Pastor’s Letter, September 15, 2019

Pastor’s Letter, September 15, 2019

13 Sep 2019 | Posted by: chadmin

Dear friend,

“Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,” begins the Gospel of Luke this weekend. The Gospels make it clear that Jesus had not only the gift of healing, but also the gift of speech. The Lord knew how to draw in a crowd. The sinners felt loved and the religious protectionists felt threatened. One thing we see about the Lord is that he was always consistent. He calls us to be the same.

We all know that we are sinners. We all know that we have weaknesses. Most of us realize that our strengths and weaknesses affect others. The words of Jesus this week challenge us to see life from a different angle. This is one of the truest messages of Jesus, he constantly challenges humanity to look at the big picture, to see our own bias, to allow the Lord to heal us while we are agents of healing for others. The story of the Prodigal Son has consequences for at least the three characters in the story: the father, the older son and the younger son. The father in the story sets the framework for how each of us is called to process our own failures and the sins of others. Mercy. Mercy is forgiveness even though it hasn’t been earned. This is why the tax collectors and sinners draw near to Jesus. They know that they need what only He can provide. His words move them to desire spiritual peace. Peace comes with a forgiven heart. Put simply, the Life of Christ challenges us to seek forgiveness from Him and be people of forgiveness for others. This draws us to Christ in this life and the next.

We had our Come and See meeting for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) this past Tuesday. The first class is Tuesday, September 17 at 6:30pm in the Banquet Room. This week we will hand out Bibles and discuss the origin, structure, literary styles, and authorship of the Bible. If you would like to be confirmed or you know anyone interested in pursuing membership in the Church, please feel free to come to class on Tuesday.

God bless,

Father David