Cathedral Family,
This Sunday we hear in the Gospel Jesus commending the dishonest steward. It is a provocative parable that seems at first to be unfair and surprising that Jesus would teach this. Yet, that becomes the point. He wants our minds to be teased into active thought. He wants us to grapple with the meaning of the Kingdom of God. It is not obvious. Rather, it requires a thoughtful sifting through the meaning to get at what the Lord is asking of us. The point rapidly becomes not about praising “dishonesty,” but the industriousness of the dishonest person. Jesus points out that in human nature there can be a strong tendency to relax about things of God---“I’ll get to it later” “It don’t want to be a fanatic,” “I don’t want to offend people.” We can have a multitude of excuses to report why we can remain mediocre regarding our holiness. What will we do this week to “get busy about getting holy?”
I want to encourage our families of young children who are trying to raise their children in the faith. Last weekend our Family Centered Catechesis began. We no longer host CCD classes during the week. Experience has shown that the traditional model of CCD drop off and pick up once a week throughout the school year is not producing good fruits. In fact, some studies have demonstrated through surveys that CCD programs that are not connected to worshipping on Sunday actually discourage participation later in life. Hence we have discerned to host all of our sessions on Sunday--- seeking to engage our parents as well as the child.
The children meet their catechists in the school while the parents join an adult formation session in the Community Room. Then the children come and join their parents and come upstairs to join the 10:00 am Mass. (It could also be that if they desire they could start with the 8:00 am Mass and then join the sessions). Last Sunday it was exciting to participate with 535 people who were counted by our ushers who attended the 10:00 am Mass. This is a very uplifting sign as so many of our families filled the pews. Our parents want to give their children a life of faith. It is the surest and best gift they can offer a child in order to protect their life all the way to heaven! Let us pray for and encourage this counter-cultural movement! Religion does not inhibit our freedom or fun---it actually makes us happy and free!
Please keep our parish in your prayers as so much begins. Prayer and daily commitment to a routine of prayer is the first ground of being available to God to get His directions and guidance. Have a blessed week! In Jesus, Father Christy