A Letter from Fr. Paul - October 16, 2016

Cardinal Capital has moved the items concerning the development of our parking lot from the Wauwatosa Plan Commission agenda for October 10 to the agenda for November 7. There are a number of concerns from neighbors arising on social media, and Cardinal felt it was better to get correct information out and answer as many questions as possible before going to the Plan Commission. Please keep the success of this process in your prayers.

Every year our senior group takes a field trip, this past week to see the fall colors. I thank Ron Schwartz who so generously supplies the bus transportation for these trips. I invite you to consider joining this group which meets every other month, always with a speaker or some activity. For more information, please call the parish office.

At the liturgical ministry fair last weekend, 18 parishioners generously volunteered their time and talent: Ministry of Hospitality - 6; Liturgical Environment – 4; Eucharistic Minister – 2; Jammin for Jesus – 2; Lector – 2; Minister of Care – 1; and Instrumentalist – 1. Recently we added 3 new altar servers. I thank those who signed up, and those already performing these ministries, on behalf of the community: you help us to have inspiring celebrations. God bless!

An article entitled “Family Steeped in Salvatorian Life” appeared in a recent edition of the National Catholic Reporter. Featured are Fr. John Pantuso SDS, who was assigned to Pius in the past, and his son Bobby Pantuso, who is our alderperson. You can find the article at: https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/family-steeped-salvatorian-life-including-ministry-reinstated-priest

In the first reading, the Israelites are still wandering the desert when they are attacked. Moses sends Joshua with some men to fight while he goes up a mountain with Aaron and Hur. As long as Moses had his arms raised up to God, Joshua would be winning. But when he tired and brought his arms down, the enemy would have the better of the fight. So what happens? Aaron and Hur each take an arm and hold it up until sunset, at which point Joshua “mowed down” the enemy.

The point is no individual can do it alone. First we need God; then we need each other. That is why two habits are vital to our spiritual success: the first is a personal relationship with God, a relationship that grows when we find quiet time each day to be alone and converse (read talk and LISTEN) with the Lord. The second is to make worshiping with the community and being involved in the community a top priority in our busy lives. In worship we accomplish both at once: we worship God together with others. In being involved in the community we are holding up each other’s arm as we move through life, trying to grow in our ability to live Gospel values. I invite us to reflect this week on the priority that private and communal prayer has in our lives, and kick it up a little, if necessary. And let us hold up each other’s arm in prayer.

​-- Paul James Portland, SDS