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Fr. Drew's Parish Theme for 2021
RESTORED
St. Laurence Catholic Church in 2021
I will turn their mourning into joy, I will console and gladden them after their sorrows. Again I will restore you and you shall be rebuilt. (Jer 31:13, 4)
One year ago, Fr. Drew selected a simple one-word theme, “Restored,” to inspire our parish family in the midst of the COVID pandemic. At that time, we were limited to just 25% capacity in the church, no in-person meetings or events were permitted, and the COVID infection rate was starting to come down, only to spike again. School administrators and educators struggled to reach and teach their students, and businesses struggled to keep their doors open.
Yet, we remained a people filled with hope, because of God’s promise that we would be restored.
We strived to understand. We trusted in God when we couldn’t understand. We got creative. We adapted. We tried to be more patient and gentle with one another. We learned obedience. And we discovered what is truly important when we were forced to do without.
We learned that “no” can be a holy word and we found a way to say “yes” to God.
According to St. John Vianney, our “yes” is simply to PRAY AND LOVE: “My little children, reflect on these words: the Christian’s treasure is not on earth but in heaven. Our thoughts, then, ought to be directed to where our treasure is. This is the glorious duty of man: to pray and to love. If you pray and love, that is where a man’s happiness lies. Prayer is nothing else but union with God. When one has a heart that is pure and united with God, he is given a kind of serenity and sweetness that makes him ecstatic, a light that surrounds him with marvelous brightness. In this intimate union, God and the soul are fused together like two bits of wax that no one can ever pull apart. This union of God with a tiny creature is a lovely thing. It is a happiness beyond understanding.”
Today, in the face of new challenges in our families and throughout the world, Fr. Drew has chosen to repeat the theme “Restored” for our parish this year. Pray for restoration, love God and one another, and let your light shine!
For God will surely restore us and turn our mourning into joy.
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Arise Night of Worship 2020
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Parish Mission
