From the Pastor’s Desk

January 24 – Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

In the bulletin of January 10, I gave a Big Christmas Thank You to those involved with the planning and implementation of our Christmas liturgies. Whenever I publicly recognize persons or groups for their service, inevitably I forget to mention someone or group.  This time I failed to include the many volunteer greeters in my Christmas Thank You.  I apologize.  The greeter ministry at OLM is so very important.  It is the greeters, holding the doors open and welcoming all who come to OLM that give that first sense of hospitality to those who pass through our doors.  So thank you!  Not only at Christmastime but all those Saturday/Sunday Masses throughout the year, rain, cold, snow we thank you for your smiling face and words of welcome!  We welcome additional individuals and families who would like to join the greeter ministry.  Please contact Phil Zwick at philiipzwick@yahoo.com.

Today, the Third Sunday in Ordinary time is “Word of God Sunday” proclaimed by Pope Francis in 2019.   In the Introduction to the Lectionary for Mass, we are reminded of the role of the Word of God in the life of the Church:

“In the hearing of God’s word the Church is built up and grows, and in the signs of the liturgical celebration God’s wonderful, past works in the history of salvation are presented anew as mysterious realities. God in turn makes use of the congregation of the faithful that celebrates the Liturgy in order that his word may speed on and be glorified and that his name be exalted among the nations.  Whenever, therefore, the Church, gathered by the Holy Spirit for liturgical celebration, announces and proclaims the word of God, she is aware of being a new people in whom the covenant made in the past is perfected and fulfilled. Baptism and confirmation in the Spirit have made all Christ’s faithful into messengers of God’s word because of the grace of hearing they have received. They must therefore be the bearers of the same word in the Church and in the world, at least by the witness of their lives.  The word of God proclaimed in the celebration of God’s mysteries does not only address present conditions but looks back to past events and forward to what is yet to come. Thus God’s word shows us what we should hope for with such a longing that in this changing world our hearts will be set on the place where our true joys lie.”

Have a Blessed Week and take some time to read Sacred Scripture this week!

Father Don