Given my almost preternatural lack of mathematical skills,it probably surprises some that I have always loved statistics. Perhaps the only stats that I enjoy more than old baseball stats are the hypothetical stats that only God would know. How many times have I sneezed in my life, who scored more points in pickup basketball games between me and my dad; you know, the really important things. Towards the end of seminary, I started wondering how many
vocation talks I must have given to high school and junior high classes. Conservatively, it must have been over a hundred. In virtually every one of those talks, we talked with the kids about what they wanted to be when they grew up. Whether they wanted to be star athletes, musicians, or business people, there was one thing that was universally true: no one wanted to be mediocre.
Even if we don’t ultimately pursue a career which is considered glamorous in the public eye, there
is an innate desire for greatness that is built into each one of us. As St. Catherine said, “Be what you were meant to be, and you will set the world on fire.” This Saturday the Church celebrated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Pope
Emeritus Benedict XVI, in one of his Immaculate Conception homilies, explained why the Church asks us, under pain of sin, to celebrate the
Eucharist together in honor of the BlessedMother’s moment of creation:
Looking at Mary, how can we, her children,fail to let the aspiration to beauty, goodness and purity of heart be aroused in us? Her heavenly candor draws us to God, helping us to overcome the temptation to live a mediocre life composed of compromises with evil, and directs us decisively towards the authentic good that is the source of joy.
It’s easy, in the age in which we live, to take one of two mistaken attitudes towards our personal sins and shortcomings. We might either convince ourselves that they’re unimportant, and allow them to sit, unresolved, on our conscience. Or we might beat ourselves up and think that we are somehow unforgiveable and beyond change. But the Blessed Mother’s witness of fidelity to God’s plan in her life should inspire all of us to live up to the call to greatness that God has placed within all of us. As we
draw closer to Christmas, this is an excellent opportunity to look for the things that are keeping us away from the relationship that God wants to have with us, and bring them to confession. In addition to the normal times for confession, Fr. Lambert and I will be adding additional opportunities in the coming weeks. We hope to see many of you there, so that, as a parish family, we can experience the fullness of God’s joy during the Christmas season.
Prayers Always,
Fr. McCullough
Additional Confession Times Monday, December 10, 7:30 pm, OLR Monday, December 17, 7:30 pm, St. Matthias Tuesday, December 18, 7:00 pm, OLR Thursday, December 20, 7:00 pm, St. James Thursday, December 20, 7:00 pm, St. Matthias