June 1, 2025

Dear Parishioners,

I’ve always been intrigued by the instruction Jesus gave to the apostles after the Resurrection and just before the Ascension to not leave Jerusalem. Saint Luke tells us this in our first reading: “While meeting with them, [Jesus] enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for ‘the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak’” (Acts 1:4).

I’m sure the apostles were anxious to get out of the city. They were, after all, country boys from Galilee. Jerusalem wasn’t the cleanest, quietest, and prettiest place to be. The Romans were present, as were the corrupt Sanhedrin, and the apostles were probably still traumatized from the crucifixion. They wanted to leave that awful city and never go back.

This, as an aside, makes it all the more interesting when Saint John in his revelation sees heaven as the new city of Jerusalem. He might at first have cringed with that. It’d be like us going to heaven and seeing Chicago with its crummy weather, crime, pathetic sports teams, inefficient politics. Are we sure we’re in heaven? But the Jerusalem John sees is a transformed city. It’s not corrupt, dirty, and chaotic. It shines like precious gemstones, has a beautiful river flowing through it, and is uplifting. The city is now like the idyllic countryside. And the reason for its transformation is that Christ, the lamb, is in the center.

At any rate, Jesus instructed the apostles to wait in the city of problems. There is where they will receive the Holy Spirit, not back in Galilee by the beautiful lake. Stay in the struggle, is Jesus’ message, and we will be transformed.

So often we are tempted to flee the struggle. Any sign that things aren’t easy or any sign of the cross, and we think something must be wrong. We run from it both internally and externally. Externally means we literally change the situation: we quit our job, leave our marriage, move parishes, stop talking to that person, etc. Internally means we don’t pray about it and just numb ourselves to it, continuing on with the situation on the surface and meanwhile dying internally.

Instead, Jesus wants us to stay and confront what’s happening. Like we said last week in this letter, the peace Jesus offers, which is different from the world’s peace, is us confronting in prayer what we are dealing with. Confronting the issue means we have to remain. Give it some time and pray about it. It doesn’t mean we have to stick with it forever. The apostles were only in Jerusalem for another ten days before they could leave. God indeed might be calling us to change our unfortunate situation, but at least give God a chance to tell you something before you act on your own.

Peter and the others had to confront something within themselves. They were able to do this in that period between the Ascension and Pentecost. They were obedient to Jesus and remained, and prayed. And this made them ready to confront other difficult cities they would face in the future: Antioch, Corinth, and Rome, just to name a few. And the apostles’ transformation led to the transformation of these cities and its inhabitants.

May it be the case for us today. May we be transformed.

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This Friday is the last day of school for SPC. Congratulations to the teachers, faculty, students and parents for a successful year. And congratulations as well to students and families at all other schools. I hope it was a good year for you, and may you have a restful summer break.

As I mentioned last week, this past Wednesday, May 28th was the Priestly Ordination of Father Lee Noel (previously Deacon Lee Noel–our seminarian). The ordination took place in Cheyenne, Wyoming and I was fortunate to be present for it. Congratulations, Father Lee. We are very proud of you. May you have many years of fruitful service as a priest of Jesus Christ.

Please note, there will be no Donut Sunday this Sunday. Donut Sunday this month will be moved to Sunday, June 29th after the 9am and 10:30am Mass. There will still be, however, New Parishioner Sign-Up this Sunday.

It’s the time of year when I leave for my annual silent retreat. I will be departing next Monday, June 9th. As I’ve done in the past, I will leave prayer books in the church at the Mary altar and in the back of the church in the vestibule for you to write your intentions for me to pray for while I am away. You can be as simple or detailed, anonymous or personal, as you want in what you write. It’s a true privilege to read your intentions and offer myself and my time of prayer for you.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. James Wallace