Dear Friends,
Happy New Year to all! We are now in 2023 and have another opportunity with this fresh new year to continue experiencing our Advent/Christmas/Epiphany theme, “Illuminate His Light.”
Our two faith communities are blessed with so many wonderful members. I am always in awe of the phenomenal people who I encounter in worship and prayer. I would like to share one special person who was willing to share what faith, eucharist and being a vessel of His light has done for her family and our church family:
Calling all grandparents who care for their young grandchildren! Yes, in an era where our children work and we help with the care of our grandchildren, we are always looking for adventures to experience with them. Yes, the zoo, museums, playgrounds, and library story times are all enticing. However, have you ever thought of a weekly adventure to Mass? If you haven’t, you should! It’s an incredible adventure with long-term benefits!
As a grandmother who is blessed with caring for my four young grandchildren during the week, I was looking for a new adventure. One in which I could surround them with love and kindness. Yes, at our age, we understand it’s the small consistent behaviors that have the ability to change our worlds. So, I decided to venture to Mass with them. At first, I was concerned about the noise they’d make, the disruption they would undoubtedly be, but to my astonishment the community opened their arms and welcomed us in. Every week this community surrounded us with God’s love and patience.
To show our appreciation, my grandchildren and I would bake cookies for our “church friends” and the little ones would run around giving them out after Mass. Every week all our “friends” would graciously be surprised to receive cookies. This community has helped my grandchildren learn to give unconditionally and helped them develop the joy of giving. The community has watched them grow and nurtured them to understand God’s love. They have taught them how to graciously get in line with hands folded and walk up to Father Rob for a blessing (even more than once). Yes, often they’d get back in line three times, since the more blessings the better, right?
It’s said that “We will only ever remember how someone made us feel!” Our midweek mass community has made us feel valuable and surely loved. Mass is a place where you can show your grandchildren how to be kind to the world, knowing that the world will not always be kind to them. Mass gives them the foundation to go out and do good things in the world, not because of what they will get in return, but for what they can give. We often talk about making the world a better place for our grandchildren, how about making our grandchildren better for the world – Mass will do that for them! I will forever be grateful for what this community has given us. Gather together this New Year’s season and come feel the love at Midweek Mass. Try a new adventure… you will forever be grateful for the experience!
-Lisa Landers
What a beautiful testimony Lisa has written and shared with all of us. I thank her and her grandchildren for bringing their “light” to us by embracing “His Light!”
I may not be a grandparent, but I certainly welcome and love all our children who come to join us at mass. I concur with Lisa in hoping by our witness, we are “making our grandchildren better for the world!”
In closing I pray our 2023 will bless us with health, deepening faith and love shared with all our sisters and brothers!
May the Prince of Peace reign in our hearts and souls,
Father Rob