From the Pastor's Desk

We are all concerned about our personal space, especially in these times of pandemic.  We’ve all heard the recommendation that we keep six feet apart from each other. I saw on the national news a reporter interviewing a grocery store manager, and she had the microphone on a pole so she could keep her distance from him.

But we always have a personal space zone.  Maybe it was in Psychology 101 that I learned about how we each have a space of about 18 inches around us that is our personal space.  No one can enter that 18-inch zone unless we know that person very well.  Only family, spouse, or very close friends are allowed to be that close to us.

Our personal space extends outward beyond our bodies.  If someone we don’t know comes into our yard without invitation, we’re suspicious.  If fighter jets from another country enter our air space without first being granted permission, our nation goes on alert.

Part of our fallenness as human beings is that we assume the world is ours.  This is our world: we are the proprietors, and we make the decisions.  This is evident in this passage from the Gospel of John.  

Jesus comes to Galilee, and the people there aren’t sure who He is or what He’s doing there.  But they know that if the Christ were to come, they wouldn’t know where He came from. But they seem to know where Jesus is from, so He couldn’t be the Christ.  Or could He? In any case, He’s in their town, so He’s the one who has to do the explaining.

And they don’t like what He says or what He teaches, so they want to kill Him.  He must be finally silenced. He doesn’t fit in with their plans.

They tried to kill Him once, but they couldn’t.  At last, they finally did kill Him, but it backfired on them.  After Jesus died, He rose again, and now His voice and His teachings and His presence fill the world through His Church.

We need to let Jesus into our personal space.  Even further, we need to let Him into our hearts.  This is His world, and we are His people. He is the proprietor, He is the owner.  He has written the “Owner’s Manual” about how life is designed to work properly—it’s called Holy Scripture. 

Jesus came to His own, the world He created, and the people He created to be His children.  But they did not accept Him. Let’s you and I accept Him not only into ‘our’ personal space, but into our very hearts.  Amen

In Jesus,
Fr. David

Today’s celebration of the Feast of the Annunciation it is an extremely important step on our Christian journey. Archangel Gabriel is sent to Mary to invite her to give her life to God and to trust in His plan. 

God has a long-term plan for us. We believe that He guides us. We believe that He knows what’s the best and we believe that He knows the right time. 

God’s plan…not my plan… Sometimes it’s not easy for us to trust in his plan It’s so hard at times to wait and by patient. We’re about to quit because of something what happens in our life. We would like to recommend God to change something in his plan or to hurry up or maybe even suggest some others options.

Today’s celebration points out one of the very important moments when God’s plan is being reviled to us: today through Saint Archangel Gabriel to Mary. 

God is slowly moving forward. Step by step. Invites people to be a part of his plan. Encouraging us to be open for new things and new paths. 

Everyone is invited to be a part of his plan. Every time we’re reaching out someone around us and touching him with peace and hope – when his straggling with something – we are creating with God a New Heaven and a New Earth, waiting for our final destination. 

God Bless You,
Fr. Rafael