Pastor's Message

October 10, 1999

TIME TO RETREAT

In battle the call to retreat has often been considered a sign of failure. The connotation is that opposing forces are overcoming one’s side. The commanding officer gives the call for retreat, and all the troops fall back.
In terms of strategy, however, retreating is often used as a call to review and re-group. Many times new plans are drawn up. Morale is renewed, and personal strength is re-enforced. The call to retreat can be a wise tactical decision.
This week I will be involved in my annual priest retreat. A spiritual retreat is also a time for re-grouping and re-focusing of one’s energies and direction. Often it is a time for spiritual re-awakening as well.
One person I know refers to retreat as a time to re-treat one’s life’s experiences. That is, to treat them again in a spirit of reflection and faith. Retreats allow just that to happen.
Priests are not the only ones who need to retreat once in a while. The fall Adult Parish Retreat is coming up on November 5 and 6. If you think that you need time to step back and review your life, that will be a good time to do so.
You’ll be in my prayers this week.

- Fr. Herb

Pastor's Message October 10, 1999 TIME TO RETREAT In battle the call to retreat has often been considered a sign of failure. The connotation is that opposing forces are overcoming one’s side. The commanding officer gives the call for retreat, and all the troops fall back. In terms of strategy, however, retreating is often used as a call to review and re-group. Many times new plans are drawn up. Morale is renewed, and personal strength is re-enforced. The call to retreat can be a wise tactical decision. This week I will be involved in my annual priest retreat. A spiritual retreat is also a time for re-grouping and re-focusing of one’s energies and direction. Often it is a time for spiritual re-awakening as well. One person I know refers to retreat as a time to re-treat one’s life’s experiences. That is, to treat them again in a spirit of reflection and faith. Retreats allow just that to happen. Priests are not the only ones who need to retreat once in a while. The fall Adult Parish Retreat is coming up on November 5 and 6. If you think that you need time to step back and review your life, that will be a good time to do so. You’ll be in my prayers this week. - Fr. Herb


October 3, 1999 RESCUED About eighty hours after the devastating earthquake in Taiwan a six-year-old boy was rescued from the debris. He was alive and reasonably well although he was dehydrated and scared. Imagine being buried alive for more than three days and finally being heard and brought to safety! Whenever there is a natural calamity like an earthquake, we pray that people will be rescued before it is too late. For this boy, his life will be forever changed because of the quake — he lost his parents who have not been found — and because of the rescue. He will grow up with a particular view of life, for sure. If we are lucky, most of us will never experience that kind of rescue. We won’t need it. In another way, however, we all need rescues regularly. We need someone who can reach out to us and give our spirits a little comforting. We need those who can truly understand what we are going through. We need to be rescued from our own thoughtlessness and lack of civility by members of a community who can forgive us. Those are real rescues. Being rescued, of course, means being a recipient of someone else’s care and concern. The young boy in Taiwan undoubtedly owes a lot to those who spent the time and energy to search for him. He owes them his life. We also owe much to those who reach out to us and rescue us from our self-pity, depression, anger, and loneliness. They have helped restore our lives. - Fr. Herb