Special Pastors Welcome Letter

Dear Parishioners,

God’s grace and peace be with you! As the psalmist says, “Let us praise the Lord at all times.”  The psalmist reminds us that if we trust in the Lord and do good, then we will live safely in the land God has promised and we will prosper. He goes on to say, “if we take delight in the Lord, then God will give us our heart’s desires.”  What better advice can he give us at a time when our world and our country seem so uncertain? 

Centuries ago, the Israelites found themselves immersed in one of the bleakest periods of their history. Freed from the shackles of slavery, they were dragged into the bitter wilderness by Moses for a period of forty years. Worry engulfed them; the basic necessities of food and water seemed scarce; and they were homeless and landless with no idea where they were going or when they would settle. 

Scripture recounts that many times they lost focus, grew angry with God, and took matters into their own hands. In their stubbornness they met with disaster each step of the way. They would learn the hard way that blessings would come only when they would rely on their God. On those rare occasions when they did place their complete trust in Him, He answered with food, water, and a sense of urgency and security every time. All God desired was for the Israelites to profess their loyalty. “I will be your God, if only you will be my people!”  This call was seldom heeded.

Things haven’t changed in the past two thousand years. Though God continues to call, we deliberately choose not to listen. Freedom demands that we want things “our way.”  We try this for a while until life seems to fall apart. Then, miraculously, we look to God, embarrassed, but with a desperate desire to have God reach out to us. As the Israelites experienced, even though we remain unfaithful, God is always faithful. He reaches out to us without hesitation. And best of all, He acts as if He forgets that we were unfaithful. Because we look to Him, God responds with showers of blessings true to His word that we will prosper. One would think we would learn from the Israelites.

During this time of Thanksgiving and our four weeks of Advent, we have much to be grateful for. God has bestowed upon us, our families, our parish, and our country countless blessings. True times are difficult, the economy has taken a turn for the worse, and instability seems to be the rule of the day, but our God has promised, as the psalmist reminds us, that if we trust in Him and do good, He will bless us, and He will give us our heart’s desires. 

Together, let us make this Advent preparation extra special by reaching out (without hesitation) to our brothers and sisters in need. Let us be the welcoming arms that extend to the embarrassed poor or suffering. And as God so desires, let us cleanse our hearts of the iniquity of sin by making a good confession. True to His word, God will see to it that we live safely in the land He has promised and we will prosper. In spite of all its flaws, who could argue that God has settled us in the greatest country on earth?

My brothers and sisters, with grateful and determined hearts moved by compassion, let us pray for one another. As the psalmist says, “Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.”

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. John F. Talamo, Pastor