MESSAGE FROM THE PASTOR

GO GREEN

"Green, green, it's green they say, on the far side of the hill.

Green, green, I'm going away where the grass is greener still."

This 1960s-era song was made famous by the New Christy Minstrels folk group and the refrain speaks to this season of the year: Ordinary Time. Green is the liturgical color now, the color of spring, summer, growth, new life.

It's too bad that the resplendent red of Pentecost was only up in the sanctuary for one weekend because it all looked so beautiful, representing those tongues of fire resting on the first disciples. But that fire prompted them to get out there and grow spiritually and share what they had received. Fire gives way to steady growth, red gives way to green. The feast of Pentecost ends the Easter season.

Nevertheless, the first two Sundays of this ordinary time stretch are "white" Sundays, first for Trinity Sunday and then next, for the Feast of the Body and Blood of the Lord) Corpus Christi). Those green wall banners may be hanging high in the sanctuary, reminding us of the general season, but the priest's chasuble (his outer vestment) is white on those Sundays, celebrating great mysteries of the faith.

Then from the 11th Sunday of Ordinary time (June 13) until the First Sunday of Advent (Nov. 11), we go green every weekend, the only exception being Sunday, August 15th, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (another white day).

Although not exactly liturgical events, two out-of-the ordinary changes that we note for our parish this summer are 1) The departure of our beloved Fr. Jeffrey Thoms and 2) The arrival of Fr. Fidelis Umukoro, O.P., to take his place. After two years here, Fr. Thoms becomes Catholic campus minister at Bloomsburg (Pa.) University. Fr. Fidelis, a native of Nigeria, is a member of the Dominican religious order, currently serving as a parochial vicar (assistant pastor) in Seattle, Washington. We will miss Fr. Thoms greatly as we welcome our newfound guest and friend.

What's the upshot of all this? Maybe that, despite the title, there is really no such thing as "ordinary time." It's full of surprises; extraordinary changes, mysteries and wonders. Every day we live out the "redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us." (Eph. 1: 7) Jesus is the reason for every season and we can never exhaust the well-spring of wonder awaiting us when we live in His grace and friendship. After all, "He has delivered us from the dominion of darkeness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Col. 1:13)

And yet, all this takes place in space and time that seems, well, ordinary. But don't be fooled. Wonderful, hidden realities hide just beyond the veil of appearances. After all, "you have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the first born enrolled in heaven, and to a judge who is God of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect..." (Hebrews, 12: 22-23)

I suppose we Christrians have to act like life is ordinary so people don't think we're crazy. So go green for now, until we get to that "far side of the hill" that awaits us all.

Fr. Bill