Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

With these words, the holy prophet Isaiah calls on the people to, with all their strength, take the place that God has laid out for them.  Just so, we, his new people here at Holy Apostles are called to awaken to the parish community in its need.  As we look at the apparent enormity of our task, we remember that God is on our side; and with Him on our side, we can forget about the other side.  It is by taking one small step after another in the right direction that will get us to any goal.  We each have the strength for such small steps as appear for us to do.

For example, our pump-priming “Loaves and Fishes” fund-raising program.  This is where each of us makes a list of at least five names, gets enough stamps, envelopes and copies of the solicitation letter, mails them, and then we see what God does with the bread we have cast upon the waters.

We have no doubt that, with this and with a continuing succession of similar small steps, God will take us toward our heavenly goal by way of the earthly goal that He shows us.  So far, He shows us that He wants us to have this beautiful site and temple.  The time is here for all and each of us to give something back.  We need to remember that our gifts to God and His Church are not for God’s benefit; it is we who need to give them for our own benefit.  These small efforts, these small gifts, join our prayers to show that we mean what we pray.  Probably no one among us can give a million dollars.  But we do have what we have, all of it belongs to God, and we should therefore give what we can and do what we can.  Even if our individual gift does not equal all that is needed, if we give all that we can give, God sees that and rewards that.  In the parable of the Prodigal Son, the father rushes out to meet the son.  In our case, our Father has come more than halfway to meet us to show us the direction we should go.

We should pray God to give us the sight to see and become aware of our need, not to have, but to give.  If ever there was a time to add to our treasure in heaven, this is that time.

In Christ, Father George