We Have A Mission
This year at St. Josaphat we will be helping our parishioners to rediscover our mission as baptized Catholics. When we were baptized we became disciples of Jesus Christ. That means we share in Jesus’ mission of proclaiming the Gospel, the good news that we have been saved by Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection. Through Jesus’ sacrifice we have been freed from sin and offered the gift of eternal life. And through the sacraments of the Church, we receive God’s grace to help us grow in holiness and be witnesses of God’s love and mercy in the world.
We all share in that mission. Jesus expects each of us to make that mission our own and to share this good news with others in the context of our lives. What that looks like for me will be different from what it looks like for a young person in their teens or a married couple with three kids or for one of our Boomers. We each have different gifts and we are at different points in our lives and spiritual journeys. As St. Paul says,
“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 Corinithians 12:4-11)
So regardless of where we are in life, God wants to work through each of us to proclaim the Gospel for the benefit of those around us. To be his witnesses in the world, to bear fruit and to build the Kingdom of God. That is our mission as baptized Christians.
To help re-instill that sense of mission, you’ll be hearing a lot from me throughout the year about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and what it means to be a member of St. Josaphat Parish. I also want to know your expectations of our parish, and how we can best serve you. Next Sunday I will explore that a bit more, but I thought we would start with what we at St. Josaphat expect of our parishioners: Worship, Serve, Grow & Give.
Worship -
We expect our parishioners to come to Mass every Sunday either in person or online.
This is not a Fr. Francis rule. This is an expectation from God, “Remember to keep Holy the Sabbath.” We come to church on Sunday to worship and praise God for the many gifts and blessings he has bestowed upon us in life and continues to bestow on us through the sacraments, most especially through the Eucharist. It is in the Eucharist that we participate in Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection and accept Jesus into our lives when we receive his body and blood. That’s why the Eucharist is considered,
“the source and summit of the Christian life.”
And by coming together as a community, we are reminded that we are called to be the Body of Christ in our world and to serve one another as Christ taught us.
Serve -
We expect our parishioners to serve our parish community.
As a friend recently put it to me,
“Don’t just sit in the boat. Pick up an oar and row!”
Being a parishioner is not a passive engagement with the Church. The Church has a mission and you’re a part of making that mission a reality. We need you. And we expect you to be an active and engaged member of this parish. You each have gifts and talents that God has blessed you with. Share them with the community. If you enjoy singing, join the choir. If you play an instrument, talk to Joe about playing with him at Mass. If you’re comfortable with public speaking, be a lector. Volunteer with Don’s Helping Hands by making sandwiches or handing out lunches to our guests. Lead a Bible study or start a faith sharing group. Get involved with our Finance Council or Facilities Committee. And if you like working with kids, consider helping with our Roots Youth Group or Religious Education program. Bottom line, if you have time you’re willing to give or a talent you’re willing to share, we’ll find a way for you to get involved in our parish. Just email me, and I will connect you. (FrFrancis@stjosaphatparish.org)
Grow -
We expect our parishioners to keep growing in their relationship with God.
Throughout the year we host a myriad of opportunities for people to come together and explore their faith and worship together. We offer Alpha, bible studies, the Men’s Spirituality Group and Women’s Group, Nativity Nights, our Lenten Parish Mission, Taize, etc. We want our parishioners to take advantage of these opportunities and grow in their relationship with God. There should never come a point when we feel like our relationship is
“good enough.”
Our God is a God of infinite love, infinite goodness and infinite mercy. He’s always looking for opportunities to draw us deeper into a relationship with Him. There’s always room for growth!
Give -
We expect our parishioners to give to St. Josaphat.
Part of supporting the mission of St. Josaphat is helping to fund the ministries we offer and to maintain the beautiful church and facilities we have inherited from the generations that came before us. We expect each of our parishioners to be supporting the parish on a weekly or monthly basis through our Sunday offertory by making a donation through GiveCentral or through envelopes. Registering to be a parishioner is not like joining a club to simply receive the benefits of membership when we feel like it. A parishioner is someone who is looking to give of their time, talent and treasure in order to serve the community and further the mission of the Church.
I hope these expectations make sense and illustrate how each of us is called to serve the Church and embrace the mission that Christ gave us. We will talk more about what it means to be missionary disciples throughout the year in homilies, bulletin articles and in sacramental preparation with parents and students in the school and religious education program.
My hope is that by working together we can claim our sense of mission as baptized Christians, that we can create a culture where every parishioner knows that they are important and valued, and that we can share our God-given gifts by building God’s Kingdom.
Your Brother in Christ,
Father Francis
