12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Father's Day

6/20/21

Dear St. Joseph Parish Family,

Have a blessed Father's Day! Make sure to treat your father to something nice today. Our fathers play an important role in our lives; their love is supposed to partake in God the Father's love for each of us. Our natural fathers' love is meant to foreshadow God's love. May all our fathers fulfill the essential role God has given them!

This Thursday is the Solemnity of the Nativity of John the Baptist. John the Baptist's birthday is placed near the summer solstice, when the daylight begins to shorten, because John the Baptist famously said of Jesus "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30) John's spiritual wisdom is important – God must increase in our lives as our own ego decreases. What we find when we live that wisdom is that as our ego decreases we don't become less ourselves but more ourselves – our true selves created in God's image begin to shine forth when our fallenness steps aside and allows God's grace to transform us.

Finally, on a practical note, the new parish hall, McGuire Hall, is now a bit delayed. Serious supply-chain problems have pushed project completion back into July. My hope is that the new hall will be open by the end of July. The flooring has now been installed, so what remains is to paint the space, finish the bathrooms (sinks, toilets, etc.), install the windows, install the cameras and door controls, install the wheelchair lift, and decorate and furnish the space. Please continue to pray for the project's success. Once the hall is completed I look forward to many ministries starting and growing, as well as growing community in the parish. Pray about how God is calling you to help.