Staying thankful

The question “why do you belong to a church?” can elicit a range of responses. After all, churches are communities that welcome individuals wherever they find themselves in their journey through life and their relationship with the divine.

When I reflect on what I hold among my primary motivations to gather, worship, and act in community, thanksgiving is at the top of the list. At St. John the Evangelist, we regularly hear that “we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks" to the "Creator and Preserver of all things."

In our liturgy, prayers of thanksgiving anticipate the account of Jesus giving thanks and breaking bread among his disciples in the intimate setting of the Last Supper. This is not the only time the Gospel narrates Jesus’ thanksgiving while breaking bread. When surrounded by several thousands of hungry followers, having on hand nothing more than a few loaves and fish, Jesus gives thanks and breaks bread. Somehow the seemingly insufficient provisions suddenly transform into enough to feed everyone!

Try to imagine yourself at this event, before the thanksgiving, knowing nothing of what is about to take place. How might you feel? Finding yourself with scarce resources and mounting pressures, would you feel motivated to give thanks, trusting God to take care of the apparent predicament?

One of the advantages to living a life centred on thanksgiving and thankfulness is that we train ourselves to notice the gifts that are immediately available to us, rather than all that is missing or insufficient. Many parishes, including our beloved St. John the Evangelist, have found the aftermath of the pandemic, embedded in an already challenging highly secularized socio-cultural context, nearly impossible to navigate. Yet we are called to renew our vision and discover the gifts that are here within reach.

I am thankful for the 24 years of ministry of Fr. Keith Schmidt, now recently retired, who led our parish through all manner of challenges over the past two decades and gave space for a diverse and vibrant community of members to grow and mature.

I also give thanks for the next chapter of unknown adventures and discoveries awaiting our parish.

I invite you, fellow members and friends of St. John the Evangelist, to please come and join us as we continue this journey together.