Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In Mark’s gospel this weekend we hear a very unusual detail: “Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was, and other boats were with him.” (Mk 4:….) What could this detail mean? Could it be an indication of the transition of the disciples to the presence of Jesus? Jesus knows who he is and his mission, and he invites us to journey with him as he is and in doing so we need to become more like him. Not the other way around.
How often have we prayed with the expectation that a “certain” Jesus will come to our aid? And if that Jesus doesn’t answer, are we disappointed and feel as if he doesn’t care? We cannot impose upon Jesus who he should be. Jesus comes to us as he is, a loving and sacrificed risen savior calling us to go to the other side with him and accept him as he is. He invites us to open ourselves to be transformed by his presence and, like the disciples, to make that presence known.
Our lives can feel like we’re in a rocky boat that scares and frightens us. We may even scream aloud because we are not truly connected to the true presence of Jesus when we let our human nature get the best of us and we become selfish. But when we rely on our faith in the presence of Jesus, we will have the courage to embrace whatever storms from life come our way. We will also see how Jesus helps us through those storms according to his knowledge of what we need to journey toward the kingdom.
Trusting in Jesus we become more attentive to the promptings of the Spirit that he sent us to help us stay connected to him. When confronted with change, with the Spirit we embrace the challenge and open our expectations to the new horizons presenting themselves.
Saint James School building continues to be transformed. This past week Oster Services began restoring the Detroit entrance to the former gym. They intend to rebuild the entryway and replant new landscaping that will maintain the architectural integrity of the school building and rectory. Also, over the next month, they plan to remove the rectory garages in order to restore the west side of the former library. More updates later this summer.
Fr. Deo and I agree that our celebrations of Mass have been uplifted and inspiring mainly due to the participation of the people, especially the singing. The singing of the congregation helps us, as priests, express the energy of the liturgy. Recently James Flood, music director at Saint Clement, has decided to resign from this position to pursue other musical aspirations. We are in gratitude to him and his family for their dedication to the sacred music.
As we continue through these summer months, let us be attentive to the Jesus that invites us to go with him in the boat, and be willing to invite others to travel along.
Happy Father’s Day!!!
Fr. Workman