Dear St. Thomas More Collegiate Faith and Learning Community, welcome back to a new school year. September is over and it has been an absolute adventure. So much has happened this month; it is difficult to believe that we have only been back to school for one month.
The year that lay ahead is a complete mystery to us. The only thing we do know is that there is much work to be done. It is easy to be caught up in all the things that we have to do, sometimes we lose sight of the fact that there are so many things that we get to do. Sometimes we get so caught up in the process, we get so mired down in the details, we get so burdened by the weight of responsibility that we do not enjoy the experiences. St. Oscar Romero reminds us to take a step back, to submit completely to God’s providence, and to enjoy both the work that we get to do as well as the fruits of our labours.
When I think about the year ahead of us, I do not feel anxious about all the things yet to be done, I do not feel stressed by all the tasks that have not been completed, nor do I feel burdened by all of the promises that must be kept. Instead, I am filled with excitement, because we have the privilege of being part of a hopeful, collaborative, and loving community. I feel joy that we are planting seeds that will one day grow, and watering seeds that hold future promise. I feel deep gratitude that we are the workers who get to build God’s Kingdom.
As you prepare for the exciting year ahead, please reflect on the St. Oscar Romero Prayer. I ask all of us to remember that we are the workers, we are the ministers, we are the prophets. We cannot do everything ourselves, but we don’t have to, as Jesus reminds us, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)
Take care, be well, stay safe, and God bless you.
Live Jesus in Our Hearts… Forever!
St. Oscar Romero Prayer (We Are Prophets of a Future Not Our Own)
It helps, now and then, to step back and take the long view.
The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts; it is even beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.
Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection. No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church’s mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water the seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something and to do it well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.
