From the Rector

Dear Friends in Christ,

Transitions are tough. And complicated. They involve change—not usually popular—and stress. Add a measure of confusion and grief—and you might be talking about the recent departure of a beloved church staff member.

We wish Fr Peter well in his next call and at the same time we will miss him—perhaps even wish he didn’t have to leave. And that’s how we can end up feeling wistful—happy for him and sorry for us. Both at the same time.

If any of this resonates with you, know that you are in good company. And you are in good hands. Saint Philip’s will continue to be there for you in times of celebration and loss, worry and wonder. This is the essence of Pastoral Care.

While the substance of Pastoral Care remains the same, the person responsible for this valuable ministry has now changed. Mtr Mary will respond to inquiries and requests and help identify which of the many pastoral care offerings might best serve the person and situation.

To call Mtr Mary, dial 520-771-1737. To text her, use 562-447-4727.

Mtr Mary shared a poem with me recently that I now offer to you. It is by Hermann Hesse and is titled Stages. Mtr Mary tells me she turns to it regularly in times of change. I hope you find it as helpful as she does.

Stages*

As every flower fades and as all youth
Departs, so life at every stage,
So every virtue, so our grasp of truth,
Blooms in its day and may not last forever.
Since life may summon us at every age
Be ready, heart, for parting, new endeavor,
Be ready bravely and without remorse
To find new light that old ties cannot give.
In all beginnings dwells a magic force
For guarding us and helping us to live.
Serenely let us move to distant places
And let no sentiments of home detain us.
The Cosmic Spirit seeks not to restrain us
But lifts us stage by stage to wider spaces.
If we accept a home of our own making,
Familiar habit makes for indolence.
We must prepare for parting and leave-taking
Or else remain the slave of permanence.
Even the hour of our death may send
Us speeding on to fresh and newer spaces,
And life may summon us to newer races.
So be it, heart: bid farewell without end.

Yours in Christ,

—Fr Robert

*This is one of the poems by Hermann Hesse that is in his last novel The Glass Bead Game. With that novel he won the Nobel Prize of Literature in 1946.