Message From The Pastor – November 17, 2013

Dear Beloved of St.Joseph’s and all Guests,
All of us, sooner or later visit a doctor’s office. Older people
feel that they see doctors more often than the younger ones, which
is probably true, but unfortunately there are many young people
who also have to spend much time in waiting rooms which try
their patience to the limit.

I thought of this last week when,
someone shared with me their visit to the Lord’s Clinic:
“I went to the Lord’s Clinic to have my routine check-up and I confirmed that
I was ill. When Jesus took my blood pressure, He saw I was low on tenderness. When
He read my temperature, the thermometer registered 40 degrees of anxiety. He ran an
electrocardiogram and found that I needed several “love bypasses” since my arteries
were blocked with loneliness and could nourish my empty heart.

I went to orthopedics, because I could not stand by my brother’s side and I could
not hug my friends since I had fractured my bones when tripping with envy. He also
found that I was short-sighted and could not see beyond the shortcomings of my sisters
and brothers.. When I complained about deafness, the diagnostic was that I had stopped
listening to Jesus’ voice talking to me on a daily basis. When time came to prescribe
medication, Jesus said that every hour I must take one pill of patience, one cup of
brotherhood and one glass of humility. Not a day should go by that I not take a large
dosage of love. Before going to bed, I must never forget to take two caplets of clear
conscience. Also, I must never give in to sadness or desperation for this can be very
contagious and I must make sure not to pass this along to others.”

What would OUR diagnosis show if WE were to visit the Lord’s Clinic? Would
we be given the same method of treatment? Are we also running a high fever of anxiety
and have blocked arteries that do not allow us to love properly, and fractured limbs that
keep us from standing beside those who need us? Are we also short sighted or cannot
hear very well? These are maladies that sooner or later touch each and every one of usso
why don’t we give in to treatment before it’s too late!

Today we have special envelopes for a Collection in support of Met. Sheptytsky
Institute where our future priests and lay people are being educated- please be generous!
Also next Sunday, may we also be charitable to help all the suffering people in
the Philippines – over 2 million people have been sadly devastated by the Cyclone. We
have Redemptorist parishes that have been also destroyed and we will prepare special
envelopes. Let this be our Christmas gift to the poor… We will happily issue Income Tax
Receipts for your generosity and kindness – address to “Ukr. Cath. Mission”… .
Wishing all of you a wonderful Advent preparation for the
celebration of Jesus’ birth and the joy of Christmas…

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