Tiny fingers and toes. A little yawn. A loud cry. An infant wrapped in swaddling clothes. "What will this child be?" It is a question every parent asks time and time again. As first steps are taken, as personalities emerge, as a child shows interest in reading or drawing or climbing, the question is on our lips. "What will this child be?" This question is asked as John the Baptist is born. Will he be a priest like his father? Does his strange, unexpected name signal a departure from that inheritance? Could Elizabeth and Zechariah ever have predicted what would be?

"This is how it is with the kingdom of God." What is a kingdom? Is it the brick and mortar that build up the castle? Is it the expanse of land a king can reasonably defend? Our notions of kingdoms may be romanticized in the modern era, but for the Israelites, a kingdom held deep historical meaning. Thousands of years before the birth of Christ, the Israelites had asked God for a king. After the reigns of David and Solomon, the united kingdom dissolved into factions, and the land was conquered by the Assyrians, Babylonians, and, finally, Romans. For the Israelites, a kingdom was something to build, both structurally and civilly. While this had ended in ruin for their ancestors, many of Jesus' contemporaries longed for the restoration of an earthly kingdom.

I was reflecting on how our first Stewardship of Serving season has progressed. Honestly, I’m a little saddened. We’re a loving, welcoming parish. I hear people say this all the time. And yet, we struggle to find parishioners willing to serve. I think to some extent this is a sign of the times. We’re living in a world that is focused on self. We need to break out of this way of thinking and remember our earthly days are a means to an ultimate end (heaven).

Last weekend was St Rose’s first Stewardship of Serving commitment weekend. Cookies and donuts were enjoyed by all, and we even had a few volunteers step forward.

I wanted to commend and thank Pat and Sheryl Brutto (and Abigail and Sarah too) for sharing their personal story with us at all Masses. What a great witness of how parish ministry returns fruits to those willing to make it a prioritized part of their life.