Sunday August 4, 2024
A college friend, Rich, passed away during July. As I look back on the weeks gone by, I wonder about the significance of our life. It seemed Rich was here one day and gone the next. I celebrated funerals for two women during July, one 94 and the other 104. I met their grandchildren, grown men and women with families of their own and Sea King alumni. The Catholic theology of time is that while there is the annual, ongoing cycle of life (the spiral that repeats itself), so too that spiral is moving along a trend toward a culmination at the end of time. They used to build octagonal baptistries, signifying the eighth day, not the seventh of the sabbath, but the eighth day of eternity.
I will be on vacation while you are reading this postcard. A friend, his brother and I will be sailing on his boat from San Diego to Catalina and maybe islands beyond. With the long days of summer, sailing on the Pacific will be a sabbath of sorts, a time of rest and recreation. I trust that after having rested, I will return to my ministry with greater ease, joy and creativity.
Celebration is also part of a well-balanced life. July featured our parish fiesta in honor of Saint Joachim. We all give thanks for the generosity and service of members of the Committee Hispano and Knights of Columbus who provided the food we shared. Another saint celebrated by the Church in July is St. James (Santiago). I was on the Camino in the summer of 2022. When I reached the Basilica, I felt the Lord speak to me saying, “Your heaven will be enriched by the people you help along the way on earth.” I know my journey of faith is fuller for each one of you. Thank you.
In Christ,
Rev. Robert P. Capone