Happy Labor Day Weekend!
I hope and pray you get some extra rest from labor and get some time to spend with family and friends. Maybe with the extra day off (if you get that), you could do a little work of love for the parish and fill our your stewardship form! We have begun our annual stewardship drive, and all registered parishioners should have received a mailing at home by now. In the mailing, there is a form and we ask you to fill it out and return it to the parish. This is one way the parish checks in with you and helps us also in planning and filling in many needed volunteer roles. It is very helpful to the parish. But it also is meant to help you too. It gives you a chance to intentionally think about the ways you want to be involved in the life of the parish.
This year, we are going with the theme of “Stewardship with St. Joseph”. The universal Church has declared this to be the Year of St. Joseph. It began last December 8th and continues until this December 8th. We could hardly have a better example of stewardship than St. Joseph! St. Joseph was a man of prayer. Without prayer, there is no way he could be such a great saint and for him to fulfill such an enormous role of being a father to Jesus (not biological of course because God is Jesus’ Father). I can only imagine the prayer life of St. Joseph as he prayed with his family, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the child Jesus. We might think of St. Joseph as a good worker and carpenter, but the greatest work is always prayer. As a saying I’ve heard goes: "When we work, we work. When we pray, God works.” And God did work powerfully in St. Joseph’s life!
So for us too, prayer must underlie all that we do. Prayer has to be the most important part of stewardship. Sometimes folks tell me apologetically they can’t volunteer and/or give to the parish, but they can pray for the parish. I always thank them and tell them that their prayers are the very best thing they can give, and we desperately need those prayers or else nothing will happen or bear fruit in the parish. So, as we begin this stewardship drive, please pray. Pray that God shows you what He wants you to do for the parish. But then keep on praying after that, and please pray for Prince of Peace parish, that the Holy Spirit will fill all that we do, guide us, and help us to bear fruit for the Kingdom of God. Thank you so much for all your prayers and your faithful stewardship. St. Joseph, man of prayer, please pray for us!
Peace,
Fr. Greg
