Even though we have been in Ordinary Time for a couple of weeks, today we change our Sunday Mass color to green. It has been white for Trinity Sunday and Corpus Christi. For the liturgy green is the color of hope and rebirth. It is the same in nature as our environment greens up with new leaves on the trees and crops in the fields. Our readings today get agricultural, too. In our first reading, through the Prophet Ezekiel, the Lord God tells us that a tender shoot will be taken from a cedar and planted to become a majestic tree. Cedar trees can live thousands of years. Ezekiel is talking about Israel. We can see this tree as the Church. It starts small and grows and grows until it covers the whole world. We can also see this majestic cedar as our own faith. Jesus tells us this in the Gospel using a smaller tree for his example. The mustard seed is almost like powder to our eyes. It is really small but when planted it grows into a large tree. If you have a package of seeds and do nothing with it, it is just a package of seeds. But if you plant those seeds, they grow taking nourishment from the earth along with water. Our faith is the same. God gives us the gift of faith and we have to grow it. If we work at it, our faith can become like Paul's in our second reading. We will want to be more and more like Christ and long to be with him in heaven.
The dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass on Sunday has been lifted here in Indiana. We will continue to have our usual 8:15 and 10:30 AM Masses on Sundays. Here's a quick reminder: If you are sick, please stay home. If you are taking care of someone who is sick, please stay with the sick person. If you have been fully vaccinated, you no longer need to wear a mask at Mass, but you can if you want. If you have not been vaccinated, please continue to wear a mask. Part of the church is still set up for social distancing, however, other parts are not and are ready for those fully vaccinated. I will be away for two Sundays attending a Holy Cross Chapter at our King's College in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Father Jim Brake, CSC, will be celebrating the Masses on the 13th and Father Larry Henry, CSC, will celebrate them on the 20th. Please give them a big St. A's welcome.If you have an emergency, please call Deacon Mel. I should be back by the 25th. Please keep me in your prayers.
In case you don't know, this Holy Cross Chapter is a meeting of 55 delegates from all parts of our province, which includes the US, Mexico, Peru, Chile and East Africa. This gathering runs about 10 days and legislates what we should be doing for the next 3 years. We are also looking at restructuring the whole Congregation of Holy Cross across the world. We need a lot of prayers. See you on the 27th.