Dear Parish Family,

"The glory of God is man fully alive." This ancient quote from St. Irenaeus of Lyons expresses that man and woman are made in God's image and likeness. The more our lives pattern the life of Jesus, the more fully alive we become and the more God is glorified. However, the path to fullness of life as a human person is marked by suffering and hardship since self-giving and merciful love presents a challenge in this life marked by sin and selfishness.

 

In order to understand what it means to live a full life in Christ, we need to understand glory in the right way. The word "glory" is "kavod" in Hebrew. Kavod literally means "weight" and designates a certain heaviness bestowed upon the one honored. Think of a bishop's weighty pectoral cross, an athlete's heavy medal or trophy, the burden carried by a CEO, the onus of parents raising young children, or the gravitas born by someone grieving or suffering. The list can go on. The point is that while glory certainly designates a certain honor, it also comes with a certain load, thickness, or weight, and it may not be something we would have chosen for ourselves.

 

Anything worth doing well in life for the true, good, and beautiful is going to be a heavy weight to bear. Relationships with friends and family, praying for and forgiving an enemy, sacrificing our time for someone we love, praying in the midst of desolation, giving to the poor, speaking the truth in love, committing ourselves to our education or to a diet or exercise plan, or receiving treatment for a physical or mental ailment, is going to cost us something. It may be the right thing to do, but it's going to hurt. We devote ourselves to something worthwhile and take the heat of that choice for the sake of righteousness. This is glory.

 

As Judas leaves Jesus and the Apostles to betray Him in today's Gospel, Jesus immediately speaks of His glorification. This might sound strange knowing that He is speaking of glory through His Passion, but keeping in mind the weight of glory that Jesus bears, we know now that His Cross leads to His Resurrection. The Son of Man is glorified in and through His suffering, and only later do we get to see the benefits of that sacrifice through His resurrection giving life to the world.

 

Listen to how the readings today speak of glory through hardship and suffering. Behold, God makes all things new through suffering in this life. Don't run from doing what is right even when it's difficult. It's precisely in these moments that we are glorified with Jesus and are made more fully alive in Christ.

 

Father Anthony Donatelli was ordained to the priesthood this Saturday, May 17. You can watch the ordination at the following link or on the Diocesan Facebook page. Congratulations Father Anthony! Fr. Anthony will be at St. Mary’s on June 8 for the noon Mass for a Mass of Thanksgiving and reception afterwards.

https://www.dioceseofcleveland.org/events/2025/05/17/ordination-to-the-priesthood

 

Pray for our school students who finish their school year at the end of this week, and for our 8th graders who graduate this Tuesday. May God grant them a restful Summer!

Finally, please see stmarychardon.org/jobs for a job posting for a part-time janitor at St. Mary’s. We could really use the help with our cleaning, setup, and teardown needs. Hours would be flexible between 1-6 pm Monday through Friday. Occasional weekend setup assistance for event setup would also be helpful. We want to continue our excellent service to our parishioners and patrons who utilize our facilities. Thank you for your consideration and invitation to those you know who may be interested in serving in this capacity!

 

I am yours in Christ,

Fr. Scott Goodfellow