A Letter from Fr. Paul - October 28, 2018

Hope you can make the school auction this Saturday, November 3, for an evening of fun, while supporting our school.

Please remember we have a parish library in the back of the chapel. I invite you to peruse the many inspirational books and borrow any you wish to read. I thank Sisters Denise and Rita for taking care of the library.

This weekend we have the witness talks from parishioners for the 2019 pledge drive and soon you will receive the stewardship mailing. We need your support to continue to do all the wonderful things that are happening. Pledging helps us to build a realistic budget. Please be as generous as possible and keep this process in your prayers.

In our Gospel from chapter 10 of Mark, Jesus cures a blind man named Bartimaeus. In chapter 8, he cured another blind man. In the two chapters between these two cures, he predicts three times that he will suffer and die but the disciples are blinded by their own ambitions and cannot fathom what he is saying: the first time Jesus says “Get behind me, Satan” to Peter; the second time they are arguing over who is the greatest; and the third time James and John ask for positions of power.

Jesus told them quite bluntly what they (and we) have to accept to get over spiritual blindness: they (and we) have to be SERVANTS and SLAVES. It is as clear as can be.

When Jesus asked James and John what they wanted from Him, they replied “to sit one on your left and the other on your right in the Kingdom.” When Jesus asked Bartimaeus what he wanted, he replied, “Master, I want to see.” If we are honest with ourselves, what would we ask for? As we struggle to overcome any spiritual blindness, let us support each other in prayer.

-- Paul James Portland, SDS