How’s your summer going? 

Yes, I know, school's in session, but really Fall doesn't start 'till the 22nd!
 
I hope you are doing great. 

We live in one of the most beautiful places on the Earth! Beautiful because we only have to open our eyes to see the glory of God in his creation.
 
And it’s beautiful because you’re here!
 
 I mean that each and every one of us has been given this life in this time to be the presence of God to the people in our own lives to be a sign of hope for all of our neighbors.
 
There’s a lot going on in the world and it’s easy to get caught up sometimes in all the news and information we have at our fingertips.
 
People say the veil is thinning between our world and the world to come between earth and heaven, and it may well be that the veil is thinning, but I think the veil has always been thin and we’re just now realizing it and that’s a grace from God.
 
There are wars and rumors of wars, strife, killing poverty, disease, crime, broken families, broken souls, broken people.
But as Catholics in the Wood River Valley, we have what it takes to make our world a better place, a place of light of truth of love and joy.
 
The Bible says The joy of the Lord is our strength, and that joy is the joy of salvation.
 
Many years ago, when I was a young guy, somebody asked me if I was saved, speaking of salvation.

I quickly accessed my file curated by my Saintly Mom, my Saintly Irish Catholic mom and I said yes I’ve been baptized.
But she said, but the person asked me if I was born again not seeming to get the answer they wanted.
And I said yes I’ve been confirmed.

And just as I was thinking That I was gonna get out of this conversation they asked, but have you received Jesus into your heart?
I had to stop and think about my answer.
 
I had always believed in Jesus being born and raised Catholic having gone to mass every Sunday since the day I was baptized, but I heard this question in a different way for the very first time.

They finally asked me have you said a prayer like this; Jesus come into my heart and believed it in your soul. Like a middle manager, I was scrambling around my files to try to give the best answer And I ended up with no I don’t think I have honestly said that particular prayer.
And they said you want to pray that right now?
I said no thanks.
 
And at that moment, I felt my guardian angel thump me in the head and look at me saying what? You can’t say that prayer?

And my conscience was now fully awake to this simple providential conversation and I realized that if I can’t share my faith if I can’t publicly affirm my relationship with Jesus Christ that I really cannot call myself a Christian.
 
It took me 12 hours to finally get those words out of my mouth with someone else to hear. And that’s all I needed and it’s never been the same because at that moment in time for the first time as a young adult, I went all in for Jesus. 

Thankfully, my mom, in real life, encouraged me to pick up the equipment of my faith and commit to going to mass and receiving the Eucharist because that’s the source of grace.
 
Over 40 years later, I’m still in the church. I still have a relationship with Jesus and I’m still working on it.
 
We have an infinite treasure of supernatural equipment in the faith that we have been given in our beloved church. The sacraments, the community, the ability to worship God in spirit and in truth.

I realized back then that I had more than enough equipment in the faith that I have been given to accomplish a life full of meaning and simple trust in order to fulfill my purpose for existence.

In one of her many apparitions, Mary the mother of God said that praying the rosary could stop wars and that peace in our hearts is the simple way given to each of us to bring more light to our own lives on the lives of those around us.
 
This year we are celebrating in the church the 800th anniversary of St Francis.
Francis was a very wealthy young man who found his treasure in living a very humble and simple life, proclaiming his trust in God‘s Providence.
His conversion led him to spend the rest of his life Walking barefoot not to virtue signal, but so that he would not hurt the stones upon which he walked.
His path was simple and therefore accessible to every other brother and sister who walked his way.
 
These days people say something is coming, pointing to a sense of fear and foreboding About the direction of this world.
 
The truth is something really is coming, and that is the day that each one of us will step through the veil and offer to God the harvest of the lives we’ve lived.
 
We’re human. We’re broken. All of our best work Our best art, full of truth, beauty and goodness is still only offered to our perfect God made from broken vessels.
 
And yet God looks upon us every moment of every day with the love of a father and mother who receives a little drawing or work of art from their child With great beaming, love and promptly places it on the heavenly refrigerator with pride, if and only if we offer it with humility and surrender.
 
May this year for us Catholics in the Wood River Valley be a year of joy and inspiration, community worship and true love and charity as we walk the unique path which is our own unique life on this earth!
 
We have a lot of things planned in our parishes for this coming year and I want to invite you to say yes to the opportunities to deepen your faith, deepen your knowledge and understanding of the great gift of our church to deepen the joy fueled by the dear sacraments to deepen your bonds with our wonderful community.
We have faith formation series coming up that can bring us closer to Mary and her example of quiet strength in our consecration to Mary series starting September 9th on Wednesdays going for 5 weeks concluding with consecration to Mary on October 7th the feast of the Holy Rosary.
We have opportunities to support our young people by buying a chair along wagon days parade route.
We have an OCIA program that invites people to consider becoming Catholic and Catholics to consider returning to a full active faith life.
We have an opportunity to pray the rosary before Mass during the month of October and to get to know Our lady and to consecrate ourselves to her so that she might more profoundly place us into the center of the heart of Jesus Christ.
We have a new opportunity for social Mission to reach out to our broader community to help the elderly, the sick, the lonely, the struggling by simply being present and living the gospel, and defending the defenseless – the unborn.
We have countless opportunities to say yes to our parish ministries becoming a catechist, an usher Eucharistic minister, a visitor to the homebound, and to simply pray to intercede for God‘s blessings on our parish.
 
We’ll have guest speakers retreats, maybe even an introduction to fly fishing for beginners in the parking lot in October. maybe even Catholic Jeopardy!
 
But most of all to dedicate ourselves to being filled with the Holy Spirit and to share that joy with the people in our lives .
Yes, something is coming.
 
As it has always come with each new day with each new sunrise over the Wood River Valley. More specifically, someone is coming. Our God leaping over the mountains and filling our souls with his heavenly light.
Jesus is present 24 seven in the tabernacles of our churches and he waits patiently for a visit from you and from me.
Let’s say yes from our hearts to all that’s in store to all the opportunities to strengthen our faith and increase the quality and intimacy of our relationship with our loving God.
Let us be a city set on a hill for all to see that gives glory to God, and enjoy strength, humility, and faith.

In Christ,

Chris