Dear Friends in Christ,

On this Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Christ proclaims that He has come to fulfill the reign of the Kingdom of God, He is in our midst, His merciful Heart is open wide, calling all of us to surrender to Him and allow Him to change our hearts, to change our lives, even to the point of leaving behind all that is valuable and familiar to us, in exchange for something far more precious than anything in the world - our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus Himself, our priceless treasure.  Christ affirms that nothing compares to the grace of being united with Him now and for eternity. 

What are the things in our lives which the Lord is calling us to abandon in order to follow Him?  What are the nets which drag us down, keeping us away from God, hindering us from totally submitting to His will?  Perhaps a deep-seated sin in our souls, an abusive relationship, materialism and consumerism, lack of trust in God, hardness of heart and blindness to God's Truth.

The Heart of Christ is crushed to see us in our wretched state, He suffers the most to see our suffering and troubled souls.  How much He desires us to be free from the burdens and captivities of our old way of life.  He longs to liberate us and grant us a new life with Him.  Our merciful Lord never gives up on us and patiently waits for us. His light of love and forgiveness is always available in the Confessional.  His restoring grace and Spirit of renewal is always freely poured out to us during each Eucharistic Sacrifice, a most blessed communion with our Divine Lord who fortifies us as His faithful disciples, directing us to catch souls in need of His saving mercies.

Anticipating our Sunday Feast, where Christ gathers all of us once again in His boat, in praise and thanksgiving.   Let us ask the Lord for the grace to let go of our nets and let Him rule and take over our entire lives.  Let Him draw us ever closer to Him so we can answer His call to bear witness to His Gospel of love and salvation, until the time is fulfilled when He welcomes us all to His eternal kingdom. 

A safe and Spirit-governed week ahead, dear friends!

In Christ, with thankful prayers,

Rev. Jonathan Paala

Pastor

"Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:
“This is the time of fulfillment.
The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Mark 1:14-15