In our time of suffering, may we discover the inner strength that comes from God who is within us to trust that God’s love for us is unending. Yes, in your life and in mine, stuff happens that we don’t like – dealing with Covid-19 and the social distancing restrictions that is demanded of us. Who of us planned that our lives would be turned upside down since last March?
What keys has the Lord entrusted to you? Part of the take-home message of today’s gospel is that certain keys have been entrusted to each of us. With the keys that have been given to us, we are to open the way to Jesus for others instead of locking those doors. We should welcome more people that we turn away and serve more people than we refuse. Jesus comes to give us Good News that we are to share with others.
Donald was a parishioner of Holy Spirit for 3 years and St. Joseph’s for the last year. His community Involvement included Rochester Rotary, Rochester Regional Foundation, and Rochester Hearing & Speech.
Norma was Roman Catholic and has been a parishioner at St. Joseph’s since the 60’s. After retiring, Gordon and Norma enjoyed spending time with the many friends they met through bowling as well as time spent with family. Norma also enjoyed watercolor painting.
In the words of Martin Luther King, “I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. He then goes on to say: I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” I would add: “We have a dream that we will pray and live in a Church where everyone belongs, where we celebrate that all of us are the recipients of the merciful love of Jesus.
Pat was a loving wife and was a dedicated mother to her 5 children and grandmother to one. She loved her career in nursing and, later, as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Pat dedicated herself to serving her community, including volunteering at Penfield Volunteer Ambulance Service, working at St. Mary’s Hospital, Jefferson Family Medicine, and Health Care for the Homeless.
Carol was a parishioner for 44 years. She volunteered as a ‘money counter’ for about 17 years. Carol was also a Minister of Holy Communion. She attended mass every Sunday and is very much missed by her "7:30 Mass friends."
The Lord speaks to us in the stress and craziness of life as well. When in your life do you experience the turbulence of the sea and your fears and anxiety get the best of you? Are there times when you panic there is too much to do and not enough time to do it? As a parent or grandparent, what happens when you do not approve of the choices your children are making? As a teen or young adult, what happens when your heart is broken from a relationship that falls apart? How is it for you when you are disillusioned by those in authority – in the government, in the Church, or in your place of business? Personally, when happens loneliness or depression gets the best of you, where do you turn? In the Gospel account of the storm of Sea of Galilee, the evangelist Matthew tells us that Jesus came to the disciples during the fourth watch of the night. That is 3:00 am.
Perhaps we can identify with the disciples in today’s Gospel. Feeding 5,000 would be a large task for most of us. Are some problems too big to handle? How do you look at “insurmountable” tasks in your own life? For example, how about dealing with this pandemic crisis? Who of us is not getting a little weary dealing with this deadly virus and would like to return to our normal life? In our saner moments, we know we need to continue to be vigilant in providing for our health and the health of others. Mask wearing needs to be a way of life for us during these days. Dealing with this crisis is like trying to feed five thousand people with five barley loaves and two fish. It seems like an impossible task left to our own devices. Yes, we need the healing grace of God for our hurting planet. We need to be people of prayer who trust that Jesus is present to us during these days of the pandemic. May the miracle we seek come to us through our vigilance that we exercise in following necessary safety protocols and giving the needed support to our medical personnel as they seek to develop a vaccine to this deadly virus. Miracles happen when we are our best selves.