On Wednesday evening we had our second meeting looking at the Stewards of the Gospel questionnaire
The Introduction to Part 2 of the questionnaire sets the scene:
When Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee and called his first disciples (Mt 4:18), they must not have had a clue what they were getting into. Four fishermen became 'apprentices' to an itinerant leader, teacher and healer overnight. In Mark's Gospel (Mk 1:21) the first thing they did was to accompany Jesus into the Synagogue in Capernaum, where he proceeded to break the Jewish law by healing a possessed man on the Sabbath.
There is something exciting about being a disciple, an 'apprentice' of Jesus. There is so much to learn and discover. Jesus walked around the countryside with his followers, both women and men; they were a community, a community on the move. The disciples were formed and shaped within this community.
Once Jesus died and rose from the dead, the disciples were terrified. They ran away (to Emmaus) or hid in an upper room or reverted to their previous job - seven of them went back fishing. Time after time Jesus came among them and reassured them. They were totally taken over by the Holy Spirit and began their work as missionaries; they are instructed to go out into the world and proclaim the Gospel.
We live in a very different world today. But as a result of our Baptism, we are called, gifted and sent. We too are sent into the world. We are missionaries within our local population, disciples among all the residents in our neighbourhood.
This questionnaire will help us to look at our community and discover how it can help each and every one of us become an apprentice of Jesus.
We have heard the facts and figures, the prospect of having 50 priests in our Diocese in 2030, the need for a wider variety of leadership in the Church and the very basic need to become more open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit who is leading us into the future.
Pope Francis gives us clear guidance when he says in Evangelii Gaudium (para 20): "Each Christian and every community must discern the path that the Lord points out, but all of us are asked to obey his call to go forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach all the 'peripheries' in need of the light of the Gospel".
At the meeting we split into small groups to consider the questions I mentioned in 'Fr Nick writes' last week. This proved to be very fruitful, as did the discussion when we came back together. It was an excellent meeting with a clear desire and enthusiasm to move forward on the part of all who were there. Many thanks to everyone who came for their positive contributions; the Holy Spirit was clearly in control and revealing more of God's will for us as we look forward to the future growth of our parish.
Further reflection on the meeting will follow next week.
With my best wishes and prayers
Fr Nick
The sick and housebound
Those who have recently died
Years Mind:
Sunday: Fr Christopher Creede
Tuesday: Kate Coyne, Theresa Low
Thursday: Fr Bernard Clay
Saturday: Fr William O'Neill
Prayer is God's way of saying "you are important, your life is special, and I want to hear all about it, come and spend a moment with me", that's it, nothing more
First Reading Ecclesiasticus 35:12-14. 16-19
Working for justice will fail, unless we also pray for justice.
Second Reading 2 Timothy 4:6-8. 16-18
No one is truly alone, if they know that the Lord is standing by them.
Gospel Luke 18:9-14
Nearness to God is measured by our pride or our humility, not by distance, but the Lord is always nearer to us than we
are to him.