Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

My Dear Parishioners,
 
As we gather to celebrate the Lord’s Day we mark the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time in our liturgical assembly.  Today’s Gospel reading brings us to the Sea of Galilee. This is where I will be on Wednesday when I celebrate my 65th birthday! On Monday morning I will be traveling on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land which is being led by our Bishop, His Excellency the Most Reverend Arthur Serratelli. Our Bishop holds a doctorate degree in Sacred Scripture from Rome and had served as a Scripture professor at Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange before being named Bishop by Pope Saint John Paul II. As a matter of fact I was a student of the Bishop when I did some graduate work at the seminary back in 1990. The Bishop is a brilliant teacher who made the Scriptures come alive in the classroom. Now to be with him at the sacred sites and to hear his commentaries is something I am looking forward to so that I can come back and share it with you.
 
The area around the Sea of Galilee was the setting of many miracles performed by our Savior Jesus Christ. It was from this place that He called His first Apostles to whom He would entrust the work of salvation after His Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven. We hear about the calling of Peter and his brother Andrew, as well as James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Fishermen by trade they will become fishers of men who will later travel to far off places proclaiming the Gospel and witnessing to the Lord with their lives. The message they proclaimed is the one which Christ heralded: THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS AT HAND. REPENT AND BELIEVE IN THE GOSPEL. This invitation is one which continues to resonate within the Church to this day calling all of us to a deeper and more profound union with Christ.
 
The words which we sing today in the Responsorial Psalm are: TEACH ME YOUR WAYS, O LORD. The manner in which we learn about the Lord’s ways is by posturing ourselves as disciples, students of the Scripture and the Tradition of the Church which has come down to us from the Apostles. Making time in our busy lives for study and instruction is important in our faith formation. Ignoring opportunities to engage in spiritual reading or participation in parish courses of instruction is detrimental to one’s faith formation. This action stifles spirituality and will result in abandoning the Lord.
 
As your pastor, I invite you to join with us in the various faith formation opportunities which occur each week at Saint Cecilia Church for the benefit of the people of both our parishes, Sacred Heart of Jesus and Saint Cecilia. We are singing today, TEACH ME YOUR WAYS, O LORD, so let’s avail ourselves to these opportunities we have to be good disciples, students of the Lord.
 
Father Pawel will be “holding the fort” alone until Father Cerilo arrives mid- week after visiting his family in the Philippines. You’re in good hands with our two priests until the boss gets back!
 
I will remember you, my dear people, in every prayer I offer at the holy places where our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ walked.
 
God bless you!
Father Zig