Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

10-09-2022From Fr. Antony's DeskFr. Antony Arockiadoss

Dear Family!

It was wonderful to see all the pets you brought in for a blessing last Sunday. We thank Father Pat for officiating the Blessing of Animals as he enjoys doing it. I also got to meet our RCIA candidates last Sunday and it is our responsibility to journey with them and pray for them. The Faith Formation classes have started and our children depend on our prayers especially the children who are preparing for Holy Communion and Confirmation.

The Readings this Sunday focus on gratitude, in particular the expression of gratitude God expects from us. In an Interview in 2013, Pope Francis said, ‘The thing the church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity. I see the church as a field hospital after battle. It is useless to ask a seriously injured person if he has high cholesterol and about the level of his blood sugars! You have to heal his wounds. Then we can talk about everything else.”

As generosity is a virtue learned from God himself, we as Christians, people of God, are given the mandate to love and serve like our Lord and Master Jesus himself. That is our standard with which we minister ‘Love like Jesus does’. God distributes favors with absolute freedom and generosity. Naaman the general had to learn that we can never return God for the blessings we received from God - the one thing necessary at this stage is grateful acknowledgment.

Both the ‘Good’ Samaritans are found in the Gospel of Luke. None of them had returned to give praise to God except the stranger. Jesus paid the ransom to redeem us so that we may have life and that life in abundance. This way we were adopted as children of God. Who are the strangers? One could still be part of the family and still be strangers in the eyes of God. We are part of the family of God.

This privilege of belonging to the family of God compels us to care, love and show our responsibility to our world. You could be part of that initiative to show responsibility by belonging to a ministry in our parish. We have introduced to you the following Committees: Liturgical, Sacramental, Stewardship, Social Justice, and Faith Formation. We have three more to go. Today I present to you the PRAYER AND WORSHIP COMMITTEE headed by Deacon Francisco. The following ministries are under this committee: Adoration, Charismatic Groups, Bible Study, Choir, Blue Army Cell, Prayer Shawl, and Miraculous Medal.

Your interest and contribution to these committees will certainly revitalize our parish community and rebuilding it at this time as we are physically returning to Church from COVID.

Fr. Antony