Dear Parishioners,
Pope St. John Paul the Great is our new patron who says to us, “It is Jesus you seek when you dream of happiness; He is waiting for you when nothing else satisfies you. He is the beauty to which you are so attracted. It is He who provokes you with that thirst for fullness that will not let you settle for compromise; it is He who urges you to shed the masks of a false life; it is He who reads in your hearts your most genuine choices, the choices that others try to stifle. It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be grounded down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal.”
Although St. John Paul II was, in fact, the name submitted most often for the newly formed parish, the team evaluated each name and rationale. Four patrons were sent to Archbishop Carlson. St. John Paul II, St. Faustina, Sts. Francis and Clare, St. Matthew. Archbishop Carlson chose St. John Paul II whose holiness and teaching we can come to know more and more through the decades. Remember what he said to the world during his first homily as Pope, “Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ.”
The Ascension of our Lord into Heaven marks the end of Jesus’ revelation of the Resurrection. He said He needed to go so that something better might come, the Holy Spirit. The disciples had gone through a whirlwind of transition from Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to His death and resurrection. Today we celebrate His Ascension into heaven. But God had even more planned for the Apostles. He wanted to dwell within them by the gift of His Holy Spirit. This was a lot for the disciples to absorb, but it reveals the pattern of the Christian life we hear about so often – the Paschal Mystery – that life follows death for those who believe. “Lord, for your faithful people, life is changed, not ended.”
Next Sunday, is Pentecost Sunday, the fulfillment of God’s plan for our salvation and the birthday of the Church. How close does God want to be to us? He wants to dwell within us with the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit. May I suggest that those who want to wear Red in order to celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit into our lives.
As the people of St. Dominic Savio transition from one place of worship to another there are a few things I want to share with you. The plan for a ramp into church has run into an obstacle with the St. Louis County Planning and Zoning committee. I won’t bore you with all the details, but their definition of what we are planning complicates the installation of the ramp and may require an easement.
For those with limited mobility, the entire parking lot on the west side of Heege Rd., between the rectory and the school, is going to be set aside for you. People will be available to assist you from your cars into church. There are also handicapped parking places designated in the lot on the east side of Heege Rd. As I mentioned last week, the true quality and character of our Christian life is going to be revealed in how we come together. We can either grow and be better or choose to get stuck and be bitter. I know what Jesus wants and believes is possible.
Our mission now: Love God. Love one another. Make Disciples.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us,
