The Pastor's Message

Dear Parishioners,

On this Third Sunday in Ordinary Time we continue to hear Jesus inviting the first disciples to follow Him.  They are simple ordinary fishermen who choose to leave their nets behind and place complete trust in Jesus.  This response is different from the response of Jonah in the First Reading and may even be different from our response to Jesus’ invitation.

In the First Reading, Jonah the prophet is called by God to go through Nineveh proclaiming a need for repentance because God was about to destroy the country.  Jonah became upset at God because God was merciful when the people repented at the message of God.  Jonah felt betrayed by God and did not want to continue sharing God’s message.  We are sometimes like Jonah in not rejoicing with others who experience conversion in their lives, but we need to remember that we are God’s messengers and His message is of compassion and mercy.

The first disciples had complete faith and trust in Jesus, and we are called to respond in the same way.  Like them, He does not call us because we are perfect, intelligent, beautiful, rich, successful, or talented.  He calls us because He loves us, and we are His.  At this time in our world, we are called to be examples of God’s love, light, mercy, and compassion for our world.  We must rejoice with all, who after recognizing His love and mercy, respond with a change to be better in their life.

Jonah was upset because God had not followed through with His plan to destroy.  His response was a human response, but our response must consider what God wants and not a response of revenge.  God is love and we are to emulate that love.  During this week, we should pray for peace and unity in promoting God’s message to the world in which we live.

Fr. George P. Blais

Dear Parishioners,

We have moved into Ordinary Time which is the numbered weeks of the Liturgical Year.  These numbered weeks occur outside of the special seasons which are; Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter.  During this time, the prominent color of vestments is green.  The celebration of Mass takes on an ordinary, simpler tone.  The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord marks the beginning of the First Week in Ordinary Time.

In today’s first reading, we hear the call of Samuel who hears the voice of God in a dream.  Eli tells Samuel to respond; “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.”  In the Gospel, we hear the first disciples beginning to follow Jesus who invites them to come and see what He is about.  Like these two calls, each one of us is called to follow the Lord closely in our lives so that we can then point Him out to those who we encounter.

This call that we hear from the readings today reminds us to listen intently to God in our life.  We often miss His call because we may be distracted by our daily activity or the secular world that is presenting loud messages that are contrary to God’s call.  During this ordinary time of the year and especially during our current pandemic and society’s counter Christian emphasis, it is important for us to listen more intently for God’s call, because He is indeed calling us to a deeper relationship with Him.  We must seal in our hearts and minds what we heard during the Christmas Season; “Emmanuel”, which means, “God is with us.” 

God has not abandoned us.  He is with us always and continues to call us to “Come and See,” and to follow Him.  I pray that like Samuel in the First Reading and the disciples in the Gospel we may say; “Hear I am Lord.  Speak your servant is listening.”

Fr. George P. Blais