Dear Friends,
Today, the Feast of Christ the King, wraps up our Jubilee Year of Mercy. Pope Francis had offered this special year as an opportunity and a challenge. It was to be an opportunity to reflect on the wonder of God’s mercy, to change ourselves for the better, to reach out to those people who were estranged from us, and to become a more merciful people in our relationships with others. It was also a challenge to open our eyes to see those in need who walk our streets and pass by us, to open our hearts to the stranger, the immigrant, the hungry, the ill.
One of the main symbols of the Jubilee Year is the holy door. St. Peter’s in Rome has a holy door that is only open during a jubilee year. Churches around the world, including St. Cecilia’s Cathedral, designated a holy door as a reminder that this was a privileged time for reconciliation, for entering holy spaces, for setting things right. Pope Francis often reminded us this past year that there are many ways we can find the door to mercy – doors to hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, shelters for the homeless. He also reminded us that the sacred space of mercy does not always require a physical door. It might be the sacred space of love between family members or between spouses or friends – a space that needs forgiveness because of relationships that have been closed off. As this jubilee year ends, it is important that we not shut the door of mercy to those in need. May the spiritual works of this past year become a habit of mercy for our everyday life.
This week also marks our annual civic celebration of Thanksgiving. I’m never sure, in our very secular culture, who most people are thanking when they sit down to eat turkey. Probably for most people, it is simply a time to celebrate family by gathering together with other family members and eating a lot of food. But, hopefully, for Christians it is a time to say thank you to the great giver of it all, God.
I give God thanks every day for the many joys and blessings I have received as your pastor at St. Frances Cabrini. The only way a parish functions is with the help of lots of people. My special thanks to all of you this week. Let me give just a sample of the work that is done and deserving of thanks from all of us: thanks to those who clean the church once a month and once a week, thanks to those who take care of the grounds around the church and school, thanks to those who answer the phone and door in the parish office, thanks to those who help with the Spaghetti Dinner, thanks to those who volunteer in the school, thanks to those who lead music at Masses, thanks to those who usher and those who serve, thanks to those who take communion to the shut-ins, thanks to those St. Vincent de Paul members who care for the poor, thanks to those who post in our social media pages, thanks to Jan Bode, Chuck Adams and Cathy Beeler who pay our bills, oversee repairs and improvements, and make sure the day to day work of the church happens, thanks to those who decorate the church, thanks to those who repair the boilers, thanks to those who fix pews, doors, kneelers, windows, thanks to those who bring others to church with them, thanks to those who bring food to the sick, thanks to those who help with nursing home liturgies, thanks to those who pray for others, thanks to those who replace candles, thanks to those who clean the bathrooms, thanks to those who produce the Sunday bulletin, thanks to those who read at Mass, thanks to those who teach in religious formation, thanks to those who donate every week so we can pay our bills, thanks to those who assist with our adult formation classes, thanks to those who invite others to join them at our parish, thanks to those who care for linens, vestments, and robes used at Mass, thanks to those who…well, hopefully, you know who you are and how much we appreciate all that you do for our parish.
Peace,
Fr. Damian