Christ Our Light Catholic Church - Loudonville, NY

From Deacon Dick

“Come … pray with us”

            Our Lenten theme this year seems to have touched a deep space within the hearts of our parishioners.  Having ordered 1,000 “Come … pray with us” cards, we expected them to last through Lent.  Well … so much for our expectations!!!  At the end of Ash Wednesday, it was clear that we needed to order more cards. An additional 2,000 new cards have arrived and they’re still going out the door at a brisk pace!  This simple invitation is written in the languages of some of our parishioners:  English, Spanish, Filipino, Maylaylam, Italian, and Chinese.

             So here are some thoughts to keep in mind:

• Take a handful every weekend and come back the next week needing more. That means you’ve handed them all out!
• Keep them handy … in your pocket, purse, or wallet. You know the best place for you. 
• With a smile and a kind voice, simply offer a card to anyone whom you encounter … family, friends, co-workers, clerks in stores and medical offices. You’ll be surprised at their grateful response.
• Just imagine the impact of 3,000 cards hand delivered within our community.
• Finally, (on a lighter note) just think of it … taking cards from the basket in the Gathering Space is one of the few times you get to take something out of the basket rather than putting something into it!

             Now … we need your help!  Please give us your feedback on your experiences.  It’s the only way we can learn. How did individuals react?  What are the stories you may have heard?  How did you feel inviting others to experience the person of Jesus Christ?  Just send me an email ([email protected]) or let me know in person.

             If you feel uncomfortable sharing these cards, perhaps this reflection from St. Irenaeus will help.

 LET YOUR CLAY BE MOIST

It is not you who shapes God it is God who shapes you.
If you are the work of God await the hand of the artist who does all things in due season.
Offer God your heart, soft and tractable, and keep the form in which the artist has fashioned you.
Let your clay be moist, lest you grow hard and lose the imprint of God’s fingers.