A Letter from Fr. Paul - March 19, 2017

The current focus of the Justice and Peace Commission is consumption. We thank Terry Ritenour who designed and made the banner on the balcony in the back of church. Please note the bulletin articles and Mass announcements, designed to help us be more aware of our over consumption. I thank the commission for their efforts.

In the bulletin three weeks ago and in the March Invitation, there was a nomination form for parish leadership. I urge you to read and pray over the form, nominating yourself and/or other parish members to leadership service in our community. There are also extra copies of the form in the pews; if there is not one in your pew, there will be one close by!

Please check out information on an April 1 workshop on racial justice that will be held at Alverno University. Flyers are also available in the back of church.

One focus of our scriptures this past week for the One Percent Challenge was ‘faith.” On Monday Jesus, awakened on a boat in a storm, asked the disciples, Why are you terrified? Do you not YET have faith? Tuesday he told the woman with the hemorrhage, Your faith has saved you. On Thursday we had Matthew’s story of Jesus walking on water and his words to Peter after Peter falters, O you of little faith, why did you doubt?

As Jesus’ identity becomes clearer to us through a growing personal relationship (as we saw last week), our faith in His presence and support will also grow. Notice on Monday He used “yet” in asking His disciples about their faith: He knows that our faith has to grow!

The One Percent Challenge readings near the end of the week presented some life challenges that would be impossible without the support our faith gives us: to become humble as a little child; not to be overcome with attachment to wealth or things, impossible for human beings but nothing is impossible for God; and finally, to lay down our lives for others, as the Good Shepherd did for us.

Let us thank the Lord for the gift of faith, asking that it be strengthened as we read, reflect, and talk with the Lord each day in our One Percent Challenge. And, of course, we are supporting each other in prayer!

This coming weekend, March 18-19, I will be at the intercommunity candidate workshop in Racine. Fr. Lukoa will be celebrating the Masses and preaching. Please keep us in your prayers.

​-- Paul James Portland, SDS