[Behold! The text of the homily. Check out the video on our YouTube channel here. If you want to see the whole Mass, you can check it out on our Facebook page here.]
To what shall I compare the parish family of St. Patrick’s?
It is like a cottonwood seed. It is the tiniest of little seeds, about a tenth of the size of the head of a pin. Released from its pod, it floats on the wind, lingers on the sidewalk and eventually finds root where in no time at all, it grows first the sapling, and then the branches, growing up to four feet a year. In no time at all it becomes the largest of trees in Alaska. Soon it grows its own pods and sends its seeds upon the wind, where they cover lawns and sidewalks, affix themselves to screens and find their ways indoors. We know not how. It’s just part of life up here.
I am convinced that if there were cottonwood trees in first century Palestine, Jesus would have used them instead of the mustard seed to illustrate the Kingdom of God. The cottonwood, (Populus deltoides), are a first generation tree, usually the first to sprout up, hold the soil and provide cover for other flora and fauna after a receding glacier or wildfire. Mature cottonwoods can grow over 150 feet tall, have a canopy of 75 feet and a trunk over 6 feet in diameter. But it all starts with that little bitty seed.
I look at the big cottonwood trees that rise up from the ground to the heavens. Then I look at that little bitty seed…and I wonder…
How does it know? How does that itty bitty seed contain everything you need to grow one of those huge trees?
Any geneticist or botanist can tell you the answer, of course, but it is still pretty incredible that something so huge could come from something so small.
It’s the same for us as a parish.
We started out so very small, with 124 families, carved out of territory St. Anthony Parish on the Feast of St. Francis, October 4, 1971. We took root first in the Chester Valley School,
“St. Chester’s of the Valley”
Then in the Tara Lounge
Then in what is now the Deacons Hall
Paid for by the Great Alaska Pipeline Classic where people bought chances the date, time and minute that the first barrel of oil would make it from through the pipeline to the terminal in Valdez.
Twenty-five years ago on May 5, 1996, we dedicated the new church.
Now, on the eve of fifty years, we have registered 930 families, serving in 48 identified ministries within the parish and the local community.
So, if we are to run the parable of the cottonwood tree to its conclusion,
I would say that while we are no longer a sapling, we have not quite matured as a parish.
Nevertheless, I believe that we are poised for our next big growth spurt.
But how do we do so?
First, by the joyful and reverent celebration of the sacraments of the Church
The liturgy evangelizes and teaches.
It is the source and summit of all we do.
It is the first priority of the parish.
Soon after I arrived I formed the Liturgy Committee which is made up of the coordinators of all the liturgical ministries in the parish.
As you can see, their efforts have born great fruit in the worship of our community, especially during the pandemic, and now into the future.
Second, by the intentional formation of disciples of Jesus Christ.
So often we think of faith formation as something for our young people.
First in pre-school and then in middle and high school and then confirmation
And then what?
That is not an ending, it is a beginning.
You never stop learning how to be a better disciple,
You can never exhaust the mystery of Christ or his Church.
As St. Peter says, we should always be ready to give an account of the joy that is within us.
To help us in this,
Last July, we welcomed Mary Allison, our new Director of Catechetical Ministries. In consultation with the Catechetical Ministries Team, Mary has spent the last year evaluating past catechetical programs and developing a new program of faith formation to meet the needs of all parishioners from 9 months to 99 years and beyond.
Third, the parish evangelizes.
Both ourselves withing the parish and then the local community in which we find ourselves.
This is important.
If we live this life joyfully and with faith,
It will be attractive.
Remember if your entire life is spent bringing just one other person to Christ
Is it not a life well spent?
For this pillar of our mission, this past fall, we formed the Evangelization Parish Life Team, comprised of all the ministries of evangelization, whether their focus was spiritual, social or service. We looked at the needs and opportunities before us. Then, earlier this year, we developed the position of Director of Evangelization, compiled a job description, recruited and held interviews.
I am happy to announce that on July 1st of this year, we will welcome Ms. Emily Brabham as our new Director of Evangelization and Parish Life. Emily’s first task will be to revitalize Youth and Young Adult Ministry in the parish while supporting the various other service, social and prayer ministries of Evangelization.
But none of these pillars of our mission, the joyful and reverent celebration of the sacraments, the intentional formation of disciple of Jesus, or the evangelization of ourselves and our neighbors can stand alone.
We need a body to consult with the pastor to help discern needs and opportunities and to help with coherent pastoral planning.
To that end, I am happy to announce that on June 23rd the Pastoral Council will hold its first meeting. I thank you all for your prayerful discernment of its membership. I will be introducing them to you next week!
So, there is a lot going on here in our little part of the Kingdom. I’m convinced that if there were cottonwoods in first century Palestine, Jesus would have used them instead of the mustard seed to illustrate the Kingdom of God. It only takes the tiniest seed of faith to make a great saint. It only takes one parish family to change the world in 99504.