Dear Brothers and Sisters,
ALLELUJAH! CHRIST IS RISEN!
What a difficult week! So troubling with the murder of 10 people in Buffalo and 5 more mass shootings around the country the day after, with more people killed and wounded. Ukraine. COVID. Economy. And whatever worries we have individually or as families. I know you have heard me say things like this before in the recent past. So none of this is news to you. I have mornings when it’s hard to get the energy to accomplish anything, even though I know intellectually that it will make me feel better.
Did you know how much this is not new news? If you’re a fan of reading about the very earliest days of the church, you may have come across the information that some early converts to the Way assumed that when Jesus said he would return to establish the reign of God, he meant he would be right back. So in anticipation of his imminent return, they sold all their property, quit their jobs, and waited. I don’t have that kind of faith, but I really do relate to the feeling of wanting Jesus to appear RIGHT NOW and take us away from all the violence, illness, poverty, and suffering we are confronted with every day in the world.
But that didn’t happen. Folks forgot that Jesus warned them that no one—including himself—knew the time or place when God planned the establishment of the new heaven and the new earth. So, we join them in waiting and the world keeps turning.
One of the things that gives us courage is the knowledge that Jesus is with us. And Jesus is the one who is able to calm the storms of life. You recall how frightened the disciples got when they were sailing in the midst of the storm and Jesus spoke to the elements saying, “Peace, be still.” The disciples asked, “Who is this that even the wind and sea obey him?”
Sometimes I especially need Jesus to calm my own inner storms! When I am in the midst of my fretful prayers, joining the disciples in asking, “Lord, don’t you care?”, how grateful I am to hear those powerful words, “Peace, be still.”
Let me leave you with a traditional Irish prayer:
May God give you….
For every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear, a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trial.
For every problem life sends,
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer. AMEN.
Mo. Laura+
UPCOMING
June 4, 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM St. Margaret’s Annual Community Yard Sale (view/download flyer)