By Fr. Justin Fulton
Greetings to all and especially to anyone from Kalamazoo or Crete who may be reading this column!
On the 4th of July, I was graced to be invited to a party at the home of my wonderful friends Ryan and Kate. I found it a blessing to meet both of their families and it gave me a sense of belonging, warmth and love, and I am very grateful to them and to Almighty God. These young parents are a testament to the parents who raised them and the way they brought them up: faithful, dynamic, fun-loving, loving and Catholic.
About halfway into the night, a great celebration met a troubling situation. A neighbor who had an awesome assortment of fireworks had one that erred and an accident occurred.
The firework was designed to shoot into the sky with around 10 explosions. After a couple of ‘in-the-air’ explosions, the firework tipped over and the explosions were being shot horizontally, into the yards and toward the people nearby. One could feel the heat and hear the buzzzz of the fireworks before realizing what was happening. Immediately instinct took over. Some ducked. Some sprang into protective action.
Enter my friends Ryan and Kate.
Ryan and Kate have a 4-year-old darling of a daughter, Jacqueline. And immediately, as the firework wreaked havoc and fear into the crowds, Ryan got up and went to cover his young, frightened daughter. Kate was following closely behind. As I came to my senses at what was going on, I noticed these young parents doing what any parent would do: protecting their young, innocent, and vulnerable child. It was a glimpse of God the Father’s love in a whirlwind of confusion and fear. It was edifying to see compassion in action: the Father’s love working through these parents’ love.
Ryan and Kate’s example of protecting their young and vulnerable Jacqueline is frankly what we are all called to do. Ryan and Kate are excellent parents and they give hope to this world as they spread Jesus Christ through their work in the office, in the community, in the home, and in the child they raise.
CSS does the same. We look out for the most vulnerable amongst us. Please pray for and help us protect the vulnerable in our communities by supporting us. In doing so, you are allowing the Father’s loving arms to protect His vulnerable children.
One way to support CSS financially is by participating in our events. Next up for us is our annual golf classic and auction Friday, Aug. 9. We have a wide range of items on this year’s auction—everything from a tropical trip to a Traeger grill! Check them out at https://qtego.net/qlink/cssgolf . Bidding opens soon, and ends the evening of Aug. 9 (around 7 p.m.).
