23rd Sunday In Ordinary Time, Sept. 7, 2014

Written by Fr. Fitz Thursday, 04 September 2014 14:03

Where two or three gather, I am there in the midst of them. MT 18:20

The words of today's Gospel apply to my dear friends Ron, Duffi, and Aaron Goodrich. They are a trio of servants for the People of God! When Father Larry Dorsey and I went to St. Gerald's, Duffi came up to us and said, "If there is anything we can do to be of help, just call!" And we did, and the next pastor did, and the current pastor does, and their response is always "Yes!" This week Duffi and Ron celebrate their 45th Wedding Anniversary so I send along this blessing. May it bless you too dear reader:

 

May the road rise to meet you.

May the wind be at your back,

the rain fall soft upon your fields,

And until we meet again,

may you be held safely in the palm of God's hand!

The Gospel is about forgiveness. It is hard to do. Last year I was blackballed from saying mass at Our Lady of Perpetial Help parish because someone who had influece suggested to a new pastor who did not know me that I should be. Later I finally found out who delivered that hurtful message and confronted the person. The person admitted it, and apologized.

And I have tried to let go of it and accepted the apology. But every once in awhile there is a painful memory and I have tol let go of it once more. Forgiveness is hard to do. Slights are difficult to let go of.  But letting go we must do, because holding on creates a corrosive rust on our spirits.

So indeed, "Let bygones, be bye!-- GONES!

This year? A new pastor has me back in the saddle again and I am grateful.

Sept. 12 I leave for NYC and will sail on the 14th with my cousin Rosemary, Marilyn Burbach and some of her family and friends on Holland Amercia Eurodam, for Nova Scotia, and utimately Quebec, returning to Scottsdale on Sept. 30. Before I leave I will put short reflections on the website for the Sundays I am away.

[ This website comes to you thanks to its creators: the Goorich Family.]