Dear Parishioners,

A little boy was heart broken to find his pet turtle lying on its back, lifeless and still, beside the pond. His father did his best to console him: "Don't cry, my son, we'll arrange a lovely funeral for Mr. Turtle. We'll make him a little coffin all lined in silk and get the undertaker to make a headstone for his grave, with Mr. Turtle's name carved on it. Then we'll have fresh flowers placed on the grave each day and make a little picket fence to go all around it."

The little boy stopped crying and became enthusiastic about the project. Everything was ready. The cortege was formed: father, mother, maid and child, the chief mourner began to move solemnly towards the pond to bring in the body of Mr. Turtle. But the body had vanished.

Suddenly they spied Mr. Turtle in the depths of the pond and swimming around merrily. The little boy stared at his pet Turtle in bitter disappointment, then said, "Let's kill him!"

In the Gospel, we see Jesus leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd. The crowd found something strange in Jesus. They were not following Jesus out of love but just for the fun of it. Many of us like to be in a crowd for just the same reason. I say that the crowd was not in love because they silenced a person who got a glimpse of hope and life on hearing the name of Jesus. The crowd, for their own self interest, like the little boy in the story, wanted to silence the glimpse of life, received by the blind man. However, the life ignited in the name of Jesus would never be quenched.

To be blind is to be cut off from other people. It is to be in a world of one's own. At times loneliness enfolded him like a cold mist. His future was a long road, but a road without a goal. Some kind people gave him a coin as they passed by but no one ever stopped to talk to him. The indifference of others hurt him most. It's terrible to be treated as if you had no feelings – like a block of wood. That's how it was for him until one day Jesus entered by that road.

Suddenly life and hope flared up inside him, and he began to cry out, "Jesus, son of David, have pity on me!" Then he was told that Jesus heard him and He was calling him. Throwing aside his cloak, he groped his way to meet Jesus. Fulfilling the blind man's wish, Jesus told him, "Go on your way, it was your faith that saved you."

How could he go his own way and forget all about Jesus, who entered his life? He followed Him along the road and became a disciple of Jesus. This is a challenge for all of us. Through baptism, God has given us the gift of his Spirit to be faithful and loving disciples. On this, Thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time, the Church in the United States observes "Priesthood Sunday." God blesses the universal Church with many priests who give of themselves for Christ's people. Their service to the community inspires many to continue the mission of Christ to a world in need.

May God bless us all.

Father Lawrence