From the Pastor’s desk—May 29, 2022

Dear Sacred Heart Family

Though your Easter candy may long be gone, Easter does not officially end until next week after we have gone through the Ascension and Pentecost. These two events are intimately linked as Jesus’ Ascension marks the moment He opened the heavens to us and this opening enabled the Holy Spirit to be able to come down to us.

These two moments of Jesus’ Ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit are also part of our preparation to actively live our faith with the new life he brought us in this Easter season. There is no better way to live this new life than to focus on the gifts we have been given and yes everyone has been given some gift.

Can you at this moment name your gifts? It might be a gift in your personality, a spiritual gift, a technical skill, a capacity for learning, an openness to learn, or a willingness to share. It may also be certain life experiences, from good parenting/mentoring to street smarts to networking skills. Sometimes our gifts are the simple things like being kind or welcoming being a good listener, or being willing to help with any project. Such gifts can be put to use in a variety of ways.

To this end, on Pentecost weekend we will take some more time to reflect on our gifts and the ways we are open to using them. Second, we will hold a Ministry Fair after each of our weekend masses to see what all the ministries are happening here at Sacred Heart and to see where we can put to use our gifts. Of course, if you have a desire to start a new ministry, there will be space for that as well.

We have asked all our ministry leaders to host a table with your respective activities for the others to see and it will also be a chance to grow our ministries.

Today we remember that Jesus has opened the heavens to us and those heavens will be felt by more people when we live our gifts in community. Sacred Heart is more than just a place with nice people, it is more than just a church with kind people, it is a family of faith and a family in service to one another. May you know the treasures of heaven that you have been given and may you help the rest of us experience the treasures of heaven, especially those most in need.

With a heart for Mission,
Fr. Ray