A navy pilot on leave was talking to his parents about the helicopter he flew. He said, “You know Dad, as complicated as that helicopter is, its whirling rotor is held in place by a single hexagonal nut.” Then turning to his mother, he added, “And Mom, you know what they call that nut?”
She had no idea and said, “I give up. What do they call the nut that holds it all together?” Her son smiled and replied, “They call it the Jesus nut. If something goes wrong, then the next person you’ll meet is Jesus.” An interesting and sensible name, if you ask me. Just as that nut holds the helicopter together, Jesus by his death and resurrection holds us together. That is the underlying message I find throughout these readings. Jesus is the one who holds everything together. He is compared to the cornerstone of a building and in today’s gospel; we hear the familiar image of Jesus as the good shepherd who keeps his flock together.
We could easily limit our attention to that image and forget the rest of the story. A Jesus nut may keep a helicopter together but it doesn’t get the helicopter off the ground. Every component in the helicopter from the rotors to the motor plays a role in getting the helicopter airborne. A cornerstone keeps a building from collapsing but it doesn’t make up the entire building. Every beam matters in the construction of any building.
One might wonder why Jesus would choose such a lowly job for a self-image, calling himself the “good shepherd,” especially when we think of sheep as being dumb animals. Comparing us to sheep doesn’t seem so flattering but then this vulnerable animal develops a fierce loyalty and this is the quality Jesus is looking for in his disciples. Jesus expects us to be as loyal to him as a sheep would be to its shepherd. Also, good shepherds would die while protecting their sheep.
As a parish community, we demonstrate our loyalty to Jesus through our actions in numerous ways; feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, caring about the homeless, welcoming newcomers, and comforting the grieving. The services and many ministries of the Archdiocese do what we cannot do individually or as a parish. Look at the flap on this envelope and you can see a sampling of how the Annual Appeal impacts people throughout our diocese.
The Annual Catholic Appeal supports 63 ministries in Western Washington from Blaine to Camas and from Ocean Shores to Darrington. I invite you during this Easter season to show your loyalty and love in deed and in truth just as Jesus showed his love for us on the cross. One deed we all can do is participate in the Annual Catholic Appeal.
I presume by now you have received a letter from Archbishop Sartain, which outlines some of the many programs supported by the Annual Catholic Appeal. The goal this year is $ 11.7 million. Our parish goal is $ 42,804. Last year 178 families in our parish participated with an average pledge of $367, enabling us to surpass our goal by more than $20,000. That rebate was placed into our capital improvement fund to take care of unforeseen emergencies.
I join Archbishop Sartain in asking you to prayerfully consider how you can support the larger church this year. I hope you will respond with the same generosity that was demonstrated by many last year. I know this parish will generously exceed its goal; what you might not realize is how crucial the rebate we get back will be for our parish in the coming year. That money has been earmarked for installing solar panels, to provide power to Read Hall in the event of a blackout, which is receiving much support, judging by the informal survey that the green team has been conducting recently.
Everyone’s participation is valued. If you haven’t given in the past to the Annual Catholic Appeal, I am asking you to join others who have participated by making some pledge as a sign that you see yourself as a vital member of the Catholic Church of Western Washington. Last year 61% of our families made a pledge. Those whom the Appeal benefits will value a gift of any size.
In this land of ours, where we take religious freedom for granted, I doubt that we will ever be called to lay down our lives as the good shepherd did for us, but we can honestly consider our willingness to sacrifice something in order to help the larger church reach out in its many much needed ministries from educating tomorrow’s priests to visiting the imprisoned, from supporting our retired nuns and priests to visiting the sick in our hospitals, from supporting our youth camps to training tomorrow’s deacons.
In the weeks ahead, I hope you will join me in making a pledge. Keep in mind that this is not the same as our stewardship campaign, which is held in the fall. You can make your pledge in four ways as noted on the envelope; a one time gift by cash or check, electronic funds transfer, monthly charges to a credit or debit card. Take an envelope home with you and prayerfully consider your options. You can even donate stock or donate on line.
On behalf of the Archbishop and the many people who are served by the Church of Western Washington, thank you for all you do and share as loyal disciples of Jesus Christ. May God bless you abundantly and may we continue to follow the good shepherd all the days of our lives.