Christmastime and the end of the year is a time to reflect on who we are—as Christians—and consider what needs to be accomplished in order to become who and what we hope to be—who God has destined us to be. In preparation of the New Year and all those "promises" we make regarding how we are going to change our lives for the better—more exercise and less consumption of food, less intolerance and more patience with family and friends—and even with strangers and enemies, etc., etc., etc.
Society calls us to focus on what "we need to change" in order to become better, but it is also a time when we should take stock of all the "righteous" things we do and recognize The Goodness dwelling within us. Why always use the dark side of humanity—our failures—to create change when we can also use the "light of the life" as the rudder with which to direct us to even greater glory? We have much goodness to acknowledge in our midst and in fact, one could argue that due to all of you and all that you do, collectively and individually, our "rudder" is quiet powerful.
We hear frequently about all the well-known minis-tries in our parish: Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Com-munion who take the Blessed Sacrament to the sick and homebound; or the Men’s and Women’s Clubs’ sponsorship of our parish’s annual leaf raking event that services the needs of so many seniors or others in need; and even of the Feed the Hungry or St. Elizabeth House’s monthly efforts to feed the homeless and marginalized in our community. We could go on and on about our Youth Ministry or the Adopt-A-Family Program (by the way of update, the Adopt-A-Family project has already surpassed the $30,000 mark in raising funds for both Sacred Heart Parish in Hartford and Simsbury Senior Citizens) and all the good that they do—and it would not be bragging but rather a recognition of God’s marvelous deeds in our midst to acknowledge these efforts.
And there are more activities, ministries, and out-reach happenings to mention. Comitas, a parish service-based ministry, continues to reach out to individuals and families in times of sickness or loss, providing them with food and various types of support. In recent weeks, Comitas members have taken to bringing individuals to doctor ap-pointments when they can no longer drive due to illness or accidents and are without local family to assist. Care to hear more? Just last month, a [high school] parishioner approached me and wanted to do something nice for seniors at McLean Home. This young and talented guy organized a group of some 15 individuals—many from our parish and still others from the local community—to provide an evening of entertainment of singing at McLean home – to a rousing applause and a request for a command performance. Another gentleman and his wife who belong to the Saint Catherine family collect and prepare stuffed animals for delivery to a local Children’s Hospital for distribution among the little ones who are undergoing treatment or pre-paring for surgery, providing thousands and thousands of opportunities of joy in an otherwise scary time in a young life. These are just some of the Marvelous Deeds being done in and through our parish and that make God present among us. Just as Elizabeth and her unborn son knew they were in the presence of God—and the child in the womb leaped for joy—or as David knew he was in the presence of God while standing before the ark of the covenant, we too can and must experience and be part of the presence of God in our midst. As Mary carried the Christ Child into the world for the first time on that cold night in Bethlehem, we must continue to carry the Light of the World into human-ity. All God asks of us is to pick a ministry or some way to make Him known to others. And then, to quote Nike, "Just Do It."
Yes there are many needs in this world and sadness seems to exist everywhere. But as I mentioned in the beginning, let us not look to the negative to as the foundation of future change but rather look to the more plentiful but always under-reported goodness in the world and multiply it "seven times seventy" for the good of God and all His people.
At this time of year it is also customary in this parish community to provide to our adult volunteers with a bottle of wine, and to our younger volunteers a small gift certificate, as a small token of our appreciation for all that they do in this community all year long. And while I realize that no one does what they do for the bottle of wine, the gift card, or even the kudos of a job well done, it still is appro-priate that we as a community say ―Thank You.‖ This year it is my intention to do something a little bit different but hopefully with a big impact. In the late spring of 2010 our parish will hold a ―Parish Volunteer Appreciation‖ event complete with a Mass of Thanksgiving and an outdoor re-ception. I hope to bring together a collective thank-you for all the many hours and hours of volunteer service accom-plished in the name of Saint Catherine of Siena Parish. I brought this up at a recent Parish Council meeting and after discussing the issue and all it components, we have settled on a format and a date (May 23, 2010) for this day of Thanksgiving. More details will be forthcoming during the winter months as we prepare for this social event with all the many details that there are to accomplish. The Parish Council’s Hospitality Committee, under the direction of John Dillon, has already begun the massive task that lies ahead. I look forward to this very happy event in our parish life.
In the meanwhile, may I offer an albeit insufficient but nonetheless heartfelt "thank-you" to everyone for all that they do all year long!
Peace, Merry Christmas, and a very happy, healthy, prosperous and faith-filled New Year to one and all.
-Fr. Michael
