Dear Parishioners and Friends,
Some of you might be wondering how my trip to Florida went. Sorry I can’t tell you, because I haven’t gone yet! You see, I am writing this letter on a balmy November day, two weeks before you will read it. That’s due to the fact that because of the Thanksgiving holiday, the deadline for the bulletin was pushed ahead, so I must get this piece written and submitted much earlier than usual.
However, this situation has me thinking about planning ahead. I find that much of my life lately has been about planning for events well in advance of their occurrence. Does your work require you to do the same? I remember my days in college when I knew that a term paper would be due by a certain date, usually weeks – if not months – away. Me? I’d wait until the last minute, sit down and type it in one day. No rewrites – exactly the way Mozart composed. Except that I’m no Mozart, and my grades often reflected my disdain for planning ahead.
But I’ve learned better how to live in two worlds at once – the present and the future. Although I’m more comfortable with working in a linear fashion (doing one task at a time), I’ve found that I can also keep an eye on what lies ahead and start making plans well in advance. Such is the case for the season of Advent – making the most of the present moment while keeping our eyes on the future.
The first week of Advent always focuses our attention on the second coming of the Lord at the end of time. Often, the readings are filled with fearful apocalyptic imagery that some might find difficult to grasp. But it isn’t all gloom and doom, either. Take, for example, this Sunday’s first reading in which Isaiah unfolds a breathtaking vision of a people gathered into the Lord’s house; a great pilgrimage of nations whose destination is the mountaintop of God, to be taught and instructed in the ways of peace and reconciliation. Even the Psalm has us singing “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord!”
But there is much planning to do in the meantime. Or, as St. Paul would say: “Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day…” In the Gospel, Jesus is just as persuasive: “So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
Thus, Advent is indeed a time of preparation – not just for Christmas as exciting as that is, but for our future destiny with God. Advent, is, in a sense, a yearly dress rehearsal for all that it means to be a Christian disciple. We are called to live in the present as people of faith, hope and love; caring for one another and for the earth, our present home. But we must also keep our gaze fixed on what lies ahead, whatever that future may hold for us.
Now, speaking of the Lord’s house (a subtle reference to Isaiah), I wish to update you on the situation with our tabernacle. It seems that it is beyond repair. The locking mechanism, according to several experts who looked at it, is virtually impossible to replace or repair. So, I have decided that we will need to “retire” our present tabernacle which has served us since 1958, and move the temporary tabernacle from the chapel to the church.
In consultation with Steve Balkun, our resident wood craftsman, a design for a new tabernacle is being made. I have suggested to Steve that he create a miniature version of our church building to serve as a “house within a house” for the Body of Christ. I have seen other tabernacles that are in the shape of a church, and I think that the symbolism is perfect. And we won’t be losing our old tabernacle entirely, as Steve will be able to reproduce the Pelican symbol from its door and carve it into the door of the new tabernacle.
The process will probably take several months to complete, as Steve plans to build a model from inexpensive wood first, in much the same way that the great architects and sculptors built models first before starting a full-scale project. We don’t know yet what the final cost will be, but I plan to have a simple fund drive in which all parishioners will be invited to participate. Unlike stock items that any parish can purchase through a catalog, this will be a project that is truly unique for our parish Church of St. Patrick-St. Anthony!
Blessings on your week ahead!
Fr. Tim Shreenan, O.F.M.
Pastor
