Answering God's call (Colleen Gibson, SSJ / Sarah Probst Miller DVM)

Witnessing someone embody their true calling is unmistakable.
In a society where commitment is confounding,
answering God’s call to authenticity is an astounding act. 

In an age of uncertainty,
answering such a call is risky.
It requires the courage and vulnerability
to growing relationship with God
so that you can be and become who you are.
When all is said and done,
it means standing with Jesus
when the whole world asks “why?”
and simply and sincerely responding
“How could I not?”

--Colleen Gibson, SSJ 

The Holy Spirit cannot be stopped. 

There are times for holy noes. There are times for holy yesses. 

And I would guess each of you have experienced both where you knew that waking, taking action, and being present--or not—was absolutely, exactly where you were called. 

And you moved into that moment 

with this knowing, with this grace, 

accompanied by the Holy Spirit. 

And entered into a flow 

where you felt yourself a vessel 

through which the Holy Spirit could move and breathe and live. 

Our holy noes, our holy yesses 

equate to a life lived, 

awoken by the Divine. 

--Sarah Probst Miller, DVM

 

   Tomorrow, December 4th, Our Lady of Mount Carmel pastor Fr. Patrick Michaels will celebrate the 43rd anniversary of his Ordination to the Priesthood. As he continues on his well-earned vacation through Europe, his parishioners here in Mill Valley wish to express their profound gratitude for his manifold service to our church, to our community, to the Archdiocese of San Francisco, and to each of us individually. 

   Fr. Pat’s gifts are legendary – from the artistic, musical, and culinary, to his “golden tongue” as a homilist and his extraordinary sense of liturgy – and we are profoundly grateful that, when the Lord called him so many years ago, Fr. Pat gave a resounding Yes! Fr. Pat embodies his true calling, accompanied by the Holy Spirit, daily, giving witness to his profound faith as he reveals God’s love to our world. 

It's already December 4th in Europe, so…
Happy Anniversary, Fr. Pat!
Enjoy your vacation and come home safe and soon!
You are missed, but we know
you are in one of your happiest places on the planet. 

Image source 1: Jorge Cocco Santángelo, The Right Side (2021), available for purchase at: https://jorgecocco.com/product/the-right-side/
Image source 2: OLMC pastor, Fr. Patrick Michaels, on retreat in Assisi, November 2025. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=3105012203014286&set=pcb.3105053069676866
Quotation source 1
Quotation source 2