St. Michael's Church

1/18/12

Our life as Catholics formed by Catholic worship has some more intense times such as Advent, Lent, the seasons of Easter, Christmas and Pentecost. The Church decor and the vestments’ color press upon us the spirit of those seasons.

We are now in Ordinary Time. The vestments’ color is green. The color symbolizes hope, the sort of hope that we in the temperate climate find when green shoots show up in Spring and grass begins to look alive again.

This Ordinary Time is meant to lead us to focus on the ordinary life we lead. Our daily set of habits, routines, recreation and responsibilities. By paying attention to them, making the adjustments needed, doing them as best we can (that includes recreation, too) for the glory of God, not only adds meaning to life but makes our lives more beautiful to God.

Do pay attention to the Bishop’s video. Dioceses in the northeast are under significant pressure produced by changing demographics. There are dioceses in which as much as forty percent of the parishes are financially unstable and are not able to pay their tax to the diocese.

Bishop O’Connell lays out well the necessary functions the diocese fulfills in his DVD and campaign literature.

In tough times when it is hard to give, we are faced with the reality of increased needs. It is a painful time.

The classic Church story is that of the Church being faced with the need for a new boiler at Christmas time. This year that was St. Michaels’ situation. Fortunately, the weather was good. Insurance paid very little on a boiler that was so old, but our building committee secured a good boiler for much less than estimated, and a solid and well qualified parishioner installed it at a very favorable cost. My thanks to the qualified and generous members who love our Church buildings and our parish life.

Our Facebook presence is at this early stage developing quite well. Facebook is finding a place in the lives of most of our organizations.