Perhaps I am lying to myself so that I’m not consistently depressed at how absentminded I can be, but I think it is an almost universal experience to walk into a room, stare blankly into the distance for a moment, and then leave with no
recollection whatsoever of what it was we were supposed to be doing in the first place. Along with actively searching for an item that I am currently holding in my hand, it is among the most frustrating failures of my brain.

I bring this up because I know that occasionally we are in serious need of a reminder about why we do the things that we do. We get so caught up in the flurry of activity in our lives that we lose sight of the purpose of what we are working towards.How often do mothers and fathers become so preoccupied with building up and protecting a house that the meaning of the home itself is lost? How often do I and other priests lose sight of the meaning and beauty of the sacraments we are
celebrating because we’re worried about rushing off to the next Church or what bills will be coming up that week? If we don’t occasionally step back and remind ourselves why we began these journeys, these vocations, in the first place, then we lose sight of the beauty, and we cease to grow in holiness.
 
The home is meant to be a domestic church, where families grow together in holiness. Our parishes are meant to be founded around those families in order to support them in the work they do in passing on the faith to their children,
spreading it to others, and living it out in their own lives.

There are obviously many other things that happen in our parishes and in parishes around the world, and I like to think that they are good things in themselves. We love parish picnics, fish fries, social events, and even the charitable works that our communities come together to accomplish. But they must always be seen as flowing forth from our central mission and never be taken to be our primary purpose. If we lose sight of our fundamental mission, then we risk devolving into a vaguely interconnected network of social and charitable events.
 
Our parish exists to save souls. We are called to save souls by responding to the Life we have been given in Christ by generously sharing that Life with others. Everything else that we do and everything else that we strive to be as a Catholic community must be built on that reality. I certainly have many potential distractions in front of me, and I know for a fact that I need a reminder of this foundational truth from time to time. Our parishes will thrive if we place this before our eyes and work to remind one another of this whenever necessary. As we strive to live out God’s call to holiness in the midst of our families and parish communities, may we always remember to do so for the salvation of souls and the greater glory of God.
 
Prayers always,
Fr. McC