I am always surprised at how God uses the weakness of our nature and transforms it into an instrument of His glory. I know that's true for me in my life, my work, and my vocation, and I hope you can see how that is true for you as well. In today's Gospel, Peter has tried catching fish by lowering his net 1,000 times that same night on his own, and then refuses to lower it just one more time at the request of our Lord. He is basically saying, "Lord, I've tried this again and again on my own and it never works out. Don't waste your time with me, but go find someone better to help you." Can you hear his fatigue, exasperation, despair, and hopelessness? Yet it is at that very moment of hitting rock bottom that Jesus can act most powerfully in Peter's life! Here's my take: The Lord redirected the fish away from Peter's net that whole night because Peter trusted so much in his own ability to catch fish that he did not make any availability for what Jesus could do in his life. Sometimes God lets us experience what looks like failure so that we can offer our weakness to receive His glory. That’s a pretty good trade-off! If we would only trust Jesus and stop evaluating our worth and call based on our own definition of success, we will see miracles and hear the particular call of discipleship resound in our hearts by Christ.
Listening Session Theme Recap: Last week, I published the Listening Session Themes in the bulletin. I invite you to take time to pray with these themes in the months to come. In the coming weeks, I will be presenting each theme individually with comments taken from the actual listening sessions.
Community(History, Civic Pride, Parish Family): It is not surprising to me that people frequently commented on their interest of life together as a Christian community here at the parish. Pride in our parish history, delight in our civic community, and concern for us as a parish family are all aspects of community that many shared with one another in their table discussion.
Worship(Prayerful Environment, Music, Traditions): With Jesus Christ as our Shepherd and Savior, considerations about worship are a priority for many. The importance of a prayerful environment was raised, as well as music to foster that prayer. Because of our rich Catholic heritage, various traditions were also mentioned as being of great value.
Participation(Events, Involvement, Stewardship): Our faith is one that requires conscious and active participation, so this theme is a cherished one in our Catholic way of life. Various events, seeking the involvement of more parishioners, and practicing good stewardship are categories in this theme that were commonly mentioned.
Welcome(Environment, Newcomers, The Disengaged): With a growing concern for shrinking numbers of people practicing their faith, the theme of welcome was highlighted. Comments were made regarding enhancements to our environment that could help in this area, and identifying ways to reach out to newcomers as well as those who have become disengaged in the parish and in their faith.
Faith Formation(Adult Education, School, Youth Formation): Friendship with and in Jesus Christ leads us to thirst to know Him better. That kind of knowledge will require activity in our efforts of adult education, our school, and our efforts in reaching all the youth in their various walks of life.
Leadership(Shepherding, Collaboration, Presence): Hopes and dreams lead to vision – and vision leads to action. For that action to be well planned and wellorchestrated, leadership is important. Identified as being integral to the type of leadership needed in parish life are the qualities of shepherding, collaboration, and presence.
Synod Listening Session Invite: We will have an opportunity to further digest the themes from our November parish listening sessions at a few Synod Listening Sessions coming up this month. This Synod begins not with a gathering of bishops in Rome, but a gathering of the people of God at our parish. This evening of prayer, discernment, and dialogue will help us accomplish a few goals: (1) reflect on our experience of the Church, (2) come to a deeper understanding of what the synod themes of communion, participation, and mission look like for our Church and in our parish and school community, and (3) process the themes that arose from our November Listening Sessions. The dates for the Synod Listening Sessions are Tuesday, February 15 at 1:00 p.m. and Wednesday, February 16 at 7:00 p.m. Please RSVP for one of these Synod Listening Session by visiting
https:// calendly.com/fatherscott/listeningsessions. You may also visit or call the parish office to RSVP.
Scheduling Mass Intentions: We are updating our process for scheduling Mass intentions which will take effect at the beginning of 2023 in order to better fulfill parishioners' requests with the new daily Mass schedule. I will have new guidelines available near the end of this month as well as offer dates when the 2023 Mass book will open. Please know that there are no more Mass intentions available for 2022, so the office will not be able to fulfill new Mass intention requests at this time.
Parish Mission Invite: Mark your calendars for our "Surge of the Heart" Parish Mission this Lent! Jon Leonetti is a renowned international Catholic speaker and author who will offer two evening reflections on Monday, March 7 and Tuesday March 8 at 6:30 p.m. in our church. The first evening is on "Who is God and Why That Matters" and the second evening on "God's Dream for Your Life." I am excited to welcome Jon and to have him minister to our parish community. I warmly invite you to participate in this year's parish mission as we come together to grow closer to our Lord.