February 06, 2022
Fifth Sunday Ordinary C
People will ask me when I am running around in the church if they can help. Usually I say, “I’m almost done. Thank you for your offer to help.†Doing everything on my own is not being a good pastor. For the past four Sundays, we have been proclaiming and listening to St. Paul’s First letter to the Corinthians. Paul speaks of the church or community at Corinth as “Christ’s body†with members all having a role or part to play. “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.†(1 Corinthians 12:4-6) There is a priority of offices or charisms (apostles, prophets, teachers, and mighty deeds) and then Paul mentions gifts of healing, assistance, administration, and variety of tongues.†(1 Corinthians 12:27) We can examine our own church community and identify similar offices of responsibility.
Each year I have the responsibility to submit Fiscal and Sacramental Reports to the Diocese. I take the task seriously and readily admit I rely on the competence of others who, in the words of St. Paul, have gifts of “assistance and administration.†At our earlier weekend Masses, Deacon Jim Jaworski, Pastoral Associate - Administration, gave a homily on stewardship and then he introduced Larry Zielinski, Chair - Finance Council, who spoke on parish finances. Thank you for your financial support to the church and for your participation in the life of our parish.
There are important ministries for the celebration of Eucharist that complement the ordained offices of priest and deacon: greeters, ushers, musicians & cantors, lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, and sacristans. Deb Keenan, our Pastoral Associate - Ministry, is doing a narration or commentary to help us better understand the different parts of the Mass. It was recommended by our Pastoral Council and Liturgy Committee. Be ready for the narration at the end of Mass, the dismissal rite, when the priest (or deacon) sends the congregation out into the world. “Go the Mass is ended.†We are endowed with spiritual gifts for liturgy and for pastoral ministry and we are commissioned and sent into in the world to evangelize and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Simon, in our Gospel, after lending his boat to Jesus as a podium to teach, is directed by Jesus “to put out into the deep and lower your nets for a catch.†Simon is so awestruck and humbled at the great catch of fish, that he pleads with Jesus to leave him. “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.†Jesus ignores Simon’s confession of unworthiness. “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.†Simon and his co-fisherman Andrew, James, and John bring their boats to shore, leave everything, and follow Jesus. Jesus is calling us to put out into the deep and cast our nets. We are called to be with him and inaugurate the Kingdom of God. We can’t do it alone. Always with others.
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Fourth Sunday Ordinary C
