To walk humbly in God’s presence…

Dear Friends,

Blessings!

Today, I invite you to reflect on the mission statement of our parish. Those of you who have received an email from me have probably seen it at the bottom of the page:

“To walk humbly in God’s presence through prayer, service, and evangelization, while putting Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself last.”

This is not simply a sentence. It is the path we are called to live.

And that path begins with prayer.

We can serve, organize, volunteer, attend meetings, and fill our calendars with many good things. But if we do not spend time with Jesus, even our service can become empty, exhausting, and disconnected from its true purpose.

Jesus tells us:

“I am the vine; you are the branches.”

A branch does not bear fruit by working harder. It bears fruit by remaining connected to the vine.

The same is true for us.

Before we can bring Christ to others, we must allow Christ to fill us. Before we can speak about Him, we must listen to Him. Before we can work for Him, we must learn to remain with Him.

This is why our Perpetual Adoration Chapel is such an extraordinary gift. Jesus is there, truly present in the Eucharist, waiting for us in our joy, our weariness, our gratitude, our confusion, and even our silence.

I encourage every member of our parish family to consider committing to one hour of Eucharistic Adoration each week, at whatever time works best for you. Please do not be concerned if other people are already registered for that same hour. The purpose is not simply to fill an empty time slot. The deeper purpose is the grace that you, as a disciple, will receive by remaining faithfully in the presence of the Lord.

One hour a week with Jesus can change the way we pray, the way we serve, the way we carry our burdens, and the way we see the people around us.

Remember the words of Jesus to Martha:

“Mary has chosen the better part.”

Jesus was not rejecting service. He was teaching us that service must begin at His feet.

Dear friends, let us never become so busy doing things for the Lord that we forget to spend time with the Lord.

The strength of our parish will not come from how much we do, but from how closely we remain united to Jesus.

Together, we are St. Agnes!

Fr. jc