Sunday, March 6, 2016

A Word from Your Pastor - March 6 Fourth Sunday of Lent

Dear Parishioners:

Lent is moving right along.  We have walked a journey of Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving to draw closer to the Lord and to become more aware of our relationship with Him and His Church.  Our Parish Penance Service provided an opportunity for Communal Reconciliation.  If you did not have the chance to be part of it, there are other times of Penance offered in various parishes in our neighborhood and Saturday afternoons are always good in our own church.  Be sure to open your heart to Mercy.

In this Jubilee Year of Mercy, Pope Francis is calling all of us to renew our commitment to Discipleship, that is, to following the Lord Jesus where He leads.  We are to know the God of Mercy, to accept His Mercy into our own hearts and lives, and to share that Mercy with others.  To wear the face of Mercy is the responsibility of the disciple who wants to lead others to God our Merciful Father.

In order to accomplish God’s Will, we must open our hearts to God’s way of thinking.  There must be a willingness to change our minds to see a bigger picture.  We must hear the Lord’s call to listen to the voice of the Spirit Who speaks in our hearts and through the Church.  We must move where the Spirit leads, even if it is “kicking and screaming” because of our desire to have our own way.

Hunger and thirst lead us to reach beyond ourselves.  The experience of darkness invites us to walk into the Light.  The sorrows of this life and our encounters with death remind us to become more open to the Life that is offered to us through God’s Mercy.  May we continue our Lenten Journey and be ever more willing to do it God’s way.



No comments:

Post a Comment