Olympics in London

Greetings to all of you!

This weekend was the start of the Olympics in London. Held every four years in which people from all around the world compete to win medals, but most of all, give honor and glory to their respective countries for a job well done. After the Olympics, some of the winners go on to do TV commercials and get paid handsomely in promoting products for corporations etc. Yet, in the Diocese of St. Petersburg, every year there are people who are recognized from every parish who have performed outstanding feats all in the name of God. Although they won't be paid handsomely in this life, they are at least recognized by the Bishop and awarded the St. Jude Medal for outstanding Stewardship to their respective parishes. This year the winner of this prestigious award goes to Mary Strickland! If any of you know Mary, she has been working tirelessly with the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) for some years now and has helped in the spiritual journey of countless people looking to come into the Catholic Faith. We congratulate Mary and we thank her for being such a wonderful disciple of Christ! Although the medal will be bronze, it is GOLD to us!
After watching the British Open last week, my heart went out for one of my favorite golfers, Adam Scott, for losing in the final holes to Ernie Els. It must be a devastating experience to lose a major championship as that one with only a few holes to play and I'm sure he must have been crushed. But on the other hand, being good enough to BE at that moment in history means everything! How many of us fear putting ourselves in any position that might fail? That's not what a true Christian is all about. Jesus came to give us life and to live that life to the fullest, and yet, so many times we fear failure so we don't put ourselves in a position to even try. So congratulations to Ernie Els, but an even bigger "atta boy" goes Adam Scott!
Well, that is all for now. Continue to embrace the challenge that life brings, and know despite it all, that God smiles not on the timid, but the strong!

Peace,
Father David