Sometimes when we make a decision to follow the Lord in a new or deeper way, we can often decide that everything should be easy. As if making the easiest choose is always the right choose. Sometimes it can be hard to make the right choose, it could be unpopular. I always thing of my sign I have on my fire place, “Never confuse the will of the majority, with the will of God.”

We hear in the first reading “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” It can be hard to see our way through ‘hardships’ often times. I remember a dear friend who was going through a real hard time in her personal life (this is by the way in 1990’s, before priesthood). She was talking to me about things and I told her the following story.

A man found a Monarch cocoon on a stick, so he broke off the stick and brought it home with him. Each morning and evening he would check on the cocoon. One day when he came home from work, he noticed that the cocoon was starting to brake open. He pulled up a chair to watch. He watched as this amazing struggle was going on. The Butterfly pushed and PUSHED against the sides of the cocoon prison. After some time, the man thought to himself, I can’t watch this any longer. I’ going to help. He reached down and with his thumb nails he pulled open the cocoon. The Monarch was free. He watched as the Monarch dried its wings in the sun. Open, Close, Open, Close. He waited for his friend to fly away. The Monarch NEVER FLEW! You see, it is in the struggle of braking free from the cocoon that the strength is built up in the wings. If you remove the struggle, you remove the strength.

When we go through hardships, we can cling to our faith or we can let go. The choose is ours. But to believe that having faith means everything is going to be easy, is not reality. I have met some wonderful people in my life, people who have handled ‘hardship’ well , you would have never guessed what they were going through. Because they always had on a smile and were always thinking of others.

Through prayer and fasting we can offer aid to those we know who are struggling. We can also let them know that they are not alone. We may not be able to remove their hardship (whatever it may be), but it can be very comforting to know that we do not have to go through it alone.

It has always been hard coming into a new community. It takes time to get to know people. It takes time for people to get to know me. Direct communication is always the best.

Spring has finally arrived in Clearwater, my flowers are starting to grow. It is a wonderful time of year that often holds change and growth.

We are doing good with the funds for the parking lot resurface. We are almost there and it is all because of your support. I look forward to getting the work done, it will be a wonderful first impression to all who come here. I would like to thank all who have donated and would like to encourage those who have been thinking about it. One last push could put us over the top, the black top, that is.

Blessings,
Fr Backer