Today’s Reflection from Father Dave

“Archbishop, when does this assignment start?” was the question I asked of Archbishop Levada 15 years ago. “April 1st,” came the reply to which I responded, “How appropriate that my tenure as pastor should begin on April Fools Day.” He concurred.

Sitting in my rectory office on this auspicious occasion I am struck by the fact that the only sounds coming from this vast estate are of the cement saw and jackhammer. The plan had been to repave the parking lot during the summer and try and work around the daily activity of the church. This “Shelter-in-Place” scenario presented another option. Do it now while there is no activity. Yes, let it be a sign of HOPE that eventually people will return, and life will continue. So it is music to my ears.

My musings therefore are easily distracted. This normally happens when power tools are involved, so today I leave you with another’s words, Karl Rahner. I once took a semester reading course on Rahner, so might as well use some of it. These words were inscribed on my ordination holy card, and I look to them often.

The priest is not an angel sent from heaven.

He is a man chosen from among men, a member of the Church, a Christian.

Remaining man and Christian, he begins to speak to you the Word of God.

This word is not his own, no, he comes to you because God has told him to proclaim God’s word.

Perhaps he has not entirely understood it himself. Perhaps he adulterates it.

But he believes, and despite his fears he knows that he must communicate God’s word to you.

For must not some of us say something about God, about eternal life, about the majesty of grace in our sanctified being;

Must not some one of us speak of sin, the judgement and mercy of God?

So my dear friends, pray for him, carry him so that he might be able to sustain others

By bringing to them the mystery of God’s love revealed in Christ Jesus.

I must say that these years have been “the best of times and the worst of times.” (apologies to Charles Dickens)

“Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” (Lou Gehrig)

WIth quotes from Rahner, Dickens, and Gehrig, there’s not much else to say except:

You are all part of Archbishop Levada’s April Fool’s Day joke.

In Faith, Hope, and Love,

Father Dave