• Parish Priest's Corner Archive

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  • The Temptation of of Jesus
  • An Encounter with Jesus Christ
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  • The Word Became Flesh
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  • Jesus' Mission Statement
  • Week of Prayer for Christian Unity - Respect Life
  • Baptism of the Lord 2019
  • Epiphany 2019: You Are the Light Today
  • 2nd Sunday of Advent 2018 - Our Lady of Guadalupe
  • 1st Sunday of Advent 2018 - Maranatha: Come, Lord Jesus!
  • Christ the King 2018 - Financial Report
  • Thanksgiving 2018
  • Self Sacrifice & Dependence on God
  • "Saints risk everything to put the Gospel into practice."
  • The Light of Christ
  • A Kingdom of Sacrifice and Service
  • Made For Each Other
  • “Whoever Is Not Against Us Is For Us”
  • Discipleship: A Call to Serve
  • Lord, You Have the Words of Everlasting Life

• The Way of Christ

   

  1^st Reading: Jonah 3:1-5, 10         |              2^nd Reading: 1 Cor 7:29-31            | Gospel: Mk 1:14-20

  
  GROW: On first hearing, Jonah’s warning to the city of Nineveh seems a bit extreme for my modern ears: Get your act together in 40 days or your city will be destroyed! Yet, rather than panic or rail against him, the people believed and turned away from evil. We hear a similar theme in Mark’s Gospel: “The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Listening to the readings today, I hear these words not as a threat but as an invitation to get our lives back on track. We may not don sackcloth like the people of Nineveh, but we may need to fast from the distractions and skewed priorities that prevent us from loving God and one another. With the psalmist, we pray, “Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior.”
  
  GO: Sometimes the Christian life can feel like taking a stroll along a sidewalk but tripping on the slightest crack in the sidewalk. We often trip up on the path to becoming a better person – blurting out unkind words, spending more time watching TV than praying, being quick to find faults in others, gossiping, holding onto grudges, a “my way or the highway” mentality and so on. In today’s readings, the Lord invites us to repent – to turn away from bad habits and choices. By turning to the Lord, we can overcome the obstacles that hold us back from living our Gospel values and sharing them with others through the witness of our lives.
  
  INVITE: Through the sacrament of reconciliation, the Church offers us a standing invitation to experience God’s unconditional love and mercy. Whether you go regularly or it’s been awhile, consider participating in the sacrament and inviting others to do the same.
  
  May you be filled with peace and joy from God.
  
  --Fr. Anthony Ahamefule