Dear Parishioners & Visitors,
The state of chronic complacency, also known as being self-satisfied, unconcerned, and reticent about getting involved is most closely associated with the Capital sin of sloth. Jesus’ message of division is a wake-up call to the disciples to notice just who is in their midst and to rouse themselves out of the half-life state of complacency and into the full life of hearts burning with the desire to act in fiery love, in courageous mercy, and in witness to each other of Gospel Truth. In the human body new life begins in division, with the dividing of cells. Wrestling with God’s Word is not accomplished without working to break out of distorted thinking, thinking which whispers in our ear: “It’s not your problem; don’t get involved; keep a low profile!” The challenges we have been given require us to step up to and get involved in the ways of Christ.
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus says to his disciples: “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!”– Luke 12:49. Several youth from our parish and from neighboring parishes, led by two representatives from Catholic Charities, one of whom is an active member of Holy Rosary, toiled in the sun this past week to help clean up the fenced & wooded area behind the parking lot directly across from the church. The area
was overgrown with shrubbery and strewn with empty cans of beer, whiskey bottles, every imaginable sort of discarded torn and pungent clothing, pieces of metal, and roach-laden bedding. These youth and their leaders were on fire in doing what they could for the sake and safety of the people. Let us move always forward to light fires, to initiate the changes needed in our lives which need to be cleansed of the smelly, rotten, maggot-infested clothing which is complacency. Among other activities, we’ll be organizing a Saturday
morning cleanup to continue the effort.
In God’s loving kindness,
—fr. Chris, O.P.
