From The Pastor’s Desk

This past weekend we celebrated the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we concluded the Christmas season. Before we begin Lent we have some time to dwell upon the great mystery of a God who is made visible through human flesh and promises to return. As Christ celebrated His baptism by going into the desert to prepare for His ministry, each of us need to take a good look at our own vocation. “What has God asked us to do, and are we living what He has asked us?”

So often we pack up our Christmas “stuff” and put it on the shelves or in the attic until next year. But we need to be aware of and be careful not to pack away our vocations which began with our baptism. When we were baptized we were brought into God’s family with responsibilities. We are God’s children and a member of His family called to bring forth justice, and to imitate Christ by helping others.

As a member of God’s family we all have gifts from God and that we have been truly blessed by God. The Gospels invite us to follow different paths and as a people of faith and members of a parish faith community we are even called to live differently. Each of us must continually examine how we live our lives, determining if our lives truly reflect our best response to call of Jesus. Each of us have been given gifts, talents and wealth which can be seen as symbolic of the three gifts presented by the Magi at Jesus’ birth which we celebrated at Epiphany. We need to give back to the Lord of creation as He has given to us. That is one of the reasons that I do all the different activities in the parish and the school. God has given me much and I strive to give much in many ways back to God.

As we have begun a new year, I challenge everyone to become more involved in our Parish. Find the activities
that match your talents and interests. Decide how you will become, or remain active in the parish and diocese. In so doing you will begin to experience the joy that being of service to others can give. God will give each of us the ability to balance what we do for others while also caring for the family and friends He has placed in our lives. God will not be outdone in generosity, you will be rewarded many times over. As a people of faith, we are called to share, serve others and be part of a worshipping community called a parish.

I want to thank all of our Bingo workers for their volunteering to work once every 5 weeks at our St. Agnes
Wednesday evening Bingo. This past year we have used money generated over the past several years to: demo the Loretto House; build our storage building (for school, parish, Boy Scouts, Knights of Columbus, Health Care, PCCW, and Vietnamese needs); School HVAC repairs; Cathedral Sound System; facia repair to rectory; school freezer replacement; sidewalk tread plate cover; and replace a door at Well of Life. The total of these projects paid for by Bingo was $224,367.00. We can always use more volunteers, give me a call.