Search
From the Pastor's Desk: September 19, 2021
-
In today’s Gospel, Our Lord invites the apostles- and us- to revisit what we consider to be the path to greatness, that is of service, and not just any service: the humble service willing to lay down your life for the benefit of another.
To be Serving Leaders, to which the Lord calls each and every one of us, we need to follow His example. He motivates us not by a desire for status and control, but by a call to servanthood with a primary responsibility to care and love for others. Servant leaders lead with a sense of humility, they model servant behaviors such as helping without counting the cost. They work side-by-side while serving with others in and around the parish, because best leaders are servants first. Authentic leaders find in service the fulfilment of greatness. Jesus teaches that true “greatness” lies in being a good steward of those who are not great: welcoming one who is not viewed as great by our society’s standards, like the child, the innocent, the vulnerable, the suffering, those who are outside our comfortable circle of family, friends, companions and colleagues, those who need a welcome. Jesus redefines our notion of greatness. How do we define greatness? Is our notion of greatness consistent with the teachings of Jesus Christ? “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant to all.” -Mark 9:35
The idea of service provides a great foundation in preparation for our Ministry Fair and Stewardship Renewal Weekend, which we will celebrate together in our parish on October 2nd and 3rd, 2021- renewal of our commitment to the Stewardship of Time, Talent and Treasure that is crucial to the future of our parish. There is nothing short of the reality that our support and involvement today will lead to experience a holy, vibrant, generous and joyful community in the future. As Jesus renews His commitment to us once again today, let's renew our commitment to Him, and ask Him to help us, starting today, to pursue greatness in the eyes of God.
This Sunday, the Church of the United States celebrates the Catechetical Sunday and the theme is: “Say the Word and My Soul Shall be Healed." Catechetical Sunday is an opportunity to reflect on the role that each person plays by virtue of Baptism, in handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel. "The word of God nourishes both evangelizers and those who are being evangelized so that each one may continue to grow in his or her Christian life" (National Directory for Catechesis [NDC] [Washington, DC: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2005], no. 17).
We are blessed that in our parish we have such a solid, committed and joyful Family Faith Formation team that in very engaged, dedicated and authentic ways extends support to parents in their role as the first and foremost educators of their children’s faith. To Laura Austin, the Coordinator of the Family Faith Formation Process, and her immediate assistants including Shannon Crerar, Jon Ayers, and Kathy Quigly, RCIA/C leaders, Rhonda Biroschik, CYM Coordinator, and a great number of dedicated catechists, aids and other volunteers who work hard all year long to serve in these capacities, I want to thank you very much and invoke the Lord’s blessing upon each and every one of you! May the Lord give you the strength to continue to make you an instrument of His Will. You are a true blessing to all of us. We pray that God our Father, the Father of Love, will continue to fill you with confidence and joy as you proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
As we begin another week, please let us pray for the openness to desire to be truly and humbly the people of service as we prepare to renew our commitment to the Stewardship of Time, Talent and Treasure as our way of life. May this desire continue to transform our lives so we can do something beautiful for God. “We learn humility through accepting humiliations cheerfully. Do not let a chance pass by you. It is so easy to be proud, harsh, moody, and selfish, but we have been created for greater things. Why stoop down to things that will spoil the beauty of our hearts?” –St. Mother Teresa
Have a blessed week everybody!
With prayers, Fr. Andy
