Good Shepherd Sunday

05-11-2025Weekly ReflectionFr. Fred Adamson

Dear Parishioners,

This weekend is known as Good Shepherd Sunday because the Gospel is always about the good shepherd. It is especially important for us this week and this year as we are in the midst of a change of shepherds with the passing of Pope Francis and the awaiting of the results of the Conclave. As I write this, the Cardinals have yet to enter into the Conclave; however, we may have a new Pope by the time it is published.

When I was a young priest, I used to teach in the Catholic Schools. I put together a curriculum for 3rd graders about the Pope, Cardinals, and Bishops. The highlight was a papal election for the class. Each year, the kids would take time to discuss what type of characteristics they thought were important in someone who would lead the Church. Things like a man of prayer, humility, holiness, etc., would always come forward. Then, when the class actually did the papal election, I was moved by the selection of the new class “pope” – it was always a humble kid who the classmates saw as prayerful and holy. To this day, those kids will come up to me and say, Father Fred, remember when we elected the pope. It left a lasting impression on me as a young priest and I am sure on many of those students also.

Now we pray for the new Pope. We trust in the gift of the Holy Spirit, in the same fashion the Cardinal electors reflected and prayed about the qualities of the man who will lead us in the Church. We realize that this practice has been passed down from the very beginning of the life of the Church and we are blessed in the richness of the Petrine ministry – realizing that every pope follows in the footsteps of Peter, the rock.

Today is also Mother’s Day, and a special day for us to remember and reflect upon the gift of our mothers and the other women in our lives who have provided us motherly care.

During the rite of Baptism, one of the things we do is bless mothers at the end. The prayer is beautiful and recognizes the special bond between mother and child. I am personally grateful for my own mother who has shown amazing love to each of her children. Her fun spirit and love for life has influenced each of us and many more. Of course, I also appreciate the many women of this parish who day to day witness their love for their families. A mother’s love is a great gift, and on this day we give thanks to God for their love, support, and care. We love our Moms!

Our new roof for the Church is in the process of being installed. The workers are here during the week so if you are in the Church it is a bit noisy at times. Be patient.

I was reminded the other morning how blessed we are with the quiet of the Church, amidst the noise of workers on the roof. I thought of those in the West Bank, Gaza, and Ukraine who sit in Churches with war going on around them. Bombs and missiles overhead.

Our human hearts strive for silence even when the world around us is full of noise. A quiet Church helps us—it made me pray a special prayer for those who do not have quiet places to pray because of the strife and division in the world around them. The project will take three weeks, so thank you for your regular support and commitment that makes this possible, and for your patience as we maintain the beautiful buildings of our parish.

A reminder that tomorrow, myself and 24 pilgrims will leave on a special pilgrimage to Poland, following in the footsteps of Saint John Paul II, Saint Faustina, and Saint Maximilian Kolbe.

This 12-day tour of Poland will help us to better understand the history, faith, and culture that formed these three great saints and how God continues to work through them to reveal His merciful love. They all experienced the atrocities of WWI and WWII, which no doubt influenced them greatly.

I invite you to make a spiritual pilgrimage with us by going to our parish webpage to connect to the social media platforms we will be using.

We are blessed to make this special journey, and we want to share it with the parish.

Easter peace and blessings,

Fr. Fred