|
My Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Last Sunday's Gospel told us a parable that the Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, a pearl of great price. Finding the pearl is the result of a deliberate search. The protagonist must unload all his other possessions to obtain something even more valuable. In my time serving Saint Gertrude, I have encountered many of you who have discovered in this parish community a real treasure for their lives, a pearl of a parish, if you wish. I also know that over the years, our parish has been a welcoming place for many people who would not feel welcomed elsewhere. They, too, have found a home and a treasure in our parish. And I know how many of you give all that you can to make our parish and our neighborhood a reflection of the Kingdom of heaven. I am grateful for such wonderful examples of faith.
Over the last few months, the City of Chicago has been inundated with hundreds of asylum seekers and immigrants that have been shipped here from southern states. Most often, our parish community has rallied to the defense of the poor and immigrant and has stood as a beacon of hope for the downtrodden. However, the city recently decided, without seeking community input, that the Broadway Armory, which has been used for over a decade as a community center with numerous activities and programs, would be converted to "temporarily" house a few hundred of the immigrants bussed in from other places. That decision and the less of these wonderful programs has also created a rift in our community that challenges who we are as a Catholic Community.
Unlike the political world, the Church is best when we honor each other and find Christ in one another. Saint Gertrude is an amazingly diverse community and is a shining example of Christian unity within the Archdiocese of Chicago. That is why the comments I am hearing now have saddened me beyond belief.
We have always been a parish with diverse opinions and programs, but we have always supported one another and worked together. We have always had a bigger net, a wider welcome for those whose opinions are different. The pain of the Broadway Armory cancelling many programs and being used to house immigrants has torn that net as people cannot agree on a singular course of action in this moment we allow this moment to break our relationships with one another or can we find our point of unity?
l ask you to reflect deeply upon this coming Sunday's Gospel of the Transfiguration of Jesus. Jesus chooses Peter, James, and John to accompany him up the mountain. Remember, these two are the brothers who want to supplant Peter by sitting at the right and left of Jesus in His glory. Jesus chooses all three to see His glory, not siding with one or the other. Yet, all three must also climb the steep mountain and help each other along the way. Despite whatever differences they had, they all followed Jesus to see His glory, not seeking their own.
This weekend, I ask that we all come together and hold each other in prayer. We do not have to agree and may never agree about our course of action. We must believe that each one of us is following the Lord, each one of us is dedicated to Christ, and each one of us is seeking that hidden treasure of faith.
In Christ,
Fr. Mike
| 
