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“Go to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go proclaim the good news. The kingdom of heaven has come near. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.” The message of this weekend is for us, each and every one of us to be active in our faith. We can do all of that if we allow ourselves to be moved by the liturgical action of the mass and or by our prayer life and listen to the little voice inside of us that is saying go out there after mass and be open to the movements of the Spirit and accept the challenge to come out of you, to be friendly, to be helpful, to be compassionate, to share of ourselves with others. Don’t be afraid of asking God to be with you, to give you the words and the insights you will need so that you can be Jesus’ presence is what’s called for in that situation. I remember very vividly one time when as a hospital chaplain in Sudbury I was called to be with a family whose father, father-in-law, grandfather, was very near death. As I drove over, I asked God to be with me, that I might be His presence to the family. As I arrived at the floor, I was advised that the death had already occurred. Taking that information I went into the room, introduced myself and asked them to tell me and the others present about the deceased. One started to talk and it went from there for at least an hour. As the conversation was ending, I asked if it was now time for us to say a prayer of thanksgiving for the ways they had been touched by God through the deceased. We did that, they took his belongings and left. Can you come out of yourself to be there for another, the young, the teens, those your age and those older than you. That’s what the readings this weekend are asking of you and me. You received all that you are from God, share it with everyone you encounter in life.
Because I did it on Mother’s Day, I want to also do it on Father’s Day which is a week away. I can’t tell what I’m like as a father or grandfather, for that you’d have to talk to my children and grandchildren about that but I can tell you of my experience of my dad, my father. Dad died when I was 22 and still a student so it’s been a while but he was a very gentle man who had the ultimate of respect for Mom and in fact for everyone he met. He was a caring man with a very strong faith in God. Dad was involved in the lives of his 5 children and in his community. My brothers and I remember and have talked about the times he invited new people to our community and their families to join us for Christmas or whatever was being celebrated and not to spend it alone. With that in mind I ask our almighty God to bless and keep all of the Fathers, Step-Fathers, Foster Fathers and Grandfathers of our 2 parishes that they are true signs of His presence in our world. Amen.
Deacon Raymond Lamarche
