Pastor's Letter

TREASURE HUNTING

What is the most valuable thing in your life?  That’s one of the questions that comes to mind when we hear Jesus’ parables today about the buried treasure and the pearl of great price.  The person who finds it doesn’t own it until they sell everything they have to get it.  And they do that “out of joy” (Matthew 13:44).
 
In other words, they’d do anything to own it. Of course, we’re meant to think of God and our faith. And that means, at the same time, we’re meant to think of the value of human life and relationships. They go hand in hand.
 
In uncertain times, when all around us can seem fragile and we try to keep ourselves safe and the lives of others safe, our faith in God and his love for humanity anchors us. We need the security of being on solid ground while all around us things seem to be sinking.  That solid ground is knowing God is getting us through. Saying it and knowing it are two different things, though. It’s what separates an empty cliché from a universal truth. 
 
To know God is to know Jesus Christ who we find in our heart and soul. To find that treasure, we sell our time—a very valuable commodity in today’s world—to pray, read, help and advocate for others, and develop a spiritual life. And we eventually discover that pearl of great price that lies within. We realize we’re not alone or abandoned, but on solid ground. So, the search for a buried treasure is worth it—especially when we know exactly where it can be found.  If we haven’t already started, we just have to begin digging.
 
RESUMING MASSES!
One of the treasures of our Catholic faith is the Mass. We can watch the Mass on-line or for those who are ready to come into a public space, we can gather again in our church.
 
As we continue our reopening, our Reopen Team paved the way for us to resume daily Masses. We started this past Friday with an 8:30 AM Mass preceded by the Rosary. That will continue going forward. On August 3 and 4, we’ll resume daily Mass on Mondays and Tuesdays.
 
We decided to celebrate the Masses at 8:30 AM for the time being.  We’ll eventually move them back to the original schedule, but for right now—as those who have been blessed to return to the building can tell you—there’s a lot involved behind the scenes to make it work.
 
That’s why we’re very grateful and appreciative of all our volunteers who sacrifice their time and made a commitment to help us get through. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to do it.  They do it, of course, out of love for the community—or as Jesus would say, “out of joy.”  They’ve found the hidden treasure, the pearl of great price, and they want as many people as possible (in these limited arrangements) to experience it.
 
The reopen team also has been working on a new way to disinfect and clean the common surfaces which will make things a lot easier. We think we found an effective alternative which will pave the way for more Sunday Masses. We’ll add a noon Sunday Mass mid-August and a Saturday vigil Mass in either late August or early September.  We’re also exploring an option for the most vulnerable to come to Mass and receive the Eucharist while staying in their cars in the parking lot. We’ll keep you posted.
 
In the meantime, let’s keep searching and digging to discover Jesus Christ alive and active in our lives, something we do individually and together as a community of faith.
 
           –Fr. Mike