Dear Parishioners,
There are over 30 parables in the Gospels, many of which are very familiar to us – from the Good Samaritan to the Prodigal Son. Used by Jesus, these were simple, short stories to teach a lesson. Today’s Gospel (Mark 4:26-34) shares the one of the mustard seed and now two thousand years later, the imagery is still vivid and the message valid.
The mustard seed was the smallest one, yet it grew into a huge plant. Here Jesus teaches us that although the Kingdom of God started small, with He and the disciples, it would grow and spread across the world to unlimited numbers of followers. He also conveyed that the Kingdom would include all nations which gave great comfort and hope to Mark’s readers.
We can draw on this tale for the Cathedral restoration, the fundraising in particular. A handful of parishioners stepped forward early on to ensure a fast start to our campaign and now as we near its completion, 100s have given their support. During this past week alone, 40 donations were made. We hope continuing at this pace will enable us to have the fundraising concluded in time for the Cathedral reopening.
As the stations of the cross are being re-installed and the work on the altar and sanctuary progressing, we wanted to thank parishioners who have given – to include their name in the time capsule; for the first time and those who have made second contributions; and others who have done so anonymously.
As we look forward to the completion of the works, we call on guidance from St. Vincent Ferrer, patron saint of construction workers – ‘Pray dear saint that they be kept safe from harm and they always have the tools and materials needed to do their job well. Ask the Lord to bless them with the skills they need’ (excerpt from the Prayer to St. Vincent Ferrer).
Fr. Pat Farragher, Adm.
