Dear Parishioners; Today, we celebrate the Thirtieth (30th) Sunday in Ordinary Time. Since we have thirty-four weeks in Ordinary Time in the Liturgical Year, we can say that the Liturgical Year will be ending soon.
Today is Mission Sunday. This year’s theme is “Mission at the heart of Christian Faith.” In reflecting on Mission Sunday, Pope Francis said, “World Mission Day gathers us around the person of Jesus, the very first and greatest evangelizer,” who continually sends us forth to proclaim the Gospel of the love of God the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit. . .The church is missionary by nature; otherwise, she would no longer be the church of Christ.”
Dear Parishioners; Our Scripture readings for this 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time continue to be rich in imagery about God: what God is like, what God does for us, and how God invites us. The images are ancient, but they speak to those of us with these questions: Why are we here? What do we seek from God? What are our beliefs? What do we have in common with our ancestors? What does it mean to be called? As we listen to the Scripture readings today at Mass, there are wonderful questions to challenge us as well as answers to deepen our faith.
Dear Parishioners; By God’s grace, modern medicine and science have made great strides in helping people deal with anxiety. Today, we are encouraged to know that being grounded in a good prayer life also goes a long way toward lessening the anxieties that disrupt the quiet of our hearts.