How’s your toilet paper supply?  Remember back in the early days of the pandemic, when it was nowhere to be found in many stores and manufacturers had employees working day and night to produce more?  Today in some places there is a shortage of everything from diapers to ketchup packets, and we can’t forget those at-home Covid tests, which are almost impossible to buy.

            To me, however, the shortages that are most alarming are those having to do with good behavior.  A lot of people seem to have forgotten how to be decent human beings, much less children of God.  For example, according to the FAA, 2021 was the worst year on record for incidents involving unruly airplane passengers.  And how many times in the last couple of years have you avoided bringing up certain subjects with family members, friends, coworkers, or fellow parishioners because you didn’t want to get into an argument? Without a doubt, there are serious shortages of patience, kindness, respect, and just plain politeness.

            They ran out of wine at the wedding feast at Cana.  Fortunately for the host, one of the guests was able to take care of the problem. Similarly, if we invite Jesus into our lives, he can give us the divine grace that we need to live our lives as his disciples, lives that are focused not on our own anger, frustration, and narrow points of view but on love for and service to others.  In addition, Jesus can give us some hope and strength, which also may be in short supply.

“GROWING TOGETHER IN FAITH” is the theme of the 2022 Annual Diocesan Appeal, which begins February 5-6.  Please prayerfully consider pledging your support to your parish and our local church by contributing to the ADA.  Your help is especially needed during this time when other sources of income are limited due to the pandemic.

Join us for a fun night for families and friends to cheer on their favorite priests and seminarians in an epic basketball game on Friday, January 28. Tip off at 7 P.M. (doors open at 6) at St. Francis High School, Mountain View. Tickets are $5 and available at the parish office. All proceeds benefit seminarian formation.  Contact vocations@dsj.org for information.