes too, an extra rod or sling as a weapon against intruders. Because of their sole responsibility to protect and provide and guide the sheep, the title “shepherd” became synonymous for leaders. God, as the Shepherd, is depicted in Psalm 23 and Isaiah 40:11. Today’s gospel passage from John brings to fulfillment the Good Shepherd, with Jesus as the leader and guard for his people, the One who suffers for them. Our final judge, and yet the tireless, humble Shepherd who would safely leave the herd so that the one who wandered could be found.
Naturally then, with his ‘staff’ in hand the Pope is called the Shepherd of the Church. Blessed with the structure of our Catholic Church through the centuries, especially through the guidance and nurturing spirit as our Shepherd, the Papacy has signified unity, tradition, and apostolic succession from St. Peter. Called forth through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, each Pope has brought forth their own unique talents and abilities, humanity, and faith. My own recognition of the papacy began with Pope Paul VI, infrequently catching glimpses of him via the television and—fading in and out—the Midnight Mass he celebrated from St. Peter’s. Highlighting the spiritual leadership of our recent Popes, I include a few quotes giving us an idea of their calling as our Shepherd. "Openness to God makes us open towards the marginalized of this world, and gives us the courage to leave the confines of our own security and comfort to become bruised, hurting and dirty as we joyfully approach the suffering of others in a spirit of solidarity. ”(Pope Francis) "God's love calls us to move beyond fear, and it gives us the courage to continue seeking and working for the benefit of all. We ask God to give us the strength to work and to struggle for love of the common good and for those suffering the indignities of poverty in our communities, our nation, and our global family. ”(Pope Benedict XVI) "Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought. ”(Pope John Paul II) “It is not wrong to want to live better; what is wrong is a style of life which is presumed to be better when it is directed towards 'having' rather than 'being,' and which wants to have more, not in order to be more but in order to spend life in enjoyment as an end in itself. ”(Pope John Paul I) "Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do. ”(Pope John XXIII) God Bless, Fr. Tim FYI: “Spring is when you feel like whistling, even with a shoe full of slush. ”(Doug Larson)