This year, forty-two high school students from Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish successfully completed the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport’s Confirmation Preparation Program. As we celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation, it is important to remember that Confirmation is not a form of graduation. Rather, it is the beginning of a mature person’s lifelong spiritual journey. It is the beginning of one’s work as a faithful and faith-filled disciple of Christ. In short, the real work begins now!

As our young fellow parishioners receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, I am mindful of the life and example of Dr. Howard Thurman (1899-1991). Dr. Thurman was an influential African-American educator, philosopher, and theologian who influenced Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders of the twentieth century. I first learned about Dr. Thurman during my undergraduate years at Boston University. What I remember most is this short poem that Dr. Thurman wrote about “The Work of Christmas.”

Now the work of Christmas begins:
when the song of the angels is stilled,
when the star in the sky is gone,
when the kings and princes are home,
when the shepherds are back with their flocks.
The work of Christmas begins:
to find the lost, to heal the broken,
to feed the hungry,
to release the prisoner,
to rebuild the nations,
to bring peace among the people,
to make music in the heart.

In this beautiful poem, Dr. Thurman reminds us that the real work of Christmas begins after the holiday celebrations are over and after all of the decorations have been packed away. Likewise, the real work of discipleship for our Confirmation students (and for all of us) begins anew every time we share the Sign of Peace; every time we receive the Eucharist; and every time we are called to welcome the stranger, forgive our neighbor, or share our time, talent, and treasure with God’s family. The work of discipleship is lifelong and culminates when Christ himself asks us to account for our lives. Did we help the Lord find the lost sheep? Did we help him feed the hungry? Did we help him bring consolation to prisoners? Did we help him bring peace to our families, our neighborhoods, and our workplaces? Did we help him make beautiful music in a world so often filled with the chaotic voices of anger and prejudice? Let us remember that the work of Christ begins now!

Howard Thurman once wrote: “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” My prayer for our newly Confirmed fellow parishioners is that they will fully embrace the Gifts of the Holy Spirit; continue to grow in faith, hope, and love; continue to join our community in prayer, fellowship, and service; and come alive to live the Gospel, share God’s love, and rebuild the Church. Please join me in praying for our candidates, their parents, sponsors, and catechists. And throughout this new year, let us pray for all who live, work, and worship in the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport!

Peace and blessings to all,
Father Jim

Reverend James M. Achadinha, Pastor
Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport
Contact: frjim@ccgronline.com

CCGR Weekly Newsletter (1-14-18)
Bringing Home the Word (1-14-18)

__________

Sacrament of Confirmation
Welcome Bishop Mark O’Connell!