Dear Friends in Christ,
This weekend our parish began the work of sorting, cleaning and pricing items which have been donated for our first annual Spring yard sale. Volunteers gathered from 10:00am-1:00pm this
Saturday to begin these preparations. It is hard to believe that the yard sale is only six weeks away! Donations for the sale will be accepted from 10:00am-1:00pm on Saturdays at the parish
garage, until June 2nd, and if a “pick up” is needed, volunteers are ready to coordinate this.
Thank you to all parishioners who have already signed up to helpwith the yard sale. More volunteers are needed to ensure that the yard sale is successful. This week, sign-up sheets have been posted in the gathering area of the church for volunteers. These sign-up sheets have been set up for certain tasks or days so that volunteers may be specific about what they would like to do. Before leaving church today, stop by the gathering area and sign up to help our parish.
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus identifies Himself as The Good Shepherd. When we carefully reflect upon the gospel, we learn that as The Good Shepherd, Jesus cares for us personally, calls
us by name to follow Him and invites us to follow Him as He guides and directs our lives. As a shepherd, Jesus considers that all of His sheep, namely us, are important to Him.
The Good Shepherd image of Jesus is often considered fondly by many Christians. In this image, God’s tender, intimate love for each believer is shown. Yet, the image also reflects the fact that
God’s love is often shown through rescuing sheep that have wandered from the fold. Right now, God’s love seeks out lost sheep, inviting them to receive grace so that they may return home to the Church.
On this Sunday, as we reflect upon Jesus as The Good Shepherd, we pray for all those Christians who have wandered away from the sheepfold of the Church. In confidence, we know that God has not given up on them. Yet, we also know that our  prayer is critical for their return. Let us ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit so that we know the best way to reach family and friends who have wandered away from Christ. Let us be attentive to the ways that God is at work in the world, allowing this to bring us new hope.
In Christ,
Fr. Michael