Thanksgiving

11-25-2018Weekly ReflectionFr. John Sims Baker

Thanksgiving is one of the fundamental and necessary forms of prayer. In fact, the word "Eucharist" comes from the Greek word meaning "thanksgiving." It does not get more basic than that! We have just celebrated our civil holiday of Thanksgiving and so it seems appropriate to offer some thanks myself. I first want to thank the parish for the warm welcome to Saint Rose. It is not easy to adjust to a new pastor, and I thank you for your patient understanding with me as I, in turn, adjust to a new assignment and a new place. Thank you.

I also want to thank the parish for being generous with the diocese for the Bishop's Appeal and the Seminary Education Fund. I want to thank you for being so generous about just about every chance there is to give around here, and there are a lot of them! I want to thank you for the openness of everyone's part to include more fully our Hispanic community into the life of our one parish. I thank you for your support of Saint Rose School during the 20th anniversary of its re-founding. I thank you for welcoming another priest to the parish. Thank you.

I will also thank you in advance for your generosity to the general parish collections for the operations of the parish. Without our parish operations, our individual ministries could not function as they do. We all need to pull together as one to support the parish offertory as our primary way of giving to the parish. As we approach the end of the year, and more importantly, the feasts of Christ coming to live among us, please remember the needs of the parish. Thank you!

Faithfully,
Fr. Baker