Sunday, October 29, 2006
DEAR PARISHIONERS AND VISITORS,

I read again and again today’s three readings (from Jeremiah, Hebrews and St. Mark), and I couldn’t fathom how any three stories could be more dissimilar and unrelated. Why would they choose three readings at random, I wondered? Isn’t there supposed to be a common theme unifying the readings?

Puzzled, I began to reflect more deeply on St. Mark’s tale about the blind beggar, Bartimaeus. I could visualize Jesus leading the apostles and a throng of disciples along a hot, dusty road winding from Jericho to Jerusalem. I could imagine Bartimaeus lying on the roadside in a tunic tattered and soiled with dusty grime. When he realizes who is passing by, Bartimaeus grasps at his one fleeting chance and calls out ardently, “Son of David, have pity on me!” Jesus stops... and here’s the point... he calls Bartimaeus to come to him.

This same point is reflected in the Letter to the Hebrews, where it is emphasized that the Lord chooses the high priest. None can take this honor by themselves, “but only when called by God.” Similarly, in Jeremiah, the Israelites are helplessly and miserably scattered among the nations; and it is our Lord who calls them so he can console and guide them.

In each case, those in are need cry out to God for help, for they cannot help themselves. We, in our own way, are like these people in the Bible. We need guidance and consolation. We are the “ignorant and erring” who need God’s help. In many ways, we are as tattered and blind as Bartimaeus, crying out for pity. Thus, we must turn to the Lord for his blessings and mercy and pray that he calls to us.

Most importantly, in each of these three readings, God says ‘Yes’ to the supplicants. We cry out and God responds with his loving kindness. It says in Mark’s gospel, “Take courage (Bartimaeus), get up, Jesus is calling you;” and so too, we must take courage in the hope that our Lord will call us. We must develop the faith of Bartimaeus, with enough confidence and patience to persevere.

“Your faith has saved you,” Jesus said to Bartimaeus. I pray, in my own blindness, to some day receive this same sweet blessing and reward from our Lord. I harbor the same hope and prayer for all of us as we find ourselves on that long, dusty road from Jericho to Jerusalem.

Peace and Goodwill,
Frank Newton, Pastoral Council Member Sunday, October 22, 2006
DEAR PARISHIONERS AND VISITORS,

Over the next two weeks, we are asking all of you to engage in the process of Pastoral Council discernment for yourself or another person you believe has the right gifts for this particular ministry. The Pastoral Council exercises shared responsibility for the pastoral life of the parish by offering wise and prudent advice to the pastor. The primary work of the Council is pastoral planning. Through prayer, study, consultation and discussion, the Council seeks to discern how God is calling St. Barbara Parish to fulfill the mission of the baptized. The Council prepares and evaluates the pastoral plan by researching the needs, ideas and hopes of the community, by continually reflecting on the parish mission statement and identifying appropriate goals and objectives, and by supporting and evaluating parish ministries in light of the pastoral plan. Pastoral Council members are visionary and collaborative. They are able to critically reflect on the past and present in order to plan for the future. And, they are willing to commit as much time as it takes. We invite you to recommend parishioners that you think match the job description.

The current Pastoral Council has been reflecting on our parish mission statement with the hope of consolidating the language so that it can be easily memorized by all of us. Yet, we did not want to lose its essence. What we have come up with is: St. Barbara Parish is an inclusive Catholic faith community, rooted in the Franciscan traditions of hospitality and love toward all creation. We affirm the centrality of the liturgy, the call to evangelization and the need to live the Gospel life. The next step in the process will be to identify goals and objectives for the parish to work toward over the next three to five years. Part of that process will be to seek the wisdom and advice of parishioners.

This past week, the parish staff retreated together in order to share our hopes and dreams for the parish as we begin to plan for the future. Let all of us pray that as individuals and a faith community we will listen and act on the ways God is calling us to bring about God’s reign in the here and now.

Peace and blessings!
Patricia Sandall, Pastoral Associate Sunday, October 08, 2006
DEAR PARISHIONERS AND VISITORS,

We are blessed at the Mission with a beautiful worship space and many couples from all over the world want to be married here. These requests make for a very interesting pastoral challenge in having times and dates to accommodate those who actually belong to our community. My observation is that yes, it is good that couples still want to get married in the Church. However, I wonder how well couples are prepared for Christian marriage and if their enthusiasm and energy for a beautiful ceremony will be extended into the hard work it takes to remain committed and faithful, not only to each other, but to the Church that is symbolized in the worship space where vows are exchanged.

I believe the Church will always stand for lifetime commitment, even though we know that statistically, over half of marriages fail. Part of the failure can be blamed on poor preparation, another part on contemporary culture and our difficulty with perseverance. Underlying both of these is that we are human and don’t always make the wisest choices. That is why the Church provides an opportunity for healing and reconciliation in annulments and dissolutions, which are NOT forms of Catholic divorce, as they have been called in the past. They are ways to acknowledge human error so that couples can once again live the divine plan for marriage: that the two become one flesh for life! Still, it is not a perfect system and it can be abused.

Whether or not we are married, we can all do our part to be instruments of unity in our relationships and in our community. There has been so much polarization in our world, a result, I believe, of living in uncertain and chaotic times. Rare is the person who, in the face of conflict, attempts to be a bridge-builder instead of a polarizer. Francis of Assisi was just such a person, which is why the “Peace Prayer” is attributed to him. He lived at a time when there were many groups competing for adherents to various spiritualities. Instead of battling with them, he chose a very simple, gospel-based way of life and made it clear that he was not out to reinvent Christianity – only to live it authentically and radically, without trumpet blasts. And it is very clear in his writings that he believed in God’s abiding presence in the Church, in spite of outward signs of corruption and, therefore, was staunchly loyal.

How is God calling you to be a bridge-builder in the face of adversity? Through the intercession of St. Francis, may we all receive the grace to know that the created world is blessed by God (including all creeping critters!) and like Francis, we see goodness and possibility, even in the face of adversity.

May the Lord give you peace!

Fr. Daniel Barica, O.F.M., Pastor