Dear Church Family,
As I prepared the Sacred Word of God last Monday for this Sunday, a few words impressed me. First, the two words “Rest awhile” and the words from St. Paul; Rest awhile – as I read these words last Monday early in the morning before daily Mass, I said, “That’s what I need.” So, I went and took a nap. It is a good thing to do in the summertime to rest awhile and to lie back a little and just enjoy the summer and the presence of the Lord. It is good to have that attitude of being still and waiting on the Lord. So, I hope I don’t fall asleep when I give the sermon as I rest awhile and I hope you don’t either. Alleluia!
The second words that impressed me were, “We both have access in one Spirit to the Father.” When I hear the word access, it reminds me of an event way back in 1985 when I first started to be the pastor of the parish family of Blessed Sacrament on Kingshighway and Northland. The Sunday I started, these were the readings. In our driving abilities we all like to have the “quickest access” to our destination. When I would come to Blessed Sacrament it was on a three-block-long street which you accessed from Union and that was the only way down. But the quickest access would be going up the wrong way, right past the church to the alley about a fourth of the block, then cutting in the alley, backing out and parking in front of the rectory. I was guilty of doing that for the next seven years. By the way, there is a little humor in all of this because the Chief of Police was in the congregation. What we really want is to have access to the Lord and we open ourselves up to it by taking time again to rest in the Lord and enjoy His very significant presence in Word, Sacrament and in quiet prayer.
Church, enjoy this Sunday, rest awhile, but not doing my homily and desire that special access to the Lord in His Holy Spirit. A final note, I have a prayer to start off my sweet hour of prayer on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. I require myself to reflect on the Lord by being still, calling down God’s Holy Spirit and dedicating my day to walking in the Spirit with quiet praying, resting in the Lord and knowing my access to the Father is through the Holy Spirit. Alleluia!
Love, Fr. Bob
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