Remain Connected to the Lord

One of the great benefits of social media is that we can remain connected to people from our past that prior to its existence we would just lose contact and they would simply become a memory of our past. Certainly, there are many struggles and dangers that we need to be aware of, however, there have always been dangers and struggles that we have always needed to be aware of.  Don’t talk to strangers, don’t accept candy from a stranger, look both ways, etc.

I’ve noticed that there are more than a few people from my past, particularly people I knew as a kid, who have become active with their religion.  Some had been living lives or holding beliefs that perhaps were furthest from religion or God. Others, like myself, were indifferent to the whole thing.  Oh, there were times I had an interest, that I was intrigued by a belief or a practice. But I usually wandered back to a stance of indifference.

Something happened, with myself and with those from my past.  I’m sure you know of others who have had this change in life. Perhaps you are one as well.  While we all have different journeys of faith, I suspect that there is something similar in all of our stories.  I suspect that each of us has had some type of encounter with the risen Christ.

This encounter probably wasn’t Jesus ringing our doorbell.  It was more than likely that he was present in someone else who rang our doorbell, called us on the phone, consoled us, challenged us or said something that we needed to hear (whether we wanted to hear it or not!).
I have had many encounters with the risen Lord throughout my life, many I didn’t recognize as such, others I did.  I can’t say there was one moment that everything changed in a split second.  I feel I’ve been more like St. Peter or St. Thomas in the Gospels.  I get it for a moment and then I’ve strayed off course, but I keep looking for help from the Lord and with his help, pick myself up, dust myself off and try to take another step.
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The one thing that consoles me greatly and allows me to persevere despite tripping all the time is that I have come to understand that I am a work in progress and that God’s love for me is perfect and as a result he continues to reach out to me to console me, to heal me and to challenge me.  He hasn’t given up on me so I guess I shouldn’t either.
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The week of July 10 will see some additions to our weekday schedule to provide more people the opportunity for Mass and the Sacrament of Reconciliation:
Mondays and Wednesdays 8AM:  Mass at Good Shepherd 
Tuesdays and Thursdays 5:30PM: Mass at St. Stanislaus 
Tuesdays 6PM to 7PM: Sacrament of Reconciliation and Eucharistic Adoration at St. Stanislaus
Wednesdays 5PM to 6PM: Sacrament of Reconciliation at Good Shepherd