Dear Parishioners of Saint Helen,
One of the most vivid and compelling appearances of Jesus after the Resurrection can be found in Luke’s depiction of the road to Emmaus. The story draws us in as we picture Jesus’ disciples, filled with sorrow and confusion, yet remembering His words about the resurrection, talking amongst themselves as they walked the seven-mile journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus. “And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them.” (Luke 24:15)
Perhaps we can place ourselves in this tableau: faithful, yet in disbelief on occasion; joyful, but sometimes overcome with sorrow at the losses in our life; hopeful, yet sometimes confused about what God wants from us.
On the road to Emmaus, Jesus traced and explained what was said in all of Scripture about himself.
As they later recalled this encounter, “they said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while He spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?’” (Luke 24:32)
My brothers and sisters, that is what I hope for all of us – that our hearts burn within us as Christ reveals himself to us through Scripture, through our relationships with each other, and through the ministries and service we provide to Saint Helen and our greater community. While we find satisfaction and encouragement in the faith journey, we are never done with it. In fact, quite the opposite: The Holy Spirit fills us and, with passion and zeal, we continue the mission, each of us called and sent to unleash the Spirit in the world.
We all have so much love for Saint Helen! Who of us has not heard acknowledgment of that from someone who tells us what a wonderful and welcoming community of which we are a part. We can feel joy and enthusiasm for our parish, yet still experience a yearning for more. That is what I hope and pray for each of us individually, and collectively as a parish family.
Let us unleash the Spirit for it is the Spirit that leads us to where we need to go in the future. Let us use our love to inspire us to even greater heights. We need to be able to take our lead from the Holy Spirit and follow not only in ways we want to go, but where the Holy Spirit takes us. The possibilities are endless, as high as the sky…and beyond our imaginings.
We live in a time when religion is being pushed aside for other realities and pursuits. These forces are growing and ever present. We must allow the grace and strength of the Spirit to inspire us to stand firm in our faith and capture that same sense of urgency of the Emmaus disciples after they recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread and to strive for the same unrelenting dedication to spreading the Gospel message as the first disciples did, as we read in Acts of the Apostles.
Together, we can imagine how we can be Church as we move into the future. There are so many people out there that need a hand reaching out to them, inviting them in, and assuring them of the love of God, “…who so loved the world that he sent his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life” (John 3:16)
Let us be the face, the hands, the feet, and the voice of God’s love, bearing witness to all we meet that God is love and God loves them. God has bigger plans for Saint Helen. May the Holy Spirit within us, as individuals and as a community, be unleashed into the world in ever more passionate and compassionate ways.
Throughout this report, you’ll notice QR codes that link to personal Stewardship Spotlight stories from our Saint Helen community. They reflect the faith journeys, challenges, and joys of our parishioners, offering a glimpse into how God’s grace is at work in our lives. I encourage you to take a moment to explore these heartfelt testimonies and response to God's call as we celebrate the vibrant spirit of our parish family.
No matter where each of us are in our life and faith journey, the Lord calls us and sends us so that His Spirit will be unleashed in the world.
