Fr. Fred Adamson
September 13, 2026
Dear Parishioners,
As we gather today to listen to God’s Word and participate in the saving love of the Eucharist, we do so amid the busyness of life and a world that moves at an increasingly fast pace. We are called to live in and for the world but not be of the world. How do we remain centered on Christ when there is always another task, another responsibility and another thing demanding our attention?
I have consciously tried to change the way I look and describe my life. Rather than saying. “I am busy,” I try to say, “My life is full.”There is a difference. “Busy” can become a worldly mindset focused on getting through the next thing and give people you don’t have time. “Full” reminds me to recognize and be grateful for the many good ways with which God fills my days. I often find myself thinking, “I wish I had more time to do all the good that needs to be done.” Perhaps that is God’s way of keeping me humble and reminding me that ultimately, this is His work, not mine. I suspect many of us feel the same way, especially as school begins, fall approaches and the pace of life picks up.
How grateful I am, then, for the times we can gather as a parish community and intentionally step away from the noise and demands of life to focus on our relationship with God, our families and one another. Life is never perfect, but it can certainly be full of God’s grace when we draw close to Him.
Speaking of “full,” take a moment to look through this bulletin. Our parish is full of wonderful opportunities to grow in faith. Adult and children’s faith formation begin this week. Quest, our gathering for those who are searching, questioning and discerning becoming Catholic, is now meeting weekly – Sundays at 9:00 AM There are also many opportunities to pray, learn and grow through our parish ministries and through the Hallow and Formed platforms. I encourage you to take advantage of these resources and find something that helps you grow closer to Christ.
As disciples, we are also called to share the Good News and help others come to know the Lord. As a parish, we try to practice what is called spiritual multiplication. It is really quite simple: if each of us invites one person or one family to know Jesus a little better, His love and mercy continue to spread from one person to another. This is at the heart of the Gospel mandate to evangelize. You do not need to have all the answers or be a Scripture scholar. Simply share, humbly and naturally, what your faith means to you and what your relationship with Jesus has done in your life. Your witness may open someone’s heart and begin their own quest for truth, beauty and goodness found in God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Today’s Gospel places before us the challenging question of forgiveness. Peter asks Jesus how many times he must forgive someone who sins against him. Jesus responds, “Not seven times but seventy-seven times.” In other words, forgiveness is not measured or rationed. The Christian is called to become a person who forgives because we ourselves have been forgiven.
This is where Christian forgiveness goes beyond our merely human capacity. We can easily respond to hurt with anger, resentment, revenge or the desire for someone to suffer as we have suffered. Jesus calls us to something greater. We forgive not because the wrong was insignificant, nor because the hurt did not matter, but because God has shown us mercy.
Forgiveness is a process and a way of living; it is not always a single moment. The phrase “forgive and forget”can sometimes be unhelpful. We may not forget the hurt or the wrong that was done. Christian forgiveness does not mean pretending that something did not happen or ignoring the need for justice and appropriate boundaries. Rather, forgiveness means bringing the hurt honestly before Jesus and asking Him for the grace to let go of vengeance and hatred.
We acknowledge the wrong. We acknowledge the pain. We bring it to Christ. And then, little by little, we allow His mercy to replace our desire for revenge. Forgiveness is ultimately about allowing Jesus to bring healing and peace to our hearts. It sets us free, not by changing the past, but by refusing to allow the past to control our control.
I am also excited that we are beginning something new especially for our young adults: a Candlelight Mass on the third Friday of each month. Our first Candlelit Mass will be Friday, September 18, at 7:30 PM It will be a beautiful opportunity to come together, worship God and encounter the Lord after a full week. Following Mass, the Clairvaux Café will be open for young adults to spend some time together, build friendships and get to know one another. Please come and bring a friend. The Mass is open to our entire parish community.
What wonderful ways God is working to fill our parish with faith, friendship, prayer, formation, mercy and love. May we never be so busy that we fail to recognize how full our lives truly are because of the goodness and grace of God.
Peace in Him.