Well we made it to September, and the world is still trying to figure out how to live in this “new normal.” All of this craziness has gone on for so long there is nothing “new” about it anymore. In fact, it’s all starting to get pretty old, but we must persevere and keep moving forward; in the end, we have no other choice. August 31st was my one year anniversary of being ordained to the Diaconate. I can tell you that sitting in that pew, with my 14 brothers who were ordained with me, I truly had no idea how the next twelvemonths would unfold. I never thought we would live through something like a pandemic, partnered with civil unrest, and the heartbreaking loss of our Bishop Murry. Yet, I have so much to be grateful for: I am so very grateful to be a small part of this incredible parish, and I may be biased but it is an incredible place to be! I am so grateful for all the support you have shown me in my first year as a Deacon, and so I say “Thank you!” Thank you for all the prayers, cards, smiles, and encouraging words. It has helped me keep moving forward, and I am blessed to be on this journey with all of you!

I love our second reading this weekend! Paul real-ly lays it out there in his letter to the Romans. It of course focuses on love: The last line is amazing: “Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.” Love is the cure-all, and when love is genuine and from the heart, it brings God to the center of any relationship. We can never be afraid of showing people love, and I am not talking about “hippie love.” I am talking about soul-filled caring for those around us, and yes, even those different than us. Paul says that love is the fulfillment of the law, so by loving those around us, we are fulfilling what God wants from us. Plain and simple, God loves us and wants us to genuinely love him back. Not so we can just get into heaven, but so we can enter into a perfect relationship with Him. To allow His love to guide us on this crazy journey of life, we must surrender to this love and more importantly, allow ourselves to feel this love. We must give and receive to be able to live the life our Heavenly Father wants. Our challenge for this week is to allow God to love us and accept this love, whether we think we are worthy or not. Have a love-filled week! God Bless!