Dear Parishioners,

    We have become a society of complainers, and yes I am including myself. We like to complain about all different kinds of things. Certainly at times complaints are needed, but many of the complaints that we make do nothing but cause us to have lots of negative energy. Someone said to me recently, “Well if we don't complain or gossip, then what will we have to talk about?” In reality, while things do happen to us and around us that are bad, we in this country have a very good life compared to much of the rest of the world. Many times people complain about things that we have no control over, like the weather or the economy or other people. Often people complain about things, but then if you ask them to be in charge or volunteer to help make it better, they don't want to do that.
    This is why we have the Lenten Wristband Mission, to remind us that we should complain less, pray more and give thanks. Often we like to complain to God that things are not the way we wish they were. I know that I do that more than I should. It is good sometimes to remind ourselves just how many blessings we have. Certainly the greatest blessing we have is our faith and the Church. Yes, sometimes the Church or the parish may do something that we don't like, but our faith does not depend on human beings who can make mistakes. Our faith is based on Jesus, who gave his life so that we might have eternal life. This is an awesome gift to give thanks for each and every day. So the next time that we think about complaining, let’s look at the wristband and thank God for something and say a prayer. The happiest people I have known are people who don't complain much, and many of them have had horrible things happen to them in their lives – but their faith enables them to see beyond the negative. Believe me, I know this is not an easy pattern to break. But we will never break it if we don't at least give it a try. May God bless us all in this Holy Season.

Fr. Rick