This is the first of a series of articles on the stained-glass windows
that adorn our beautiful church. We hope knowing a bit more
about these beautiful works of art will enhance your prayer and
worship here at St. Anne.

The Raising of Lazarus from the Dead
Located near the confessional, in the southwest corner of the
church, the window depicts the moment when Lazarus is raised
from the dead. Many are familiar with this story found in John 11.
Jesus arrives at the home of Mary and Martha four days after his
friend Lazarus has died. After conversations with the sisters,
Jesus is taken to the tomb and has the stone blocking the
entrance removed. Then, after calling, “Lazarus, come out!” the
dead man appears alive.
Jesus occupies the center of the window and points with his right
hand to Lazarus who has been raised. The artist chose to show
Lazarus’ face, already uncovered, with a devotional expression.
Others picture Lazarus as being confused or filled with joy. How
do you picture this moment?
To the right we see Mary and Martha kneeling. Are those looks of
wonder, disbelief, joy, or something else? Two disciples stand
behind the sisters. One seems afraid while the other, with a hand
outstretched, may be pointing the viewer to the miracle and, in
turn, to our savior.
The window reminds us of Jesus’ power over death and the time,
after our own death, when Jesus will call to us, “Come out!”

Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I’m writing this on the Monday afternoon prior to the arrival of hurricane Idalia. I am not worried.

Make no mistake, I have a healthy respect for the destructive power of hurricanes. The eye of a storm passed over my childhood home when I was a boy. I have witnessed the continuing effects of Hurricane Katrina at a parish located in New Orleans’ 9th Ward. I’ve studied physics and fully understand the force that is generated by high winds and moving water.

Yes, Idalia may turn out to be a dangerous storm, but I am not worried because, over the years I have come to understand and believe Jesus’ injunction in the Sermon on the Mount. Beginning in Matthew 5:25, Jesus concludes with, “Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself.”

As we dig into this and other scripture passages, we see that Jesus makes a distinction between what, in our time, we’d call concern and worry. Concern deals with those things over which you have control. Worry is devoted to things outside of our control.

Take Idalia, for example. The staff met this morning and we talked about our preparations. There are several things we can do to minimize the potential for damage to our facilities and we made plans to address them. But once we do all the things that are within our control, Jesus tells us not to worry. That is, do not worry about the things that are outside of your control, and the list of things outside our control is staggeringly long.

I don’t control the path of the storm. I don’t control whether a gust of wind will topple a tree. I don’t control whether power will go out. I don’t control whether a roof will be damaged.

Do you see Jesus’ point? Will worrying about these things change them? Will worrying about these things help in any way? No. So why worry?

I will freely admit that this is not easy for everyone. My upbringing is clearly an advantage for me, and yet we must take Jesus seriously. He is our Lord. Most importantly, we have the gift of the Holy Spirit and the absolute assurance that God will be with us during and after the storm.

As I conclude on this Monday afternoon, please know of my prayers for you during this week – especially for those who will feel frightened. Our human nature does not like the unknown, but God is known to us. May He be our comforter and guide.

In Christ,
Fr. Kevin