IF WE POSSESS FAITH AS GOD'S EASTER PEOPLE - WHO ? OR WHAT ?? SHALL WE FEAR ???...........

Paul in 1st Corinthians 13 reveals that there are three things that endure beyond our human lives, "Faith, Hope, and Love".  And that although, Faith and Hope, will fade, leaving Love, as the consumate manifestation of the Eternal God; Faith is an important facet in our lives as Catholic-Christians.  Without authentic Faith in the presence of the Risen Christ in our life journey, we have only a tepid, if not superficial expereience of believing and follow the One, who is, "The Way, the Truth, and the Life", that leads to God's Kingdom.  as John's Gospel 14:1-6, proclaims to us today - we who believe in and follow Him, will find the Heavenly Father, as Jesus is the door we must walk through to discover the Father.  In this twenty seventh day of the Paschal Season, how well are you being a Disciple of the Risen Christ, in following Him as your Way, Truth, and Life, to the Eternal Father ?  What Ministry are you choosing to embrace or discover, as the outward sign and practice of your Baptism and Christian Initiation ?  OLOL Parish stands at a crossroads.  Our aging parish population is inordinately relying on fewer and fewer older parishioners, to fulfill the ministries of this parish community.  More work is being required of fewer and older members, leading to a set in of apathy, burn-out and complacency.  Liturgically, we currently have only 6 Lectors, and 6 Eucharistic Ministers, meaning with three Sunday Masses, each week we stretch these too few liturgical ministers, to the limit.  During this Church Vocations Awareness and Discernment Week, as we have focused on Prayer, Pondering, and Preparation, of our young people for answering the Call to Priesthood, Religious Life, and the Diaconate; we are also gearing up a concentrated effort to recruit, train, and put into place, many mor parish lay ministers.  Every Baptized person has a responsibility to minister, and what better, por simplified way to carry out your Call to Ministry, then by training and carrying out the Ministries of Reader of God's Word, or Distributors of the Body and Blood of Christ sacramentally, at Mass.  As I prepare to deliver my first annual 'State Of The Parish Address', as Pastor, on Pentecost Sunday; the Call to Fulfilling Our Baptismal Obligations In Parish Ministry, will be one of the central focuses.  Attending Sunday Mass is part of the baptismal responsibility we are obliged to keep.  Equally necessary, is the means by which your participation in the Community of Believers contributes to the service of God and our fellow members, in providing for the common good of All God's People.  Eradicating apathy; refreshing the burnt out; and overcoming the complancency, that leaves the work of Catholic-Christianity to others; we must strive to accomplish, for the full presence and participation of the entire parish community, diocesan family, and universal Church.  What are you doing as Easter People, to make that happen ?????.....Fr.  Troy