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October 13, 2022One of my favorite quotes of all time is from Winston Churchill. At the beginning of the Second World War, he went on British radio and gave a speech to rally the British people. In it, he said, “…we will never give up….” Another great quote comes from President Woodrow Wilson. He said, “Genius is divine perseverance. Genius I cannot claim nor even extra brightness but perseverance all can have.” Both quotes are a good way to understand the scriptures this weekend and to understand what we are doing here in our parish.
Perseverance is what I am confident will bring us to what God wants for our parish. We are undertaking a holy work when we ask God to guide us in all that we do. We must do our part, though, and that is how perseverance works. Lately, I have been talking about our vision and mission. In many ways, it is the same as the one Jesus gave the Apostles as He ascended into heaven. They went out, after receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and began speaking in the public squares and visiting homes. Their method worked in their time. Over the course of history, we have seen the Church change her methods to adapt to the times, while always staying true to the message. This truth has sometimes caused us to receive criticism, but no one has criticized us for not trying to use new methods to proclaim the Gospel. From the Gutenberg press to the internet, we have persevered in preaching the Gospel. Our “why” has not changed, but certainly our “what” and “how” have changed numerous times. I hope that our parish will be known for the proclamation of the Gospel in a way that attracts more and more people in this millennium and in to the next.
Our parish has been a part of Salem during three different centuries, with one of our church’s changing itsname in response to the promulgation of a new teaching. (St. Mary’s became Immaculate Conception). The why of the parish did not change, only the name. We still adore Mary and look to her as model of discipleship even in modern times. She persevered after receiving the invitation to be the bearer of Jesus. Her perseverance gave her strength to tell Joseph, to endure the flight to Egypt, and to be faithful even when her Son was on the cross. Her “why” --her faithfulness to God’s call--is a good example for all of us. Eventually, Mary would see the change as her Son began His ministry, the gathering of the Apostles, being received by John, and continuing the proclamation of the Gospel that Jesus gave to the Apostles and to the disciples.
As we continue forward, I invite everyone to ask about their own perseverance in faith. It takes courage to do what we are doing, but also the grace of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I invite all to continue to call the Holy Spirit for your own faith lives and for the whole parish, particularly those who are not yet here.
Peace,
Father Murray
Building News. As reported, this week begins the restoration of the Mary painting. First, the restorers will erect scaffolding so they can access the painting. They will also repaint the blue border. While we have access, both Mary and Joseph statues will have a “spa” day. The restorers will be here at least one week,but the work could stretch into two. Afterwards, we will clean the sanctuary and change the rug under the altar. It will be replaced by a rug from the old St. James Rectory. We also have had problems with the alarm system and are working to resolve the issue. Finally, the boilers in all the buildings have been serviced and are ready for the winter.
