Beloved Family:
Have you prepared your backpacks yet? On Wednesday of this week ending, a number of us were out in front of the school entrance, in order to welcome or welcome back students and families to Saint Mary School for the start of the 2026-2027 year. That is an event that is happening for a lot of families at a lot of buildings these days. As I reached out to assist one of our junior high students, named Justin, hoist his backpack onto his shoulders, I was struck by the bulk and weight of its contents. He, himself, gave no indication of being especially “weighed down.” I suppose included therein are some items which will be stored in the locker for use later on in the year.
In any case, this exchange led me to reflect. Not all of us have to put together a back-to-school list of supplies. Nonetheless, if we are to be prepared for the journey of discipleship, we need to be as intentional as possible as to what we need for the journey. How much prayer—time with the Lord— am I making sure to pack on a daily basis? Am I taking optimal advantage, depending on my current rhythm of life, to build myself up with the nourishment of the Eucharist—via receiving Holy Communion at Mass as well as time before the Blessed Sacrament outside of Mass?
Am I touching base with fellow disciples to “compare lists,” in case there is some spiritual resource I am not aware of but could benefit from by them sharing with me or me with them? The school of life is no cake walk; as parents help their sons and daughters to prepare, we need to be looking out for one another so that each and every disciple has what she or he needs for the course ahead.
When it comes to Jesus preparing his first disciples for going out on mission, we know that his chief directive is, basically: “travel light.” That is on my mind in a particular way right now, since very soon I will be going on pilgrimage to Spain, to walk a portion of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. Fr. David, who made a monthlong pilgrimage there back in his seminary days, is providing encouragement and tips for me to follow. It is providing an excellent opportunity for me to apply the so-important question for our lives in Christ: what is truly essential? To tap a Latin term: what is the unum necessarium?
In the space remaining here, I would like to make an application with the gospel reading for this past Wednesday’s Mass. The passage is Matthew 20:1-6: the parable of the landowner and the hiring of laborers at various intervals of the day. It is fairly familiar to us, I believe; while some of the workers labor for far more hours than others, at the end of the day they are paid the same wage. To some of us, that must sound unfair. Yet, it demonstrates that Jesus desires for all of us to be drawn into relationship with Him, and there is never a time when he would not welcome us. For some of us, that happens early; for others, it could come much later in life.
As we look toward the startup of faith formation at all levels in the life of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception in the coming weeks (including Wednesday Anchor, Edge, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and Adult Faith Formation, as well as O.C.I.A.), I hope that individuals and families, whether you’ve been steadily engaged or only intermittently so, will experience the call to connect, through the various offerings provided and find great resources to “put in those backpacks!”
Let His Peace be with you,
Fr. Stephen
