Summer
Ambiguity
I enjoyed being at the
Catholic Night with the Padres with a number of parishioners, Fr. Max, and
Anthony Jimenez, our Augustinian pre-novice, who is discerning to eventually
make vows as an Augustinian. Lively music greeted us as we came in to Petco
Park, and after the minor odyssey of finding our seats, one of our families
passed around a huge bag of sweet and salty popcorn, and before we knew it,
twilight fell and the orange creamsicle sky faded into mauve and violets. Just
beautiful.
The parish picnic last
Saturday was lovely as well. We shared delicious food along with meaningful
conversations, as we enjoyed the cool breeze under the shade of one of the few
trees we were fortunate to have.
Then last Sunday the news
of mass shootings shocked our nation. On Monday, one of our parishioners shared
with me the sorrow she felt over the terrible news. Tears welled up in her
eyes. “Life matters to those who weep,” are the words of Sr. Joan Chittister,
OSB, and apply to anyone weeping over the victims of the shootings, and over
the six children who died in U.S. custody in the migrant camps run by the
government. A heart that weeps over injustice is “a heart for change, and a
soul that craves justice and joy with the passion of desert land for water”
(Sr. Chittister, OSB).
Fr. Phil and I often
preach about our faith in a loving God in the midst of darkness. Our second
reading today grounds us by reminding us that “faith is the realization of what
is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” Faith allows us to pray and
hope. Although goodness at times is obscured by evil, faith gives us the
evidence of hidden grace operating in our midst. Faith moves us to live in
prophetic ways as we stand in the gap between God’s desire for humanity and our
human failures to heed to the kingdom of peace and justice.
God bless, Fr. Carlos, OS
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