Come and Lay Your Hands
What a truly magical weekend we experienced. This was our first at my new parish assignment. Starting Friday we visited and met with our priests, administrative staff and parishioners. Sandee and I were warmly welcomed by all. We were greeted with hugs, broad smiles, blessings, words of comfort, pledges of support, tours of the church and premises and at Sunday evening Mass with a thoughtful hamper.
There was so much to take in: names, faces, a hefty bunch of keys with explanations of which is for which door, glimpses of personalities, advice on liturgy, information on renovations needed, history of the parish and parishioners, brief biographies and many little anecdotes. I joyfully awoke this morning with enthusiastic anticipation for the tenure ahead.
As I read the phrase ‘come and lay your hands’ in this week’s Gospel Mark 5: 21-43, I reflected that a person’s touch can be so sacred. In the Gospel the touch of a person communicated healing. Jairus asked Jesus to lay his hands on his ‘dying daughter’ and she would be healed. The woman touched the fringe of Jesus’ garment and was healed. Jesus touches the dead little girl, taking her by the hand, and she is healed.
I thought of all the shake hands, pats on the back, hugs and Sandee and I holding each other’s hand. They were all blessings and healings. It was as if each touch we received and gave was a gentle reminder of the sacred presence among us, a sign of the community’s warmth and a promise of a beautiful journey ahead together.
These words of the Gospel filled me with a profound sense of purpose and responsibility. I understood that my role here extended far beyond the administrative and liturgical duties; it was about fostering these sacred bonds, nurturing the spiritual and emotional well-being of our parishioners.
As Sunday evening fell, we sat together in quiet prayer, thankful for the warm welcome and hopeful for the journey ahead. Our thoughts were of the people we had met, their stories, and their kindness. I felt a deep sense of peace and readiness to embrace this new chapter in our lives.
NOTICE BOARD
Friends, I encourage you to visit my online pastoral site and explore the inspirational offerings at the link below. I particularly highlight the Bible Study Membership program where at present we are journeying on the adventures of St Paul as highlighted in the week’s 2nd Reading. This week we continue to journey with him to Corinth.