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Greetings! I have some updates regarding the life and mission of our parish community.
As we begin a new year of ministry in our church and school, I have chosen the theme Just Offer Yourself (JOY). This is the joy that comes when we’re where God wants us to be. It is knowing that I am present to God, and that God is present to me and at my side. It is knowing that God died for me, and desires that I might dwell with him for all eternity. It is knowing God.
Joy—a fruit of the Holy Spirit. So ask God for this gift. Not the joy that comes from drinking too much coffee; rather, seek the joy that comes from being with God. Experiencing this joy comes from living like Christ, who offered himself on the cross. When Jesus shared with his disciples his desire for their “complete joy,” he did so hours before his own Passion and Crucifixion. Who wants to have that joy that no one can take away from us, not even COVID-19?
“I've told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.” (John 15:11)
Our mission remains the same: making Jesus Christ known and loved. It is why we are here. OLG exists to help others to know the love and kindness of God. This is the reason OLG has all the ministries that we have. This is the reason we celebrate Sunday Mass. It is also the reason we continue to improve our ministries, grounds and facilities. It drives our continued existence as a parish.
Our mission can sometimes seem hindered. And, certainly, during these last months as our world lives under the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic and social unrest, we as a parish community have had to pause, pivot, adjust and rethink our ministries many times. Our methods have adapted, but our mission remains steadfast. Amidst all the obstacles of life, there's a temptation to simply stop, to put our head in the sand and pretend the world doesn't exist. Yet that isn’t how Christ lived, nor how he would want us to live. Rather, like Christ, let us continue to engage our mission at this time with generosity, prudence, humility, creativity, kindness, trust in God’s providence, deep faith, hope, love and, above all, joy.
In Christ,
Father Kevin Finnegan
Pastor
P.S. A few weeks ago the full staff of Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church & School gathered for a Mass and Prayer Service commissioning us to the mission of making Jesus Christ known and loved in the year ahead. What follows is taken from the “State of the Parish” presentation that I shared with them.
See more here!
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