Dear St. Raphael Parishioners,

Parking Lot update: With the arrival of cooler Autumn weather, the sealcoating of our parking lot will be delayed until Spring. I am told they need warm weather to do the job properly. I am glad we got the worst sections patched this summer! My biggest concern is that the striping is almost completely worn away, but it can’t be re-done until after the sealcoat is on. Our parishioners have adapted well to the parking situation, and we have plenty of room while the Covid situation continues. Our Sunday attendance declined slightly when Illinois restored the mandatory mask policy this Fall.

Continued from Last Week: The man who came to Jesus with such enthusiasm walked away sad when Jesus offered him the chance to be a disciple. The man’s enthusiasm turned to sadness because “he had many possessions”. Jesus warns his listeners about the danger of wealth. This was a mystery to his apostles. Why? Because both in their time and today, we think of prosperity as a blessing from God. God had promised the Israelites that they would find prosperity in the Holy Land if they stayed faithful. Keep in mind that in ancient times, prosperity was a matter of having enough food, clothing and shelter to live a healthy life. Compare that to our modern society where we consider those things simply the necessities of life. People of the ancient world did not even dream of our modern standard of living. 

I spent many years in a monastery, where everything I owned fit into one small room. I had the things I needed, and did not think much about getting more. Nowadays as an archdiocesan priest I have a more comfortable life and own more things. While I am certainly not unhappy today, the happiness I find in life does not come from the things I own. Material things can satisfy our physical needs, giving us a bit of temporary comfort and pleasure. As human beings created by a loving God, we only find lasting happiness when our mind, heart and soul are satisfied. This can come from relationships based in charity, and the joy of obeying God’s will in our daily life.

God bless you,
Fr. Matthew