June 2009
You send forth your spirit, and they are created;
And so you renew the face of the earth
(Psalm 104: 31)
Several years ago I read a book by Gail Sheehy called Passages. One of her contentions was that there are many major and minor changes in our lives. Those are the times when we are “passing” from one condition of our lives to another such as our first day at school, when we received a driver’s license, or when we graduated from high school. At each of these moments there was probably some type of recognition of the transition including a celebration that focused on our personal achievement.
Gail Sheehy also named a number of smaller transitions that occur, sometimes without us even paying much attention to them. These, too, are important events and also need a time of celebration, AND like the “big” passages, a time for reflection such as when we got a good grade on an assignment we had put a lot of time and energy into, or when an employer gave us more responsibility that did not necessarily include more money or a new title. These, too, were moments of passage and moments we need to celebrate.
The months of May and June have always been times of passages both large and small. There are all kinds of graduations, (every child, teen, and young adult, are graduating from one grade to the next) plus retirements and first summer jobs. All are times to celebrate AND to give thanks to God for the passage.
In the church we too have many passages during these two months. Our calendar is full of transitional events evolving around the resurrection of Jesus and the events in his new life and the “graduation” if you will of the disciples from followers to leaders.
AND on June 21st our bishop will be joining us, which is a continuation of all those apostolic events and will pass on new responsibilities to several youth in the rite of passage called Confirmation. Through our bishop we are placing upon their shoulders new responsibilities, and the church is renewed by their commitments to be among us in new ways. We will celebrate with them and their parents this wonderful event, and then as a community help guide and nourish them as they seek to express their unique ministries.
We all rush through some of our passages and sometimes wonder why we sense something missing. We all need to celebrate life and to give thanks to God for the life we have been given with all its ups and downs and all those moments of joy and renewed hope!
Congratulations! God is renewing your life day by day.
Fr. Ken †
