LIKE THE CALL TO HOLINESS; THE CALL TO MINISTRY IN CATHOLIC-CHRISTIANITY IS A UNIVERSAL AND SELFLESS CALL...........

Authentic, unconditional, Discipleship in Jesus The Christ of Humankind's Salvation, is anchored in being selfless, spiritually grounded, believers, followers, and members, of the organic, Body of Christ in the World; - The Church founded by God's Son, Jesus as He completed the Paschal Mystery of Redemption for which He was born into the World, as God Made Man.  The Second Vatican Council,(1962-1965)  the latest to date,  of the twenty one Ecumenical Councils in the history of Catholic-Christianity, by which the Church is primarily guided, and governed; proclaimed the basic responsibility of Christians to the Universal Call to Holiness.  The Call to Holiness, is manifested in the lives we lead as Catholic-Christians, by our personal and uncondiotional communal commitment to Prayer, Worship, and Ministry.  Holiness, Prayer, Worship, Ministry, are the Baptismal responsibility and right; obligation and opportunity; of every Catholic-Christian, not only a select number of persons.  By calling multiple persons to become followers, and by forming a community of believers, Jesus The Christ, the Master-Shepherd, founded His Church as a, "People Of God".  That is the Divine Intention, that is the Primary Purpose, for which we are called, formed, and initiated, to be Church.  Unfortunately, given the selfish of sin caused by our fallen human nature, there are Catholic-Christians who fail to understand or practice, unconditional and selfless Discipleship, and define their membership in the Community of Believers, as self granted permission, to control and dominate others and to promote self serving, and selectively, targeted aims and agendas, that do not serve the common good of all, but the special interest of the few.  That approach to Discipleship is wrongheaded, and erroneous, as well as un-Christ like, and contrary to Gospel Values.  Eradicating just such attitudes and actions, and promoting the common good of the entire Faith Community, is the prophetic, and undeniable, duty of  ordained, or consecrated, servant-leaders of the Church.  As a priest and pastor of the Catholic Church, that is my focus and commitment to the People of God entrusted to my spiritual and temporal care.  I am presently applying that commitment to being the Servant-Leader of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, as the duly, canonically appointed, 6th Pastor of this geographic and parochial, Community of Believers.  Overseeing and serving the Common Good, and sorting out wayward agendas of individual and special interests, that attempt to limit the horizons of, "Faith, Fellowship, Collegiality, and Collaboration", is my commitment and my goal, - past, present, and future, rooted in my Disclpeship and Stewardship in Christ.  The People Of God, who are OLOL Parish can know that my priestly, pastoral ministry, and temporal administration, is to serve and lead the Whole Community in the spirit of the Gospel Values, proclaimed by Jesus, and preached by the Christ; a theology and ecclesiology, which is tethered to the biblical passage in the Acts of the Apostles 2:42; and faithfully adhered to by striving to call the parishioners to truly practice what they profess as Catholic-Christian Disciples, in the spirit of Acts; and taken forward and fulfilled, by carrying out the Beatitudes and the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy.  Yesterday, today, tomorrow, that is my pledge to God, to the Bishop, and to the Parishioners, I am blessed to be able to serve as a native born, locally grown, vocation of the Sacramento Diocese, and an ordained Priest of Jesus Christ...........Fr.  Troy