I've just
completed a four-day pastoral visit to Holy Cross parish in Grande Cache,
Alberta. I visited a family faith formation camp for children of the Aseniwuche
Winewak Nation, whose President also gave me a tour of the Nation's offices and
introduced me to their remarkable projects to enhance the economy of the region
and serve its people. I spent time with inmates at the local Grande Cache
Correctional Institution. Members of the parish pastoral council met with me
over lunch one day to speak about the joys and challenges of the parish.
Thirteen parishioners received the sacrament of Confirmation at the Saturday
evening Mass, and the visit concluded with the celebration of Sunday Eucharist.
Some obviously very holy parishioners even arranged to take me out for a round
of golf!
Remarkably
consistent in all of these encounters was the readiness of the people to give a
frank assessment of the positive and negative aspects of their situation, as
well as the recognition of the call to an ever deeper faith in the love and
providence of God. I experienced this most movingly in my visit with the
prisoners. I met with about thirty of them, and quite spontaneously they shared
with me their own stories of coming to grips with the harm they had done and of
their need for the Lord Jesus. They were learning that the more they turned
their lives over to him the more they changed for the better.
These
experiences provided a very helpful lens through which to read the Scripture
readings for Sunday. They speak of Jesus as shepherd who is moved with love and
concern for his people. No one is outside of the Lord's concern. No detail of
our lives is beneath his vision. To accept Jesus as shepherd is to allow
ourselves to be led by him, to open our hearts and our lives in their entirety
to his gaze so that we might find direction from his Word. Many times the
parishioners spoke of difficulties beyond their capacity even to address, let
alone remedy. Yet nothing is beyond the power of the Lord, who has come to
shepherd us in love and safety.
This same
shepherd, Jesus, invites us in the Gospel to take some time to rest (cf. Mark 6:31). There are many ways to do
this, such as taking time for prayer and for relaxation. I suggest we also take
a rest from worry. There is perhaps nothing more draining than anxiety, and
much of the worry we carry has to do with things beyond our control. In faith,
give it to the Lord, hand it over to the Shepherd. Trust in his love, in his
care, and in his power to change our lot for the good. As we were told by St.
Paul, Jesus is our peace (cf. Ephesians
2:14). Placing our full faith in him and following his lead transforms anxiety
to peace. There is no better rest than that.
