Pastor’s Corner

Dear Sacred Heart Family,

This week we welcome Fr. Holmes to Sacred Heart of Jesus parish. After Masses this Sunday, please consider saying hello in our newly cleaned and waxed Muldowney Hall, and introduce yourself to our wonderful new Parochial Vicar.

Speaking of introductions, it seems that mentors, coaches, teachers, and healthcare workers are usually loved when they have a caring approach. Great bedside manner helps a doctor lead us to better health. Our fears of growth and change are often compounded by understandable but unfortunate fears of disappointing special people in our lives. Whether its parents, leaders or valued members of our lives, we don’t want to make a bad impression and disappoint.

This can very often happen with the Lord. Didn’t the Lord Jesus ask us to be perfect? Aren’t we going to be judged at the end of our life? Isn’t much expected of us?

One of the greatest lies the devil sews is that God demands perfection. A great coach doesn’t immediately expect perfect athletes. A wonderful piano teacher doesn’t demand perfect performance overnight. A stellar mentor doesn’t yell about failure. Rather, a top-notch leader believes that we can become amazing. And so does God. God believes in you, and more importantly God loves you. His patience leads to our growth, change, and transformation.

We fear that God expects something we cannot achieve. Our transformation is the fruit of friendship with Him. Jesus dwells among us, and eats with us sinners, in order to share His Merciful Love with us. His Love transforms our way of thinking and our hearts and minds. This summer as we try to carve out precious time to recharge our batteries, why not invite Jesus into your life in a new way.

The heart of our Catholic Faith is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, where we enter into God’s gift of Himself to set us free, reconcile us to Himself and one another, and nourish us with His Eucharistic Heart. The goal is union with our best friend. As we welcome new members of our parish, neighborhoods and families, lets us also once again welcome the best friend we have: Jesus our Savior who yearns to be our friend and heal our hearts and minds, so that we can experience the freedom and joy of the sons and daughters of God.  God bless you!

In Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart,

Fr. Bjorn Lundberg