“Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? And I said: ‘Here am I; send me!’” Is 6,8

Dear parishioners,

Today’s readings are clearly about vocations, that of Isaiah in the first reading, that of the apostles in the second, and that of Peter, Andrew, James and John in the gospel.

Ever since John Paul II, there is a growing sense in the Church that given the secularized world in which we live, we are henceforth all called, in the Church, to be prophets and apostles. It’s a hard sell. Most people in the Church are highly skeptical that they are called by God to contribute to the Church’s apostolic mission. Yet it’s true. I know it from experience. I was evangelized by a number of people, not all of whom, indeed, not the most important of whom were full-time professional evangelizers, apostles, or missionaries. One of them, the most significant Christian influence in my life, was my mother. My cousin’s wife was another. I was blessed to live alongside people of great faith, who were also able to articulate their faith convictions, and I was moved by them. I believe that we engage in evangelizing behaviour often without even realizing it. If you feel strongly about God, about Jesus, about the Church, about the gospel, and you blurt out even just small nuggets of gospel, people are touched. Remember the all-important words of St. Peter: “Always be prepared to render an account of your hope for those who ask one of you. But do it with gentleness and reverence.” 1 Pe 3,15,16 These words were addressed by Peter, not just to the bishops, presbyters and deacons, but to all the Christians who would hear or read his letter. We are indeed all called to be missionary disciples, and we have to believe that we are enabled by the Holy Spirit to be the missionaries he wants us to be. It will just help a whole lot if we are aware of it and open to it. It gives the Holy Spirit room to maneuver in our lives, minds and hearts. But it’s not just about the things we say. It’s also, and more so, about the things we don’t say, about the things we do, about the way we look. Christian serenity in the face of the pandemic, for example, cries out for an explanation. And the answer is simple: “I believe that God rules over all things, and that he loves me. So I don’t really worry a lot about the things that life throws at me.” By the grace of God, may we all contribute, in the ways that the Holy Spirit prompts in us, to the proposal of the Christian gospel in our world. Because if we don’t, then who will?

This Friday, February 11, is the feast of Our Lady Lourdes and at the same time, the World Day of the Sick. On this occasion, we will offer the sacrament of anointing of the sick at both the 8:00 a.m. mass and at the 7:00 p.m. mass. There will be two priests available at the morning mass, but just one at the evening mass.

Last Sunday I spoke of the upcoming parish chapter of the Synod on Synodality. There are still plenty of postcards prepared by the archdiocese to present the synod to the faithful of the Archdiocese. Pick one up as you leave the church this Sunday. They contain five  of the six questions that will be raised in our Synod conversation circles, so you will know whether this is something you’d like to participate in. More to come on how to become involved if you’re interested.

Back to my “missionary disciples” topic before closing, I am quite convinced that when one has deep, deep faith, one just naturally becomes a missionary disciple, without actually working at being one. Remember the words of Isaiah: “Lift up your heads and see, they come to you, they come to your light.” When we are inhabited by a deep faith, we are transfigured, illuminated, not by a light that comes from us but by a light that comes from the Holy Spirit. Others see that light, and they are drawn toward, drawn to our light. So  my ultimate prayer is for an abiding, very deep Christian  faith and hope for us all, the kind of abiding, deep faith that simply transforms us into missionary disciples. 

God bless, keep safe. 

Fr. Guy