I will leave as a remnant in your midst a people humble and lowly, who shall take refuge in the name of the LORD: the remnant of Israel. They shall do no wrong and speak no lies; nor shall there be found in their mouths a deceitful tongue; they shall pasture and couch their flocks with none to disturb them. Zephaniah 3:2-13
Happy Fourth Week in Ordinary Time!
As we all know, the attendance at Catholic Churches (as well as many other religious communities and fraternal organizations) has declined to the point that parishes are now contracting. If you didn’t get the e-mail blast linking to the video of the Archbishop’s plan for shrinking the number of parishes, called Partners in the Gospel, it is at here.
I often feel like the remnant of Israel. Many fallen-away Catholics come back from time-to-time, especially in times that call for sanctification: baptisms, weddings and funerals. In my grandfatherly years, I feel about my parish the way i feel about my family: our main value is to be here for when those no longer here need us. Let us do no wrong and speak no lies; let there not be a deceitful tongue among us.