This Sunday’s second reading, I am really sad we do not get to hear the full passage, because it is what we really need at this time. It finishes like this...
For God did not destine us for wrath, but to gain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live together with him. Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, as indeed you do.
Jesus is famous for saying that our faith is like a child, and to get to Heaven you need to have faith like a child. Pure, innocent, full of curiosity, and so forth. Have you talked to a child lately about their faith? How do they see God and or Jesus? Each morning my kids and I start with a prayer and our shared gratitude for things, people, places, and so forth, and I love their responses every morning and it has me thinking about their prayers throughout the day.
I reached out to our families last week to ask how they are doing. How is school going? How are you feeling? Do you have a routine? I really wanted to hear how they (and you!) are doing. We care for all of our parishioners and families and we want you to know that. The most common thing I heard back was families are struggling to get a Faith Formation lesson done at home, and that is okay! We do not want to put one more thing on your plate. My response to them was as long as you and your family are talking about one, or all three, people of the Trinity, and as long as your child knows that the Trinity loves them, that is all that matters.
I share how my kids and I start our day because that may be the only time we get to a ‘religious’ lesson. That may be the only time we share what we are grateful for. It may be the only time as a family we pray together. I really want you all to know that even I am struggling with our prayer life in our home with the times we are in. I know I may sound like a broken record, but you are not alone and it is okay if you are taking each day hour by hour. I spend most of my days going hour by hour!
These have been contentious times in our world, and we all know it will not end anytime soon, but if we look at the part that is not included in our readings, God calls us to not be wrathful, and to gain salvation through Jesus. I know I have struggled big time with not being wrathful during this COVID time and have been trying really hard to lean in to Jesus’ teachings. The last sentence therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, as indeed you do is one that I need to lean more into. I’m really good at building and supporting people and causes that I strongly believe in, but those that I’m not fully invested in, I’m guilty and fall horribly short of supporting them or completing the line item.
For me this week, I know I need to begin living that last line everyday and supporting everyone, especially you parishioners and families of St. Austin.