Dear Friends in Christ,

We often think of crisis as a time of panic or the unfolding of high drama that calls for immediate and desperate action. That may well be one expression of crisis. In my own life and throughout my work during these 35+ years, I am becoming ever more familiar with another form. The time of crisis can also be an unexpected and unannounced experience when suddenly we are overwhelmed by the confusing and amazing complexity of life. We look at parents growing old or our own aging, a marriage deserving more attention, children needing more of our time, presence and encouragement, friendships and work-related associates taking us away from the most important people in our life, the hurry, carrying us past the importance of Mass and personal prayer... and it goes on and on. How did we get here? In this stunning turn of events, there is a felt need to return to a centering place that promises a measure of purpose and peace.

We wonder whether we can go back and reclaim that which we unwittingly left behind and reshape our lives according to that which matters most. It is most frequently in the "looking back" that we realize how cluttered life has become, and we long for a lasting opportunity to catch our breath. In that moment of exhaustion, we should not be surprised that Jesus Christ has been waiting for us all these years, eager to share the grace of wisdom - to know Him in a way that we have never known Him, to touch the face of Christ in His Church and to experience an inner peace and our own capacity for doing good for others. Holy Spirit desires to be and is committed to being that place of restoration and reconciliation and renewal. Entering into that transforming grace and delighting in the joy of being in the company of brothers and sisters in Jesus is an essential expression of Stewardship.

Continued...