Every time we mail
out The Canticle I am aware that we are mailing it to some parishioners
who are going through difficult times. Some parishioners will contact us
in times of stress, but others will not. While we the parish staff have
no easy solutions or instant cures to life's problems, we may be able to
help in small ways. I wonder if some of you may sometimes think that we
may be too busy with other important stuff to help you with your painful
situation. Please do not think this. We are here for you. So if you are
going through a bad time please consider giving us the opportunity to reach
out to you. I encourage all of you to pray often for fellow parishioners
who are going through difficult times.
But this letter is mainly addressed to those of you who
do not normally join us on the weekend for Sunday Eucharist for one of
more reasons. I can name 15 such reasons; you may be able to add others.
1. Some of you cannot come to church for health
reasons or due to lack of transportation. If poor health is your issue
and you are not already receiving Holy Communion in your home, I encourage
you to call the parish office so that we can visit you with the Eucharist.
If transportation is the issue, call us and we will do our best to get
you a ride.
2. A small number of parishioners work every
weekend. Others such as nurses and pilots work some weekends.
3. Some parishioners raised in the church have
lost faith in God or at least in the Eucharist. Jesus' invitation to come
and "eat my Body and drink my Blood" does not appeal to them any more.
4. A good number of parishioners are those who
registered when they wanted to get married in the church or have their
child baptized. At some level they want to be connected to the church.
But they have not developed the good habit of making participation
in the Eucharist a part of their weekends.
5. Some parishioners find the challenge of getting
young children ready for church too much. Or when they come to church,
the challenge of keeping their children quiet is too much. If the latter
is your situation, are you aware that we have childcare in the Church Nursery
during the 8:45 & 10:30 a.m. Sunday masses?
6. Some parishioners do not come because of a lack
of support from immediate family or extended family. Sometimes I meet young
people who may or may not be married and may or may not have young children.
They do have a desire to come to church. But they have no support system
to help them get started. If they are married, their spouses may have little
or no interest in church. Some have parents or friends who live in the
area but unfortunately they do not come to church either. This is sad.
I often think how blessed are the young singles or young families who have
supportive spouses and extended families or friends when it comes to participation
in the church. Many of them come to church together and then enjoy breakfast
or lunch afterward.
7. Some are in a mixed religion marriage, which
sometimes causes conflict when it comes to coming to Mass. On the other
hand, some of our best parishioners are non-Catholic spouses. They attend
church frequently with their families and many are active in parish ministries.
8. Some parishioners believe God let them down
in a time of great need, and they have been unable or unwilling to work
through their disappointment. We at the parish can help with this problem
if we are given the opportunity.
9. Some parishioners have been hurt by the church
in a time of need or by the recent scandals in the church, and have been
unable or unwilling to be part of a church that is sinful and imperfect.
Some Catholic tend to forget that ever since Judas betrayed Jesus, and
Peter denied Jesus, the church has been imperfect and sinful.
10. Some feel that they are not welcome because
of their sexual preference or because they are married outside the church
or for some other reason. I only wish that parishioners in this situation
would come and meet with me. I feel sure I could help them feel a part
of the church.
11. Some parishioners find it very hard to feel
a sense of belonging in a parish such as ours that is so large. As I have
said many times, the key to feeling a sense of belonging at St. Francis
is becoming involved in one of our parish ministries. If you are interested
in having a better sense of belonging in our parish, please allow us to
help you with this.
12. Some parishioners don't come because, they
say, Sunday is the only day they have to do household chores. Others allow
sports and maybe travel to be more important than church. But some parishioners
who are involved in sports and travel do make sure that they go to church
on the weekend here or elsewhere.
13. Some parishioners are simply discouraged with
their life situations. They may have some health issues that go on and
on. They work long and hard hours. They may have children with lots of
problems, or a marriage that is not stable. Spiritually they wonder where
God is in all this. If this is your situation, I feel for you very much.
Your life reminds me of some of the great figures in the Old Testament
who also experienced great trials, such as Job, Jeremiah, and the authors
of some of the psalms. A first step out of your pit of discouragement might
be to call us at the parish office. We can visit you or you can come and
see us so that we can listen to you and explore small ways to help you
during a bad time.
14. Some parishioners find the church too liberal
or too conservative, the services too long, too boring, too much of a performance
of "too something else." I doubt that these parishioners will ever be satisfied
in a church.
15. Some say they "do not need to attend church
to talk to God." Of course not, but one does need to attend church if one
wants to partake of the Body and Blood of Christ.
Did I omit any reason why you or others do not respond
to the Lord's invitation to partake of the Eucharist this weekend?
Obviously, all of us would be sympathetic with those who
would love to come to church but cannot because of health problems or a
lack of transportation. I also find myself sympathetic with people who
have unsupportive spouses or families or crazy schedules, or who are discouraged
and have little or no faith in the Eucharist. In the latter situation though,
the question must be asked, "Would you like to have faith or a stronger
faith in the Eucharist?" If so, what are you doing to facilitate this happening?
I invite you to participate in one of the many adult formation events at
St. Francis.
A final word to Parents:
In the gospel Jesus says, "Let the little children
come to me and do not hinder them." Most, if not all children have
a "religious sense" placed in their hearts by God. You as a parent can
help to develop this religious sense or you can hinder it. The slogan "Kids
learn
what parents live," is very true. You help to develop your child's
sense of God when they see you praying, when you pray with them at home
or in church. But if you are so busy with other things, that the God-dimension
of life is rarely emphasized or lived, your children miss out big time.
From God's viewpoint, your biggest and most important legacy to your children
will be the efforts you made to help them come to know and love God and
his church. Oh, and by the way, Dads, all the research shows that children,
especially boys, are very blessed when their fathers are not only with
them in church but actively participating in Mass.
___________________
I know your lives can be
very, very demanding and stressful. But so are the lives of millions of
other families who do bring their children to church on a regular basis.
They come because church is a priority. They have worked at developing
the good habit of going to church. Once the habit is developed they
just automatically do it on the weekend. For those families the question
is never, "Will we go to Mass this weekend?" but rather, "Which mass will
we attend?"
My guess is that many of you reading this do say to yourselves
sometimes, "I need to get back to church," or "I need to go to church more
often." Well, I pray that the Holy Spirit will move you to being next
weekend.
The weekend Mass schedule is Saturday: 5:00 p.m., Sunday:
7:00 a.m., 8:45 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m., and 5:00 p.m.
If you would like to speak to me, please feel free to
call me at the parish office (769-2550) or email me at
.
Fr. Jim McDougall
Pastor
PS. If
you have Catholic relatives in the area who do not attend church and are
not
registered at St. Francis, please share this with them.
