Is Your Welcome Mat Out?

Jesus’ reputation preceded Him, so when he arrived in Jericho on His way to Jerusalem, the people were expecting Him. Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, short in stature, climbs a tree to see Jesus and to his surprise, Jesus invites Himself to Zacchaeus’ home. Zacchaeus was probably thrilled to get away from the maddening crowds because tax collectors weren’t the most popular of people, but he must have been shocked that Jesus wanted to be around him because his life has been one of isolating himself from the path of God in his life.

What was the point of Zacchaeus wanting to see Jesus? Perhaps he wanted something different in his life. Perhaps he wanted to change from what others saw as greedy and arrogant to a person whose life had more meaning. Perhaps he felt he would get that from Jesus, something might rub off. It did!

While others may have found it hard to believe, Jesus saw into Zacchaeus’ heart and recognised his desire to change. It became "his day" We have that same opportunity! We too can change. How many people do we know, some in various stages of recovery, who demonstrate huge changes?

Believing we can change or believing in another can actually bring about that change. What would we like to change in our own life? Even though we will not have the same “Jesus” encounter as Zacchaeus, that same Jesus waits patiently for us to scramble down our tree and invite Him into our home, into our heart. God loves all of us and leads us gently to new life as He did with Zacchaeus. We are all Zacchaeuses. Jesus believes in us. We need to believe in ourselves and in others, put out our welcome mat and accept Jesus’ invitation to come home with us.

As we prepare for the Grand Opening of our new front addition (November 19/20, 2016) and the conclusion of our Generations initiative, there is no better way to become a Zacchaeus than to create a welcoming and nurturing environment.

St. Mary of the Visitation Parish is known as a family of faith focused on its hospitality and friendliness, for being a place where there is something for everyone and where all are greeted with a smile. We are challenging ourselves to consider how we can create an environment so irresistible that everyone who enters our doors once will return again and again to become part of our family and our mission. How can we help newcomers discover this parish can be home for them as well? How can we continue to improve our commitment to hospitality excellence?

St Mary of the Visitation continues to grow, and with that, we are also challenged to nurture the faith and action of those who have been here for 2, 10 or 40 years! How do we invite all to discover their unique gift and place in our parish? We are a big church with a variety of different ministries. It is easy to get overwhelmed with the sheer number of activities and events. Can we welcome others intentionally and nurture the faith and action of those already in the pews at the same time?

Some exciting days are ahead!

The Season of “In Between”

 The geese are flying. The leaves are changing. The nights are cooler. The daylight is a little less. Yes, indeed, Fall is here. Fall is a beautiful season, but kind of “in-between”. In between the glories of summer and the gusts of winter. During Fall, we recall the sunny, hazy, lazy days of summer. A lighter load, slower pace, smaller scope of things to do. We marvel at the beautiful flower beds, crisp water scenes, longer days and warmer nights. Then, in the in between, we also think about winter. For those into sports - skies and ski dos come out. Those not into these begin to get their reading list ready and their “trip down south” plans set. Fall really is a Season of “in between.”

What do you do with the “in between’ s?” Those in between times in your spiritual life I mean. Those times in between the glorious “summers” and the gloomy “winters” that come into our earthly journey. Those seasons when everything is a blessing and those moments when life has its burdens. May I suggest three things:

First, “hold your plans loosely and God’s purpose tightly”. We all love to plan, but when the plan just is not coming together, we also love to consider either giving up or checking out a new path. Yet the “in betweens” are moments when often it’s important to recall that in our waiting, God is operating and that His timing is a lot more like a “crockpot then a microwave”, getting all the simmering in and just right before He acts. Use the moments of waiting that is the in between to listen for the whisper of direction and for the encouragement of determination to keep on track.

Second, be weary to drifting.  Often in the in between we have a tendency to “drift”. We can find ourselves becoming lax with prayer, or taking for granted a ritual to the point that its crispness has faded. This can easily happen, but it’s when it becomes an unhealthy habit that we must be weary. Use the in-between as time to review, refresh, re charge your prayer. Use the time to ponder, pray and prepare that the “in between” affords.

To ponder the glories that God has put into life (family, friends, and faith). To pray over the glooms that gust through life (sadness, sickness, and struggle).  Praying for the strength in the “in between” to appreciate the one and get through the other. Jesus did the same. Scripture tells us that several times in His ministry He “withdrew to a place by Himself”. He wanted an “in between” moment. It is spiritually healthy for us to want one too. Christ took the in-between as a moment to reflect upon the Father’s will, to ensure that His mission was on track and that His priorities were in balance. He also took the time to pray for those who were on the journey with Him. What a great use of the “in between” for us also.

Finally, don’t let the “me” become bigger than the “we”! We can all enter into moments, especially in the in between, when we find ourselves face down and confused. In those times we have two major temptations. First, we can believe that our circumstance is the worst ever and that we are alone in it. This lack of perspective leads us to live in the “world of what if” which is a downward slope of despair. Look for the signs of this happening and find ways to reach out in giving to others, it will take your away from self. Secondly, when “me becomes bigger than we”, our trek is often toward the “apple of discouragement.”  In this garden we often want to give up. It is so important to bring to the forefront of our mind that we are still in the race and certainly not alone. We may fall, we may be confused, we may not know what the next step is, but God will carry us to the finish.

St Thomas More, who was in the in-between of seeking faithfulness to God’s will as he tried to be “a man for all seasons” prayed: “Give me, good Lord, a longing to be with you in all I face: not for the avoiding of the calamities of this wicked world, but because in them I become yours.” The in between is a time to walk with Him in humility, seeking His purpose, taming our pride and growing in Him. In the end - we will become His and we will be Home. So enjoy the Fall. It is in between. Take it in. Ponder, Prepare, Pray. Bask in those summer glories. Batten down for those winter glooms. Rejoice - a new season is here !

Join us this Thanksgiving Weekend –Saturday at 5:00pm, Sunday at 8:00am, 9:30am & 11:30am for Mass as we discuss Thanksgiving as an Attitude of the Soul.

Our Children's Ministry for children aged 2 - Grade 4, plus our very special Festive Catholic Café awaits you.

We have something for everyone - you are welcome here !

Prayer of Thanksgiving

God of all blessings,

source of all life,

giver of all grace:

We thank you for the gift of life:

for the breath

that sustains life,

for the food of this earth

that nurtures life,

for the love of family and friends

without which there would be no life.

We thank you for the mystery of creation:

for the beauty

that the eye can see,

for the joy

that the ear may hear,

for the unknown

that we cannot behold filling the universe with wonder,

for the expanse of space

that draws us beyond the definitions of our selves.

We thank you for setting us in communities:

for families

who nurture our becoming,

for friends

who love us by choice,

for companions at work,

who share our burdens and daily tasks,

for strangers

who welcome us into their midst,

for people from other lands

who call us to grow in understanding,

for children

who lighten our moments with delight,

for the unborn,

who offer us hope for the future.

For these, and all blessings,

we give you thanks, eternal, loving God,

through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.