Dear Parishioners and Friends,
On Monday mornings I sometimes sit in my office and reflect on the previous weekend’s events. The weekend of June 7-8 was an extraordinarily busy one, both here at St. Patrick-St. Anthony as well as in other locations around the world.
Let me start by quoting a portion of today’s second reading for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. In St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, he writes: “We even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope…” (Rom. 5:3-4).
Two events that occurred last Sunday made me think of St. Paul’s message about endurance which leads to hope. One of them was the victory by Carlos Alcaraz, the 22-year-old Spanish tennis player who won the French Open after a gruelling five-and-a-half-hour match aginst the equally talented Jannik Sinner.
The other was the Tony awards ceremony in which a number of young, first-time winners stepped up to the stage of Radio City Music Hall to accept their award. Veterans of Broadway also joined the list of winners – those who had spent many years honing their craft. I thought about the many hours that the best in sports and the theater arts had to endure in practice or rehearsal in order to rise to a level of excellence that brought them to the peak of their profession. For some, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime achievement; for others, it’s a repeat of a string of victories, and they have a shelf full of trophies to remind them of their hard work and sacrifice.
For us as Christians, we aren’t called to achieve greatness just for the sake of greatness or glory. Rather, we are called to follow the example of Jesus, whose glory came only at the moment he was hung upon a cross. We, too, are called to a life of endurance which leads to proven character and hope for the future, a future of resurrection and eternal life in the reign of God.
Blessings on your week ahead!
Fr. Tim Shreenan, O.F.M.
Pastor