2024 Moments (in reverse order)
When I sat down to write this week’s column, various moments from 2024 kept popping into my head:
• On the 4th Sunday of Advent, Fr. Thomas preached on Mary and Elizabeth meeting each other. He noted that this is a good way to experience God—in ordinary moments, not just spectacular moments. Case in point: during his homily, while talking about Mary, Elizabeth, and the baby Jesus, one of our St. Matt’s infants was providing background music.
• At Fr. Steve’s funeral, I marveled at how so many things came together for a wonderful celebration of his life and our faith. Among those things was our new system to put Masses online. We’d been working on the system for months—and with Fr. Steve’s death on December 1, we knew we had an important deadline to meet. Thanks to many people in the parish and our vendor partners, we made it. We streamed the funeral and there’s a recording on our website.
• Our Liturgical New Year’s celebration on November 29. It was a great party, and a good way to appreciate our many volunteers.
• Replacing our main electric panel in June, another culminating moment after a year’s preparation and fundraising.
• Fr. Thomas Kommers’ stepping in on short notice as Sacramental Minister, to replace Fr. Steve when he lost his voice and had to step back. We were blessed with priestly continuity for Holy Week and ever since.
• Fr. Steve going to the Emergency Room. Learning that his lung had collapsed, and he’d lost his voice. Then there was the additional shock of discovering he had cancer.
Big moments linger in memory. There were also many wonderful, ordinary moments as well. Throughout 2024, I was blessed to meet people, learn their names, and hear their stories. I look forward to more experiences of God in 2025, in moments great and small.
Have a great week! Happy New Year!
Phil Grant, Administrator
Safe Environment Coordinator
651-224-9793
Leave a Comment