Fr. Andrew donated two statues of angels.  We placed them by our tabernacle as seen in the picture above.  Outside of Mass, the tabernacle is the center of our parish because Jesus dwells there.  During Mass, the altar table becomes the center because that's where Jesus becomes really present in the Eucharist.

     The artwork in our parish can help us imagine the unseen reality of the wedding feast of the Lamb in Heaven.  We enter into that mystery most especially at Mass.  Having statues of angels near the tabernacle helps us imagine the reality of angels ministering to Jesus and guarding us.

     We might also wonder who sits near Jesus in Heaven as Sts. James and John asked in our gospel last Sunday.  Since the Blessed Mother is the greatest human person and greater than all the angels, it makes sense that she would sit to the right of Jesus.  So, we have a statue of the Blessed Mother to the right of the statue of Jesus on the Cross.  St. Joseph might occupy 2nd place after his wife.  So, we have a statue of St. Joseph to the left of Jesus.

     The priest acts in the person of Jesus Christ.  He does well when he fades to the background and you see Jesus more than the priest.  All of you sitting in the pews and chairs can imagine what it will be like for us when we get to sit, stand, and kneel among the multitude in Heaven.  We'll be with many people, but we'll also feel intimately close to Jesus.

     I took a week off from running, but my right calf injury remained.  So, I just took nine days off.  My 5K run yesterday went reasonably well.  I think I can continue rehabbing my right calf by running shorter distances.  It's my Achilles tendon I have to pay close attention to.  It's inflamed because of my right calf pulling on it.  Like last time, I'll gradually increase my mileage.  Currently, I think I can safely run up to seven miles.  If my leg improves like last time, I'll be able to run longer distances eventually.  At this point, I would be very surprised if I can run a marathon before January.  Fortunately, January is a very good month for me to run a long distance.

God love you,

Fr. Jim