From the Pastor – October 4, 2020

Webegin the month of October hoping that the coronavirus does not affect us asbadly as it did in the spring. The difficulty is that as the weather getscolder, we have to move our outdoor activities inside. We have to be even morevigilant about following the protocols to keep us all safe.
Jesushas given us all an insight into the kingdom of God with the hope that as hehas made an impact in our lives, we might be able to do the same for others.This means that we are not just observers of the kingdom but activeparticipants in it. Our attitudes, words, and actions must reflect the valuesof the kingdom or else we are just wasting our time pretending to be doing thework of the Lord.
Intoday’s Gospel, Jesus is reminding us of the seriousness of bringing thekingdom to others. If we fail to accomplish this mission, then the work ofbuilding the kingdom will be taken away from us and given to others who aremore serious and faithful about building the kingdom. Building the kingdom onearth is not rocket science but a serious responsibility to let others know howimportant Jesus is to us and how important it is for us to use the gifts thatwe are and have in order to help others experience the wonder that Jesus is forus.
AsJesus is the sign of the Father’s love for us, so are we a sign of Jesus forothers. Our focus is always that unique intimate relationship of Father and Sonthat has been revealed to us. As a result, this becomes a means of conversionfor us, a turning away from ourselves and a turning toward God. Thisrelationship becomes reflected in who we are as the People of God and the waywe live in relationship to one another. It also means that we are different,not better, because of this relationship.
Byvirtue of our baptism, this responsibility falls upon each of us, not just thebishops, priests, deacons and religious, but all of us. We are all called tolive in the right relationship with the Father through Jesus and with eachother. It is important for us to realize the role we have in the life of thechurch and the role the church has in the world. We are a sign of Jesus to all,his physical presence in the world.  Ittakes all of us to work together to help others experience and believe what wedo – and that is that Jesus lived, died, and rose for us all so that we couldcontinue his work on earth.
  HAPPY OCTOBER!!
FR. JOE