Every Advent I read the book The Coming of God by Maria Boulding, a contemplative Benedictine nun in Great Britain. I’ve read it for years. For the next couple of weeks I will share little passages from it that give me hope. 

“If you want God and long for union with Him, yet sometimes wonder what that means or whether it can mean anything at all, you are already walking with the God who comes. If you are at times so weary and involved with the struggle of living that you have no strength even to want Him, yet you are dissatisfied that you don’t, you are already keeping Advent in your life. If you have ever had an obscure intuition that the truth of things is somehow better, that the touch of God in your life stills you by its gentleness, that there is a mercy beyond anything you could ever suspect, you are already drawn into the central mystery of salvation. Your hope is not a mocking dream; God creates in human hearts a huge desire and a sense of needs, because He wants to fill them with the gift of Himself.” “My soul yearns for you in the night, my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.” Isaiah 26:9

The Columbus Police Department has arrested a suspect in the theft of our equipment. We are a long way from the trial, but they are pretty convinced that they have found the person who organized the operation. Sadly, none of our stolen property has been recovered and it looks like it is long gone. Our insurance company has paid off the claim and, while we might not be able to purchase the exact same equipment, we will be able to get another new tractor and a used golf cart. We have replaced the door on the field house with a reinforced roll down steel door. Rest assured no one will be able to hook up their truck to this new door and pull it off. I want to thank the Columbus Police Department for their good work on this case.

In the next week or so everyone in the parish will be receiving a letter from me regarding our current financial situation. The letter is self explanatory. Because of all the scams going on, rest assured that the letter is indeed from me and the included self addressed envelope is addressed to our parish office. I know you will read the letter prayerfully and carefully and do your best. You always do. 

Last weekend I was walking around Lakebottom Park and a young man came running on the path toward me. He passed me by and then I heard him stop and approach me from behind. For a second I thought I was getting mugged; instead I heard, “Hey Father, do you have a minute?” He told me he attends St. Anne Church occasionally and recognized me. We sat down in the park and he began to explain how concerned and worried he was for our country. He lamented the anger and bitterness which he felt was becoming so common that we all were growing numb to it. He longed for a kinder world, a more civil world. I was moved and concerned about his feelings and his spirit. Of late this kind of encounter has happened to me several times. It has happened in our parking lot. It has happened in the Commons Area after Mass. There have even been a couple of people who have requested appointments to talk about their worries and concerns for our country. These people have come from all different political perspectives. Some want us to mobilize the parish. Some would have us speak from the pulpit about their concerns and worries and political perspective. Every person I’ve spoken to has been honest and sincere. Their worries are real and cause them a lot of concern. 

I have been praying and thinking a lot about our country and the many people I’ve met who seem preoccupied and concerned. I know that on top of a very politicized election we also have a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic which is concerning to most of us. We collectively have a lot on our plates. 

The fruit of my prayer and thoughts is simply this, “Jesus, I trust in you.” While we live in the world we have to be so careful not to become of the world. The message of the Gospel, the Good News for humanity is so much more powerful than any political party or philosophy or even a pandemic. Throughout its history, the Church and the Good News we are called to share have endured and sometimes even flourished in the most difficult of situations. 

Encountering someone with a different world view than our own does not give us license to be uncharitable or angry. Catholics cannot be caught up in the anger or bitterness of the time. We are called to follow the example of our Lord Jesus who said so clearly, ‘“Love your enemies,” and “Do good to those who persecute you.” When confronted with angry or harsh words we must never respond in kind. I know that’s easier said than done. When we encounter people whose beliefs and hopes are diametrically opposed to our own or our faith, we need to dialogue respectfully, seek common ground if there is any, and peacefully, patiently and charitably hold firm to the truths of our faith. 

Jesus’ words to the disciples - “Do not be afraid” - should give us comfort and hope. To say, “Jesus, I trust in you” is not to simply express some naive sentiment or take the easy way out. However, it is the only appropriate response for a follower of our Lord Jesus. He calls us to love our neighbor with reckless abandon, confront violence with peacefulness, and trust in Him. 

It is the mission of our parish and the universal Church to faithfully preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in season and out of season. It is the serious responsibility of every Catholic to listen carefully to the Word they hear in Church and apply it to the challenges they face. Let’s do our best to rise above all of this doubt, fear and anger and bring hope to a world and culture often lost, alone and afraid. Jesus I trust in you, Jesus I trust in you, Jesus I trust in you.

This year the Outreach Angel Tree is completely online. Please click here to pick a tag from the 2020 Outreach Angel Tree. Please bring all new, unwrapped gifts to Outreach by December 9th. If you order items for our virtual Angel Tree and have them delivered to the church, please list the buyer as Angel Tree or put Angel Tree in the comment or memo field. This week all of these packages started arriving addressed to St. Anne Church and we couldn’t figure out who they were for or who was buying them. Thanks so much for your generous hearts!

Stewardship of Treasure

Attendance

This week's gift of bread and wine was donated by Jino Jose in loving memory of his mother, Rose Jose. If you would like to offer the bread and wine for Mass in honor of or in memory of a loved one, please call the Parish Office to schedule your weekend. Your offering of $50 will help defray the cost.

In good times and in bad, senior Catholic sisters, brothers, and religious order priests have dedicated themselves to service and acts of mercy. Today, they pray for an aching world. Yet years of serving for little or no pay have left their religious communities without enough retirement savings. Your gift to the Retirement Fund for Religious helps provide medications, nursing care, and other necessities. Although we are not physically taking up 2nd collections during Mass, we hope you will be generous to this very important collection. You may give online, drop your donation in the collection box at Mass or mail it to the Parish Office.