Pastor’s Corner – November 2021

My Dear Ones,

Remember that you are a gift from God. God has placed you on earth and given you all that makes you a person. Even your history is part of what has shaped you. “Wonderful are your works.”

There is much in life that goes against this pronouncement God has made about you. Our society too often says that you are wonderful if you are rich, young, thin, physically energetic, happy and a thousand other things which appear in television, social media, and advertising. Many are made to feel of little value because they do not measure up. Can you hear this word of God, “wonderfully made,” in spite of all the other voices?

I once knew of a woman who was elderly and wheelchair-bound, went to a church retreat in which the participants considered the gifts God had given them and how they might use these gifts for others. She had been persuaded to come in spite of her fears. Two days passed and the depressing thought of being of no value in her condition plagued her. She left the retreat discouraged. She felt others had much to give and she had nothing.

Ten days later she called the pastor with a new spirit in her voice. She remembered that she could use the telephone, and asked if she could be in contact with others through this means.

She now knows most of the members of the parish. She remembers their birthdays, anniversaries, and other important happenings in their lives. She calls many regularly to share their joys and their misgivings. She again celebrates the gift of her life and the gift of her ability in telephone conversation. Many in the parish now know that she is “wonderfully made.” She understands what it means to “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord!” Each of you thank God that you are also “wonderfully made.”

Ask God to help you discover your gifts and the means through which you can share them with others.

As always, I welcome your comments. Pastor Cory