Weekend Masses

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, We all need role models. Sometimes it’s a parent, a family member or a teacher, work friend or priest. They help us see the world through a different lens or encourage us to reach higher. Over the years I have always celebrated anniversaries, or milestones because sometimes when the first difficulty arises in a marriage or vocation the easy option can seem to be to walk away. Anniversaries and milestones remind us that there are role models out there who through their commitment and trust have managed to achieve what seems to be the impossible, happiness and contentment in their marriage or vocation. Stress can be a part of every vocation. There are people in all communities who can be difficult to get along with and sometimes make impossible demands. In marriages how to parent the kids and different styles of parenting can cause huge stress. How much freedom should the kids have? What time do they go to bed? What are the boundaries of discussion and what is allowed as they get older and question you? Is school, homework and play important? These are just a few of the issues along with the demands of living together under the same roof. Stress is part of live and role models show us that it can be handled and the relationship can survive and prosper. Talking to people and couples who are content, happy and committed to their vocation can help. Next weekend we will celebrate in our parish Sister Monica’s Diamond Jubilee(60 years) of religious commitment. She is a role model for us as a teacher, religious educator and a Religious. As we celebrate her story and pray with her and for her let us all pray for vocations to the religious life and to family life. We also pray that others will see in those who have lived long and well in their vocation (religious life and married life) an encouragement to work hard to fulfill their own vocation. Let the Journey continue, Fr Karl

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, When I was a young kid we spent most of July, where my mother grew up. The end of June my mother would pack the suitcase and head for the train. Then we would have to walk from the railway station through the town and out the other end. Sometimes our Uncle my mother’s brother would bring the horse and cart and we did not have to carry the luggage but we would still have to walk for the cart was inevitably full of all sorts of farm tools and stuff. After the usually re- freshments, it was time to visit with the cousins or head off to what we called the grove a collection of trees on a small hill which held all kinds of hiding places and tree climbing op- portunities. We would check out the new calves the chicken, the crab apple trees,the source of many a stomach cramp. We would visit the streams and muddy areas along with trips to the bog. We would laugh and giggle at the way people di- vided up in church on Sunday , women one side and men the other. We would try to get a glimpse of the nuns, behind the screen in a part of the church. When I look back most of it was innocent and cheap fun, no expensive water parks or holiday parks and I think of the uncle whose house was in- vaded every summer by nieces and nephews and who inter- rupted his farm routine as he taught them how to milk cows feed animals and increased his workload as he cleaned up their messes. As you vacation this summer look for simple ways to amuse and keep the kids happy, but above all be safe and appreciate the simple pleasures of the past. I pray for those who made my childhood special and give thanks for those simple things that were our vacations. They have left me with great memories. Hopefully you will create great memories for your kids this summer and return refreshed and energized for the year ahead. Bring back some photos that we can share with the parish community. The journey of Faith continues. Fr Karl