St. Joseph the Worker

St. Joseph the Worker Parishioners:

Welcome to the last full week of August.  That means—SUMMER IS ABOUT OVER!  And that is not good, at least in my book.  Why can’t summer last half of the year? 

With August almost gone, that means school is back in session.  Our schools are open to receive our youth for another year of learning, formation, sports, extracurricular activities, and much more.  We are blessed in the Chatham area to have a very good school system.  That is due to the administration, teachers, secretarial and maintenance staff, students, coaches, volunteers, bus drivers, and anyone else who assists with the students each day.

With that said, teachers and students are called upon each day to be prepared.  Teachers have lesson plans and a curriculum to follow so that our young people will be able to learn and be successful now and into the future.  Students should study and be open to learning so that they can form themselves into the best possible young adults. 

So, why am I sharing all that with you?  Well, let’s look at the above in the context of our faith.

The Catholic Church is a very good faith school system.  Is it perfect?  No.  Is our Church the one founded by Jesus Christ?   Yes.  All through the centuries the Catholic Church has strived to be the continuing presence of Jesus Christ.  Looks what it has done—hospitals, churches, schools at every level, outreach to prisons, to name a few. 

So many priests and bishops have helped to form parishioners over the centuries.  Countless numbers enjoy the fruits of heaven due to the example, formation, and prayers of these holy ministerial leaders.

So many lay people have learned and experienced Jesus Christ through the Church.  They have been brought closer to the Savior of the world because of the holy leaders, catechists, religious sisters, etc.

As we see our youth going back to school, may we be those faith students willing to learn and study about our Catholic faith during the year.  May we do our faith homework each week, especially by coming to Mass, which is our primary teaching tool.

As we expect students in school to do their best, may the Lord count on us as His students to do our best in learning and applying our faith each and every day?

Your Pastor, Father Joe