August 23rd's Pastor's Message
- Communications AllSaints
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Dear friends,
“Let the peoples praise you, O God. Let all the peoples praise you!” (Psalm 67)
Who are “the peoples” called to praise the Lord? The Jewish people first of all, but also us, the followers of Jesus. When we come to recognize God as the giver of all good gifts, the One who created us and loves us always, we will begin to offer him joyful praise.
The verse speaks of praise to God being offered by “all peoples,” not just Jews and Christians, but also Moslems, non-practicing Catholics, non-believers and everyone else. In short, all people on earth are called to praise the Lord of heaven.
God sent his son into the world to bring about this universal chorus of praise. This was the mission of Jesus, to lead all peoples into a grateful relationship with the living God. It is the same mission Jesus shared with us, his followers. We too are to lead others into closeness with the living God so that, alongside us, they may sing praises to the God of all.
This essential work finds expression in All Saints’ purpose statement which states that our parish exists to “lead believers and non-believers into a close relationship with Jesus and his Church.”
How exactly are we trying to accomplish this? Through the following three steps:
Creating a loving parish community. Parishioners are to be enthusiastically engaged in Sunday worship and eager to develop close parish friendships. They are to be welcoming to newcomers and actively involved in parish life.
Helping parishioners grow in spiritual maturity. Parishioners should strive to grow in closeness to Jesus and learn to talk openly with each other about the faith. They are to participate in parish formation activities and be committed to daily personal prayer, Sunday mass and frequent confession. Recognizing the importance of the Holy Spirit, they will prayerfully seek his guidance and support.
Reaching out to the world. Parishioners will reach out to friends, neighbours and strangers, and, when appropriate, invite them to encounter Jesus and his Church at All Saints Parish. They will also be involved with outreach to the poor and marginalized.
As followers of Jesus we are called to share in his saving work, that is, to let people know they are loved by the God who made them. It is a beautiful work that changes lives. I invite you to work with me in making All Saints effective at leading others to Christ.
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