A Letter from Fr. Paul - Sunday, July 11th

I’d like to start off with a thank you to the Garden Angels for their dedication and work on our flowers and greenery.  Our grounds look beautiful!
 
Our Gospel is Mark’s version of Jesus sending His disciples on mission.  They had been following Him, observing how He interacted with people, and listening to His words; now Jesus is asking them to go out and spread the news to others.
 
Jesus asks us to do the same. Our religious practice has helped us to know how Jesus acted and what He said; through baptism, we have accepted the call to bring that Good News to others by what we say and do.
 
It is a daunting challenge.  We certainly are not worthy.  But we must be careful not to use our unworthiness as a “get out of jail free” card.  Were the first disciples worthy?
 
Look at Peter:  one time Jesus had to say “get behind me, Satan” to him.  Despite his bravado of being willing to die for Jesus, Peter denied him three times and then ran away.  Peter wasn’t under the cross; he was hiding in the upper room.
 
The point is that our “worthiness” is not the issue.  It is not about us; it is not our mission.  It is Christ’s mission and His Good News.  All He asks is that we be willing to do our best to live Gospel values and He will use us, despite our mistakes and failures, to bring the Gospel to life for the people around us. Our faith is not about coming to church and staying there; it is about coming to church to be fortified, by the Word, by the Eucharist, and by the Community, so that we can go out from the church strengthened to live the goodness and kindness of Christ in a world that desperately needs it.  That is evangelizing. That is what we are called to do and committed ourselves to do when we were baptized.
 
Reflection for the week:  as I go through my day, am I aware that my words and actions affect other people?  That I am called to bring Christ’s goodness and kindness to those I meet? That God wants to use me to make a difference?  How can I make myself more conscious of this?  Let us pray that each member of our community may grow in our ability to bring Christ to others by what we say and how we act.  God bless.

Church sign of the week: it is hard to get in shape spiritually when you only work out on Sundays.