Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

         Happy August!  Time is flying by.  We are now in our eighth month of the year of our Lord 2008.  With just four months to go until 2009, it’s time for all of us to make the best use of our time.  School starts here at St. Maria Goretti in less than two weeks.  Our other schools start right behind us.  It is so easy for us to “lose” days of our lives.  We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married or ordained or graduate.  We think that life will be complete when we have a baby, and then another.  We are so busy wishing, and hoping, and looking forward to what’s next, and waiting for our next big accomplishment, that so many days we miss out on or lose track of.  We get frustrated that our kids aren’t old enough, and we tell ourselves that things will be easier and that we will be happier when they are older.  After that, when they are older, and doing more, we get frustrated with our teenagers. And we can’t wait for our children to be out of that stage.  We tell ourselves that our life will be happier and more complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, or when we get that better job, or when we get that nicer car, or when we’re able to go on that dream vacation, or when we retire.  The truth is that now is the time for all of us to find peace and happiness.  We’ve got to stop waiting.  If not now, when?  Our lives will ALWAYS be filled with challenges, sometimes more than others.  We might as well admit this is life, and find our peace and happiness with God in the middle of it all.  God desires peace and happiness for all of us.  We’ve got to stop wishing our lives away.  As Catholic Christians, we firmly believe that Jesus Christ is the way to that everlasting happiness and peace, both in this world and in the world that is to come.  Jesus’ way of love, and mercy, compassion and service can radically change all of our lives if we let it.  We need to treasure all of our days.  We don’t get them back , you know?   We need to treasure them even more because we have family and good friends to share our days with.  The people in our lives are special enough for us to spend our time, our days, with them.  What an honor and a privilege it is to get to share in anybody’s life!

So stop waiting!!!

…Until your car or home is paid off.

…Until you get a new car or a new home.

…Until your kids leave the house.

…Until you go back to school.

…Until you finish school.

…Until you lose 10 lbs.

…Until you gain 10 lbs.

…Until you get married.

…Until you get a divorce.

…Until you have kids.

…Until you retire.

…Until summer.

…Until spring.

…Until winter.

…Until fall.

…Until you die.

Think about these things this week.  And stop wasting time.  Remember that time waits for no one.

In Christ,

Fr. Kevin

“It is pointless for us to think of the lost hours of yesterdays.  The only way to make learning a lesson of celebration, instead of a cause for regret, is to only ask, ‘How can I put this to use today?’”   - Author Unknown