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Parish Office Hours:
MONDAY-FRIDAY
9AM TO NOON & 1PM TO 4PM
Phone: 781-784-2265
Email: parish@olossharon.org
 

PASTOR’S DESK

 PARISH PASTORAL PLAN
 

Pope Francis holds parishes in high regard. He has said: “The Parish is the presence of the Church in any given territory, an environment for hearing God’s word, for growth in   Christian life, for dialogue, for proclamation, charitable outreach, worship and celebration.”
 
Here at OLOS we take the Holy Father at his word. For the last year, a team of dedicated parishioners has worked to prepare a pastoral plan to give direction to our parish for the next three years, affirming where we have been and where we want to go. After the 4:30 pm Mass this weekend and at “Coffee Hour” after the 8:45 am Mass, the team will be available to explain the “Plan.” It has four simple and clear objectives that are achievable with your support. While realizable in the short term, they will confirm and set our path forward for the longer term.
 
In order to do that we need you. Please attend one of the meetings, stay a while, enjoy    refreshments and see what you can do to help. Make a small investment of your time and talent for our common future. You set the limits of the time and energy you can give. No part is too small.
 
This parish is an extraordinary Faith Community. I count it a blessing to have been sent here to pastor among you. Together we are the church in this place, together we can make the hub of our faith an even better place to grow in our lives and deepen our relationship with Christ.

 
“DE MORTUIS NIL NISI BONUM”

Chilon of Sparta put this sentiment: “Say nothing but good about the dead” to words 600 years before Christ.  I’m reminded of this in the midst of all the publicity surrounding the documentary about the turbulent life and death of Aaron Hernandez and the tragic death of Kobe Bryant. Their deaths are no more tragic than that of any 27 or 41 year old or of Odin Lloyd or the eight other people who died in the helicopter crash but the fame of their achievement brings them to our attention.
 
This also leads to public reaction some of which ignores Chilon’s advice. To be sure, if there was any doubt about the presence of evil in our midst, a conviction for murder and a settlement of a sexual assault claim disabuse us of that.  Their impact on our culture cannot be ignored.
 
At the same time, our God is one of mercy who understood evil and suffered its impact. Yet he appreciated as a Boston Globe reporter has written: “But lives and legacies are not one-note symphonies. They are layered, complicated and always messy.” Jesus of  Nazareth is after all the one who said: “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.”
 
Like Peter, we are far short of the standard of mercy Jesus has set. Peter asks Jesus how many times he should forgive and feeling pretty good about himself says”…seven times?” (seven being a symbolic number for completeness.) But Jesus’ reply is overwhelming and leaves Peter speechless. He says “…seventy times seven times.”
 ~Fr. Frank