A Letter from Fr. Paul - June 25, 2017

Summer is here, the a.c. is on, and things are slowing down a little at Pius. I thank all those who serve on our various councils, commissions, and committees. Your sharing of time and talent is crucial to the life of our community. Please see the “Pastoral Council News” article for a leadership update.

Next year Pope Francis will host a synod on young adults. In preparation he is inviting feedback from Catholics between the ages of 16 and 29. I urge those of you who fit this demographic to participate. (It will come up in Italian but on the top right there is a place to choose a different language)

Our readings this weekend exhort us to have trust in God and not to fear, no matter how bad things might seem. In preparing for this weekend, I read that “be not afraid” is in the Bible 365 times, once for each day of a year. I haven’t counted to see if it is true, but “be not afraid” certainly comes up often: in our short Gospel, it appears three times!

Jesus doesn’t promise that his followers will be trouble free; in fact, He says being his follower could cause problems. And no one escapes illnesses and death. But He DOES promise to be with us and help us bear the burden, if we let Him. I invite us to reflect this week: do I really believe that the hairs of my head are counted? I believe, Lord; help my unbelief!

-- Paul James Portland, SDS