Today, St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church celebrated something very special: it's 150th year in Lawrence. To ring in the event, Fr. John and the good people at St. John's rented out the Lied Center. This mass--at 11:00 a.m. this morning-- was the only mass offered by this parish this weekend. Usually, Fr. John and Fr. Earl split six masses, including one Spanish mass, but offered just this one to bring the entire St. John's community together.
Because a significant portion of the St. John's community speaks Spanish, the music and the mass were bi-lingual. In the picture above, Fr. John and Fr. Earl are tag teaming the gospel, rotating reading a section in English and then a section in Spanish.
I haven't yet heard a count about how many people were there, but the orchestra level and first balcony were nearly full. Hearing praise to our God resounding through the hall and from that many voices was amazing.
And this moment...this is what it is all about.
As I walked around capturing the event on digital film, I couldn't help but notice that many of the Lied Center employees paid absolutely no attention to the celebration; they were reading books or doing homework backstage. It saddens my heart to think that they might have no knowledge of the goodness of the Lord, or have said "no thanks" to His gifts. This silhouette also represents the hungry, the poor, the downtrodden, the hopeless, the lost, the angry, the suffering, and those in the dark...all of us who are searching for something bigger than ourselves.
We're all searching for God in different ways, and we'll discover Him at different points in time and in difference circumstances. But hopefully today inspired something inside to reinvigorate that search, or simply begin it. Ultimately, the truth will lead us to rest in the loving arms of the Lord. St. John's, and the church at large, have been a significant part of many people finding that rest and joy. We pray that it has at least 150 more years left to give.
Come...live in the light!
