If you would like to view today's Mass, "2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time," please click here or on the picture above.
Well, we just celebrated the season of Christmas, and then New Years, and then the Buffalo Bills going into the playoffs! As if that is not enough to celebrate, we now add to the list something really big: This past week, bishop Michael Fisher was installed as our new bishop! At St. Joseph's Cathedral on Friday at 2pm he became the fifteenth bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo. In celebration, all of the parishes in the diocese, including St. Andrew, pealed our church bells beginning at 2pm.
He has told us that he prefers to be called "Bishop Mike." I spoke to Fr. Jim this week. He had dinner with him on Sunday and said he is the most easy to talk to, down to earth, kind and pleasant man! Our parish has put together a very short video welcoming bishop Mike and letting him know how grateful we are that he has come to shepherd us in our faith. You can view the video at our St. Andrew YouTube channel or here on our Facebook page.
In our Gospel this weekend, Jesus asks two of his disciples, "What are you looking for?" The first of those two disciples was our very own St. Andrew. It turns out, he was looking for the Messiah, the one who was to come to bring peace to the world. The Messiah is what he was looking for and found in Jesus. So he introduced his brother (who would become St. Peter) to Jesus.
I suppose that bishop Mike might ask us the same question. He has come as our shepherd, to lead us. So he is likely very interested to know, "What are YOU looking for?" What is it that you are looking to see our new bishop accomplish here in Buffalo? Maybe it is to pray for us. Maybe to allow us to be more connected to each other as Church family. Maybe it is to bring healing to victims of abuse and to assure justice, integrity, and compassion in our diocese. Bishop Mike seems like the kind of man who would be genuinely interested, like Jesus was, in knowing what you are looking for in a shepherd - a bishop. Feel free to contact him to welcome him and to let him know what you are looking for.
Please keep bishop Mike in your prayers, especially this week, as he gets started on his journey along with us towards Christ. As St. Andrew was the first to recognize Jesus and bring others to meet him, may we do the same. And, may we welcome bishop Mike as he shepherds us to do exactly that!