Always keep Jesus in your heart and a BIG SCOOP of ice cream in your bowl! :)
As we conclude the Bread of Life Discourse in this August month, I recall a homily I heard last Advent that made a huge impact on how I look at things. Father talked about the goodness in this life: things of the earth, a relationship, an experience, how all of those gifts, no matter how GOOD are meant to point us to something and someone so much greater. That we appreciate the goodness, realize the GREATNESS to which it points , and then follow the path to which it points. This hit home for me in many ways. I’m the person that cries when Christmas is over, bemoans the last bight of dessert, or laments the last evening walk on the beachside boardwalk one week before vacation even begins! I don’t like when “things are over.” And really, who does?! But those are indeed those “good” things we were always meant to have and always meant to enjoy. That’s why a part of our heart breaks when “it’s over.” We were meant for the things that last forever… we were meant for eternity. That right there is what Jesus has been talking about in the Gospels all month. Everything, EVERYTHING perishes, ceases, ends as we know it. And if we cling too closely to those things, we will live in a life of discouragement and disappointment. Because only He can satisfy.
I will never fully be able to express to you, the parish family of St. Colette, what you mean to me, and what you will always mean to me. I’ll always be grateful for that little priest who called me out of speech class, that 16, almost 17-year-old girl at Holy Name one March morning. He changed my life forever, yes. BUT it was you, St. Colette, that became my family. You are that good gift, relationship, experience, and you’ve pointed me to Him, the Greater One. And now He’s called me to serve Him in new ways. And I’m so excited to serve Him. I know there is deep sadness within many of your hearts that there is “an experience at St. Colette that is ending with my departure.” But don’t cling to those experiences!!! You’ll end up missing the GREATER ONE to whom the experience of music and more with you were all meant for. And you’ll miss the beautiful miracles of God’s grace along the way in who he has prepared for next, as well as all the beauty that exists in this holy place. Don’t cling to the things, the people, the experiences that fade. Cling to the only One who lasts forever, Jesus. It’s been my greatest honor to serve you. Know that. But know more so that any sadness within you only means you are aware that there’s more beyond this world… and that each encounter at Mass is a taste (literally) of what that will be like for us.
They say a picture’s worth a thousand words. And I had no idea someone snapped that Euclid Beach Rocket Picture titling this article at our Parish Picnic— thank you to the thoughtful parishioner who did. But it perfectly describes my beautiful seventeen+ years at this wonderful parish. Thank you for bringing me into your family. Thank you for loving me and my family. Thank you for the fun, and the laughter! Thank you for the food! :) Thank you for praying for my Anthony when he went through his most difficult days. Thank you for sharing your beautiful faith with me and for teaching me what community in Jesus means. Thank you for your support and encouragement over the years and especially now. My heart can’t express its fullness because of who you are to me. As St. Colette continues to grow and evolve through the years, always keep that beautiful Spirit that’s been here since its first days in the garage chapel of Fr. Montovan’s rectory on Nancy Circle. I’ve loved learning about the goodness of St. Colette’s people and past, and I am grateful, so grateful to also be a part of parish history, as this place will always be a part of me… you will always be a part of me. And I will take you with me wherever I go, sharing all that I’ve learned of Jesus and of Church through you. Thanks for the ride, St. Colette! It was fun… really, really fun.
See you in the Eucharist!
~Sara