What helps you recognize God?

Our question of the week at St. Joseph’s, in anticipation of this Sunday’s Gospel on the Presentation of the Lord, asks: What helps you recognize the presence of God in daily life? Is it prayer? Struggle? Being “tested?”

For myself, I often find it’s a combination of these things. When life is swimming along, it’s easy to express gratitude to God and to bask in warm feelings.

When the tides turn, I find my focus shifts more intensely to prayer and it tends to be more transformative.

One year in particular that stands out in my mind in 2001, when in the space of 12 months my dad passed away after a painful battle with lung cancer; 9/11 happened; and one of my daughter’s young friends suffered a devastating brain aneurysm. Everything in life seemed askew, from the immediate world of my family and community to the larger world stage.

Yet, it was in those difficult events that I started to see God’s presence in the things of daily life in a much different way: appreciating the grace-filled lifelong love of my parents for each other as my dad’s life was nearing its end, seeing the world rally in compassion for the victims and their families in the tragic events of 9/11; and witnessing how one young girl’s crisis could impact so many people and their faith in so many positive ways, large and small.

What are your struggles this day? How are you being tested?

Would you know Jesus if he were to come to you in the midst of your difficulties?

Give yourself the gift of some quiet time in prayer this week.

Spend time with people who have the wisdom of years and lifelong faith, like Simeon and Anna in this week’s Gospel (Luke 2:22-40).

And stay warm.

Blessings!

Sharing the Light--This Week!

In this coming Sunday’s Gospel, we hear about the call of the disciples, how each of us is called by name for a specific purpose in the discipleship of the Lord Jesus. All of us are called to share the light of Christ.

One of our RCIA candidates recently said in response to this Gospel truth, “That’s scary.”

Isn’t that the truth, too? What if we miss God’s call? What if we don’t get it?

Fortunately, that’s why God gives us faith for life and a lifelong journey so that over and over again we have the opportunity to hear where we are being directed and chosen for the work of God—today, in this time and place.

In the past week at St. Joseph’s we have seen people witnessing to the love of Jesus Christ in so many ways. Here’s just a few ways people are sharing the light:

Our Martha Ministers outdid themselves in hospitality and pastoral care for parishioners and others in our community who currently are caregivers, and for those whose loved ones have now gone home to God;

Parish Social Outreach leaders have challenged us to learn more about Rochester ACTS—Alliance of Communities Transforming Society—so that St. Joseph’s may be part of this urban/suburban partnership to “to train and empower citizens to shape the political, social and economic decisions that impact their lives;”

Too many people have volunteered for our homeless outreach next week in partnership with St. Mary’s downtown … so much food was contributed to Phillip the Van that we need to find alternative ways to manage the food in February!

People of all ages (toddler on up) gathered to talk about ways to form the faith of our youngest parishioners—how do we best plant “seeds of faith”?;

Parents are learning in faith in anticipation of preparing their children for First Eucharist this Easter season;

New Bible studies are beginning;

And more…

I am blessed to be part of a community with so many opportunities to hear God’s call and to share the light of Christ received in Baptism.

Blessings!

On Turning Another Year Older

We’ve all heard that at some point in life it’s just no fun getting another year older. And who wants to work all day (and evening) on their birthday? Or celebrate a birthday in January, so soon after the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior?

Well, I am certainly beyond the age at which it is not supposed to be fun anymore. And the Christmas season has barely come to a close with the Baptism of our Lord this past Sunday. And my calendar was as full as it could be yesterday with meetings from morning to night.

And yet, from beginning to end, yesterday was not just fun but full of life and warmth. This is my first birthday since joining the social media realm. Wow, does Facebook make birthdays a public event! As does spending the evening in prayer and discussion with our Pastoral Council members (meaningfully, about what it really means to love the poor).

I don’t think I have ever been wished a happy birthday by so many people.

My deepest thanks to family, friends, and beloved colleagues in ministry who made it such an enjoyable (and fattening!) celebration. My life is already so blessed with loving family and friends and the church community that I love that it is just that much more enriched now with the extra cookies, cakes, chocolate, flowers, Vera pencils and more. Not to mention a late night singing voicemail!

Like Christmas, may all of our birthdays, all year long, be a celebration of the presence of God coming into the world – present in each and every person who chooses to share the love and peace of Christ with one another.

With gratitude. Blessings!

P.S. Laura’s birthday is tomorrow, January 15!

Friends Forever

On another wintery afternoon three years ago today, my mother, Margaret Urbach, went home peacefully to God. How we miss her.

Yet nothing has more formed my belief in life everlasting more than the passing of my dad in 2001 and then my mom in 2011. 

Theologian Elizabeth Johnson calls our deceased loved ones “a company of friends” and “companions in hope.” She writes in Friends of God and Prophets: “Together, the living form with the dead one community of memory and hope … summoned to go forth as companions bringing the face of divine compassion into everyday life.”

As much as I miss having my parents here, I have a profound sense of their spirit and companionship in the most joyful and the darkest hours of life. I feel their presence, their support, their encouragement. I know they are with our family in moments of happiness and worry, of accomplishment and despair, in strength and in weariness; and I know we will all be together again.

This morning I found myself focusing on one of my sweetest Christmas gifts. Sometimes Winnie-the-Pooh says it all: “We’ll be friends forever won’t we Pooh?” asked Piglet. “Even longer,” Pooh answered. Thank you, Laura.

May the souls of all our parents and loved ones rest in peace as they continue to bless us with their friendship.