August 6, 2020
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish,
Reading this weekend’s scripture passages for the 19th Sunday of Ordinary Time, especially the Gospel of Matthew 14: 22-33, I could not help but focus on good old Peter and his attempt to walk on water along with Jesus. Then I wondered, why is it that so many folks drown in their troubles? This Gospel gives us a clue. Jesus invited Peter to do something entirely beyond his own powers. Jesus invites Peter: “Come, walk on the water!” And that is exactly what Peter did. He stepped out of the boat—can you imagine that first step—and began to walk across the rolling waters to Jesus.
Peter was halfway there when he is overwhelmed by the waves and the wind. He probably said to himself: “This is crazy. I can’t walk on water.” And he sank like a rock. (do you like my pun…rock?) But he indeed walked on water. He did the impossible because his eyes and his heart had been fixed on Jesus.
The Lord is inviting us to do great things and deeds, to build good lives and powerful loves, not off just in some secure and safe place, but here amidst all the winds and waves that life can serve up. The Lord is promising more than mere survival. The Lord is promising us peace, even while life may be battering us. How can that happen? How do we find the power to endure what seems unendurable? What seems impossible? We find it as Peter did, by first keeping our eyes and hearts fixed on Jesus. Then we return to the boat and join the others in solidarity and faith.
Over the last several months battered by the winds of a pandemic, social and political upheavals, tropical storms and the personal stresses on our lives, homes, communities, etc...which may have left some of us either in deep isolation or feeling, like Peter, sinking in the waters. Even on the parish level, it was tempting to just hunker down, isolate and let things slide. However, many in the parish came forward in faith and action to keep things afloat and moving ahead. Rather than wait and see or be complacent; many stepped up with generosity and creativity to keep the parish connected and active…in new ways. Just to name a few things: our communications committee of the Parish Pastoral Council quickly responded by providing opportunities to Livestream mass and better communicate through our new parish e-newsletter, our website, and our bulletin. To open for weekend Masses: volunteers generously stepped up to be greeters and sanitizers. Our social outreach efforts continued in safe and new ways to assist people in need. Our Sew Good Works group continued to produce generously by making face masks, etc. and either gave them away or sold them to support our charitable outreach programs.
And now, our parish Religious Education Team is exploring ways to bring new and safe ways of bringing religious education opportunities to our young ones. Rather than just be stifled by the worries and challenges of the day, they have begun to explore new and creative ways of bringing the good news to our youth and adults. It will not be easy. We do need help and prayers. But with the courage and tenacity of a St. Peter and the encouragement of the Lord…we will walk together in faith and hope, even as the winds and the waves continue to try to distract us and bring us down.
Blessings,
Fr. George Couturier
