Below is a series of reflections that were published in the parish bulletin examining the ways that love works in our lives. We hope that you are inspired to look at how love works in your own life!
July 5—
Back in February, before there was Covid 19, and floods, and race riots, the Faith Formation Team had settled on the theme, LOVE WORKS for the 2020/2021 catechetical year. Who would have known how appropriate that theme would be?! During this time when EVERYTHING is different, it has become abundantly clear that LOVE still WORKS, even when nothing else seems to:
- When we wear masks in public spaces to protect the lives of the vulnerable, LOVE WORKS.
- When we carry the flooded lives of friends and strangers to the curb, LOVE WORKS.
- When we wash laundry and cook meals for people without appliances or power, LOVE WORKS.
- When we march in a Black Lives Matter demonstration, LOVE WORKS.
- When we examine our hearts and attitudes for traces of bias and prejudice, LOVE WORKS.
- When we pray for justice and healing, LOVE WORKS.
We aren’t certain what parish programming will look like when September rolls around because we can’t be certain that the old ways of doing things will be safe and appropriate. But maybe that’s OK. Maybe it’s time to once again examine who we want to be as Blessed Sacrament Parish and how we get there over the next few years. As of now we have all of our favorite traditional programs on the calendar and we are looking at adding some new opportunities as well: “Financial Peace” A program to help with money matters, “Cherish”: a marriage enrichment opportunity, “Love Does”: a study of what it would look like to boldly show love and grace to everyone.
July 12—
Another way that LOVE WORKS in our parish is when we are welcoming and inclusive. Sometimes this requires us to step out of our comfort zone. Sometimes it requires us to learn something new or to examine the unconscious biases that we have.
July 19—
In keeping with our theme, LOVE WORKS, I would like to continue talking about how LOVE WORKS in a parish. With everything happening in our world and community these days, it has been easy to showcase LOVE at WORK and invite you into that experience. So far we have highlighted 2 ways.
LOVE WORKS IN A PARISH WHEN:
- We serve others and share the stories
- We are welcoming and inclusive.
This week I would like to focus on a third way that LOVE WORKS in a parish and that is by celebrating Mass together EVERY Sunday unless we are sick or out of town. I saw this love at work on July 5 when we had Mass outdoors. People were so incredibly happy just to be together and catch up with each other face to face though of course it was “mask to mask.” I had the honor of being a Eucharistic Minister and people literally had tears in their eyes when they received. Some folks hadn’t had the opportunity to receive the Eucharist in 4 months and to see how moved they were brought me to tears. So many people said “thank you” after saying “Amen.” It truly felt like Thanksgiving dinner!!! After all, Eucharist means, “thanksgiving”. And if we approach every Sunday as an opportunity to gather with the family of faith that we love around the Thanksgiving table, where we also welcome the stranger and include the marginalized, think about the joy we will receive and be able to share in the world. We are filled with the love of Christ to be the love of Christ. That’s how LOVE WORKS when we gather each Sunday for Mass.
July 26—
In keeping with our theme, LOVE WORKS, let’s continue talking about how LOVE WORKS in a parish. With everything happening in our world and community these days, it has been easy to showcase LOVE at WORK and invite you into that experience. So far we have highlighted 3 ways.
LOVE WORKS IN A PARISH WHEN:
- We serve others and share the stories
- We are welcoming and inclusive
- When we celebrate Mass together every week
The fourth way that LOVE WORKS in a parish is when we embrace new opportunities to grow in our faith and relationship with Jesus Christ and to talk about those experiences with others. From 3 year olds to 103 year olds there are opportunities for everyone at Blessed Sacrament. These opportunities vary in length and content. They could be occasional like a Men’s Morning of Reflection or Theology by the Glass. They might look like a Scripture Study that lasts for 6 weeks or an on-line book club where you read and chime in when you have time. And just maybe it’s a small group where the relationships built last a life time. Check out our offerings for youth and adults on our website and in the bulletin. Jesus wants to be in a personal relationship with each and every one of us. How might Jesus be calling you to grow in your faith in him and your love for him?
August 2—
keeping with our theme, LOVE WORKS, let’s continue talking about how LOVE WORKS in a parish. With everything happening in our world and community these days, it has been easy to showcase LOVE at WORK and invite you into that experience. So far we have highlighted 4 ways.
LOVE WORKS IN A PARISH WHEN:
- We serve others and share the stories
- We are welcoming and inclusive
- We celebrate Mass together every week
- We grow in our faith and relationship with Jesus Christ and share our faith with others
The final way we want to look at how LOVE WORKS in a parish is when we support the mission of Jesus Christ through the generosity of our time, talent, and treasure. When we spend time in prayer or participate in liturgical ministries (hospitality, lector, homebound…) or lead a small group or become a catechist or give of our financial resources, we are living out our special role in building the Kingdom of God right here, right now. We are so grateful to the members of our Blessed Sacrament community who have continuously supported the work of Jesus Christ with their generosity. A heart felt “thank you” to each of you.
August 9—
For the past several weeks we have looked at our theme LOVE WORKS in relation to how love works in a parish setting. Here is the list we came up:
LOVE WORKS IN A PARISH WHEN…
- We celebrate Mass together every week
- We are welcoming and inclusive
- We serve others and share the stories
- We grow in our faith and relationship with Jesus Christ and share our faith with others
- We are generous with our time, talent, and treasure to help in building the Kingdom of God?
We want to hear from YOU! We want to know how you think LOVE WORKS in a parish. How can our parish family help to support the mission of Jesus Christ in our little corner of God’s vineyard and in the world? How can we be more inviting and inclusive? How can we better support one another on our faith journeys? How would YOU like to see LOVE WORKING at Blessed Sacrament Parish?
