WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
It has been over six months since the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone is tired, overwhelmed and seeking the days of old. We have had to change so many things in our lives and so many are simply fed up. We long for the chance to visit family and friends, travel and see a movie. Many can’t get to Mass or participate in regular parish life. There is a fork in the road—-we can choose to be bitter, angry and frustrated, which paralyzes us and drags us down—or—we can take the path of Christ seeking grace, strength and hope.
We need to take a timeout in the midst of this chaos seeking our generous and loving God who fills us up and offers us perspective and guidance to swing the momentum our way. Journey through this series and find out how we can do that in our lives today!
WEEK #1 – “WE NEED TO TAKE A TIMEOUT”
Fr. John introduces the series in the midst of the overwhelming and trying time of the pandemic and the various other storms that we may be facing in our lives today. The overwhelming momentum can drag us down but in order to swing the momentum our way, we need to call a timeout. Basketball is all about momentum, those who control it most often win the game. We need to call a timeout in our lives so that we can stop the negative momentum and seek God’s gracious and generous love. We listen to His guidance and begin to work at swinging the momentum our way—to the way of hope, faith and love. Terry Fox did that in his life when he faced cancer with the MARATHON OF HOPE!!
Check out Fr. John’s SHIELD OF FAITH blog post about TAKING A TIME OUT. Click here.
WEEK #2 – “CREATE MOMENTUM”
In this second week of the series, Fr. John talks about how to create positive momentum in a world facing the pandemic in addition to other storms that we are in at the moment. After taking a timeout (Week #1), Fr. John invites us to reflect on how God offers us instructions to generate positive momentum in our lives and also in the world. We need to do a number of things that can counter the negative momentum. We can’t do it alone but together, we can create a momentum of faith, love and hope in a world that needs God’s love!
Check out Fr. John’s SHIELD OF FAITH blog post about CREATING MOMENTUM. Click here.
WEEK #3 – “IS IT IN YOU?”
In the third week of this series Fr. John refers to a 19 year old Gatorade campaign to ask ourselves—is Jesus in us? If he is, he can help us generate momentum of faith and love in this world. Fr. John shares the stories of Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Chiara Badano—wonderful, ordinary yet faithful young people who continue to generate grace and light even today. They had Jesus in their hearts—IS HE IN YOU?
WEEK #4 – “WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS”
In the fourth and final week of our series, Fr. John shares with us the fact that Jesus as won the battle for us. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, we receive the gift of eternal life. The battle comes as we are sent to share this GREAT NEWS and invite others to the eternal banquet feast in heaven. We need to do this with enthusiasm, courage and joy. We convince others by the way we live our lives each day, loving and serving those around us.
