Gratitude and Kindness
Dear Friend,
With the Feast of Christ the King this week, we conclude the liturgical year. In some ways it feels like a thud. All the emotional cross currents of Thanksgiving now include the frustration and disappointment of not being able to gather in the usual ways.
By the grace of God this week, I found myself connecting with two individuals who showed me the gift of hope in these difficult times. First, there was Rabbi Daniel Brenner of B’nai B’rith Community, whom you might remember from his presence in the Mission church at our prayer gathering following the vandalism attack just over two years ago. Rabbi Daniel and his wife Felicia have a new baby girl, and Daniel was able to share a photo during an online gathering of local Santa Barbara clergy. Daniel is a leader in reaching out to keep Santa Barbara clergy connected. He helps us think in new ways about how we as faith leaders can support each other and be better servants to our faith communities.
Secondly, I was blessed to be in conversation with Peter McGoey, a long-time friend of the Mission who spent close to 40 years as a counselor and teacher based at Cottage Hospital. Like Rabbi Daniel, Peter has been a stabilizing presence in times of crisis for countless individuals and families. Acts of simple kindness, Peter reminded me, are so very important this year, probably more than ever. At the same time, kindness to others in the act of listening helps us “get out of ourselves.”
Like Daniel and Peter, the Feast of Christ the King points me outward. Jesus Christ locates himself with the most afflicted. God meets us in the most vulnerable. As we conclude our month of remembrance at a new crossroads, gratitude and kindness are first steps toward recovery and rebirth.
Gratefully,
Fr. Dan