On Living the Vocation to Holiness - December 11, 2022

We all know someone who has been absent from our Eucharistic community.  Some have yet to return since the covid shutdown, whether out of fear or because they have gotten used to watching Mass on tv, or simply got used to not going to Mass.  Others have been hurt by someone in the community: either clergy, employees of the parish or larger Church, or even relatives or neighbors.  Still others have not, for some reason, come to know the intimate presence of God that occurs in a unique way in the Eucharistic celebration.

Many of us have noticed their absence.  Some have prayed for their return.  A few may have even gotten up the courage to speak with these brothers or sisters and invited them to return.  In any case, there are many in our community who are not present with us, and their absence is felt.

Christmas is a particularly good time to invite our brothers and sisters to “come home”.  With that in mind, we have produced postcards and have sent them out to everyone in our Tri-Parish Catholic Community.  These postcards invite everyone to “come home for Christmas” and include our communal Confession and Christmas Mass schedules.

These postcards are being sent to every home for a couple of reasons.  One: we don’t want to presume or leave ANYONE out.  All should be reached and feel they have been given a personal invitation to come home.  Second of all: recognizing that many of these cards will come to those who are already joining us, I ask you to give it to someone who may be in need of an invitation, but has not received one from us for whatever reason.

In any case, I ask that everyone in our parishes make it their personal mission to make sure that each person who has received one of the postcards recognizes our sincere desire that they feel welcomed home; and that armed with one of these postcards we each make the effort to invite an absent brother or sister to join us.

Recognizing that those who are hurting may be in need of reconciliation with the community, invite and encourage them to meet with me if that will help; you might even offer to come with them as a supportive brother or sister in Christ.

A parish is not a parish if all it does is prophetically proclaim the Gospel and dispense sacraments.  A parish is a community – a family; and each member of our family needs to be caught up in the warm embrace of that family; but it starts with a sincere and personal invitation.  Let us join together over these next two weeks to do our part in making that invitation so that we may all be one Body in Christ!