A WORD FROM THE PASTOR

Life Messages

The gospel passage gives us the following Life Messages for a good catholic living.

Are we good fruit-producers in the vineyard of the Church?  Jesus has given the Church everything necessary to make Christians fruit-bearing:  1. The Bible to know the will of God. 2. The priesthood to lead the people in God’s ways.  3. The Sacrament of Reconciliation for the remission of sins.  4. The Holy Eucharist as our spiritual Food and Drink.  5. The Sacrament of Confirmation for a dynamic life of Faith.  6. The Sacrament of Matrimony for the sharing of love in families, the fundamental unit of the Church. 7. Role models in thousands of saints we are expected make use of these gifts and produce fruits for God.

 Are we fruit-producers in the vineyard of the family? By the mutual sharing of blessings, by sacrificing  time and talents for the members of the family,  by humbly and lovingly serving others in the family, by recognizing and encouraging each other and by honoring and gracefully obeying our parents, we become producers of "good fruit" or good vines in our families and give God the Glory for these accomplishments.

Are we ready to face these hard questions? Have we come close to fulfilling God’s dream about us?  What kind of grapes do we as a parish community produce?  Are they sweet or sour?  What is our attitude toward everything God has given to us?  Are we grateful stewards for everything God has given to us, or are we like the ungrateful tenants who acted as if they owned everything God had given them?  Do we practice justice every day of our lives? Do we recognize the righteousness of God that keeps us from self-righteousness? Do we remember to show mercy?  Is our parish a real sign of Jesus' presence and love?  What kind of impact do we have?  Do we measure the quality of our parish by what happens during Mass, or on what happens when we leave Church?  Obviously, both are important but there cannot be one without the other.