In the
second reading today, we hear these words from St Paul,
“the Lord is faithful; He will strengthen you and guard you …
May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the
endurance of Christ.”
These
words of St Paul certainly hit home, don’t they? Last weekend, we heard tough
news about Fr Dave, someone known and loved by many. We
learned that he was involved with
serious misconduct long ago. He
experienced what all of us need to know of ourselves—that we are sinners. We
learned that he held himself accountable for his past misconduct and has since
led an exemplary life of a servant leader who compassionately leads from within
his own brokenness. We also learned that in spite of what our own sinful pasts
may be, with the grace of God and the desire to fully live the potential with
which God gifts us, we can, by the grace of God, rise from past mistakes and live lives in
service to God and to others.
Christian
history is filled with a long and honorable line of holy human misfits. This
line includes St Peter of Galilee, St Paul of Tarsus, St Francis of Assisi, St
Ignatius of Loyola, and, among many others, I would also include Fr Dave of
Randolph, MN, and, hopefully, Deacon Bob of Chicago (my birth place). During Fr
Dave’s leave of absence, Fr Kevin and Fr Jerry Burger will continue to
celebrate Mass with us on the weekends. As Deacon, I will do my best to provide the
leadership needed within our parish community until the time that the
Independent Ministerial Standards Board, with the approval of Archbishop
Nienstedt, completes their re-examination and re-certifies Fr Dave for public
ministry once more.
St Paul
is correct, God, indeed is faithful, watching over us and providing us with the
strength to persevere. May the Lord direct our hearts, and the heart of Fr
Dave, to the love of God and the endurance of the “one who loved us first,”
that one being our Lord, Jesus Christ.
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