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Before I forget&
- We make a living by what we get, but we
make a life by what we
give. -- Winston Churchill
The highest reward for a
man's toil is not what he gets for it, but what he becomes by it. -- John Ruskin
It is amazing what God can accomplish through an imperfect person who has put all his imperfections completely at God's disposal. -- Anonymous
In a "mega" parish like St. John's, there is always a lot of ministry to be done day after day. The staff can only do so much. But, all of us working together for the glory of God, can do the work of the parish, and much more. I want you to get involved in the life and ministry of St. John's. Next weekend we are having a "shared ministry fair" after all the Masses. Put your toe in the water, as the old saying goes, and you will find out that the water is wonderful, safe and actually refreshing. The more you get involved, the friendlier the parish actually becomes. This is a great opportunity to grow as a disciple of Christ.
As spiritual leader of the parish I have the responsibility to invite you to share in the ministry. It doesn't mean that pastors, deacons and other paid ministers on staff are lazy. Christ doesn't need "sponges" for disciples. Sponges just want something for themselves. Christ calls us to give and to share of ourselves.
Last Tuesday, over a hundred young teenagers were confirmed at the Cathedral. I cannot influence all of them, by myself, to a greater love for Christ and the Church. But you, by your faithful attendance at Mass and involvement in the parish, can be a role model for your own kids and other young people who are looking for direction in their lives. All you need to do is smile and show up. God will help you do the rest. It is amazing what God can accomplish through an ordinary person like you and me.
There are very nice parishioners who still think "Father" should do everything and be at every event. Do they want to kill me? Bill Cosby once said, "I can't tell you what the key to success is, but I can tell you what the key to failure is--trying to please everyone." Sometimes I have to say "no" to people. And that is often difficult for me. When I was a "younger" priest I tried to say "yes" to every request. I guess I had thin skin. Oswald Saunders says, "Maturity is moving from a thin skin and a hard heart to a thick skin and a soft heart." Gosh, even Jesus said "no" to people and took time to be alone. He even told the disciples to do things instead of doing it himself. My advice to those who are being ordained this year: have the heart of a child, the mind of a scholar, and the skin of a rhino.
Maybe good people are afraid to do the work of the church because they will be criticized. Oh, yes, there will always be criticism. I'm learning to deal with the criticism I receive as pastor--some of it produces growth in me--it opens my mind and heart--it is written in charity. Recently I received a mean note calling me lazy and selfish. It was unsigned. I will not read anymore anonymous letters! Dwight Moody once received an anonymous note that simply said, "Food." Moody said, "It is the only time I ever received a letter where the person signed his name, but left off the message."
I really love being assigned to St. John's. I'm not moving. I pray that we can make the parish a dynamic Christian community, with the help of the Holy Spirit. Please join others and myself in the ministry of Jesus Christ.
It's a great life, isn't it?
Fr. Bill
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