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.

This week we return to ordinary time in our liturgical calendar. After the power of the Easter season, with its conclusion, on Pentecost Sunday, it can seem to be a little bit of a lull.

It may be ordinary time, but we are always an Easter people. This means we live as a people, all parts of Christ’s Body working together toward a single purpose: love. The challenge for us is to continue working through our ordinary days to always to follow God’s will for us. The great news is that we’re never alone in this journey. As we were told last week, He has left His advocate, the Holy Spirit, to be with us always.

Pentecost celebrates the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, the Advocate to the Apostles. The power of the Spirit was given to them so they could boldly carry out the mission Jesus gave them before his crucifixion, death, and resurrection. The mission to bring the Word of God and its saving grace to all corners of the earth. The verses following our first reading from Acts of the Apostles tells us that over 3000 persons joined the Church and its mission that day.

Every once and awhile, it seems that God throws us a bone. If we are honest, we’d have to admit that it’s more often than it seems. It’s just that we miss it. On a small scale, I was offered and noticed and was, therefore, able to receive a nice freebie.

Our Church was created to evangelize; to bring the message of the Gospel to all corners of the earth. We weren’t called to just attend Mass once a week for an hour. We are called to be lights of His love to all people at all times. It’s simple to understand but sometimes difficult to live. Those that accept this mission are called disciples.

The Easter season is an amazing time of change and growth in the Church. The liturgy spends a good deal of time inside the Acts of the Apostles where we see the Apostles transformed from scared and fearful to bold and evangelical. The season culminates at Pentecost where we see Peter step out of the shadows and, with the power of the Holy Spirit, he converts the hearts of 3,000 persons. The rest of the book of Acts focuses on how the Word was spread across the world from one believer to another. It was personal. It was sometimes hard. It was never unfulfilling.

You’re correct; technically, it’s not a verb but bear with me…

As we move through the Easter season we see a transition in how the risen Christ instructs the disciples. The parables, metaphors and symbols have been replaced with clear directives. He "opened their minds to understand the scriptures," making known the connections between his own words and deeds and "everything written about [Him] in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms."

What does it take to believe that something is real? We live in an age of computer technology, with things like Photoshop and other programs that can enhance photographs, create realistic images, and mimic artistic renderings. When looking at a picture of something, we find ourselves wondering if what we are seeing is real or just the result of technological creativity.

Early believers came to believe because of what they witnessed in these new communities of faith. They saw people authentically living out Jesus' command to love and to show mercy. What do people witness when they see us in action?