Kelli Reutman offered to take over his Pastor’s Notes for the weekend while Fr. Jeremy is away. Enjoy her perspective on recent events at the parish:
Back in September, when Holy Family launched the “Recommitment 2021” project, Fr. Jeremy preached a homily that convicted many of us in the pews, at least from my perspective. What does it mean to say with Simon Peter, “You are the Messiah” (Mark 8:29, the gospel for that day)? If we are to proclaim Christ as Lord of all – if we are to say we are parishioners at Holy Family – then we must commit our lives to that declaration. This homily was the first in a four-part series that challenged and convicted us – are we truly living the mission of Holy Family Parish?
If you’re like me, you thought he planned the homilies like that. They flowed seamlessly from one week to the next, fit the readings well, and drove home the goal of the Recommitment. I’ll share a little secret, though: Fr. Jeremy didn’t have a plan when he gave that first homily. I already liked the series, but when I found out the it was the work of the Holy Spirit, I was amazed. The Spirit was setting a fire at Holy Family, we just had to open our eyes to see it. I didn’t just see it in Fr. Jeremy’s preaching, though it was clearly there. I also saw sparks in the parishioners I encountered, in conversations I overheard, and in my own prayer. Something big was forming…but as a parish staff, we didn’t know what exactly what it was. How do we gather these sparks before they fizzle out? How do we organize them into a (holy) fire?
One solution we came to was compiling a list of “Shared Mission Opportunities” with a variety of service opportunities at the parish. Don’t get me wrong: the mission of Holy Family is more than just volunteering our time and talents to build up the community. But these opportunities consist of holy work that is essential to the overall mission of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What is that mission? Love. If we claim Jesus Christ as our Messiah, then we must love God and neighbor through acts of service. These service opportunities come in many forms, which we have organized in categories of Outreach, Service, Prayer, and Liturgical Ministries. The amount of time and level of interaction with others varies between each one as well. And the list is always changing as spots are filled and new opportunities arise. I promise there is something for you! Scan the QR code on this page or visit holyfamilynewalbany.org/mission to see the list, then get in contact with me to begin.
The feast we celebrate today brings another perspective to the topic of mission that we haven’t explored lately: The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Not only do we call Jesus Christ Messiah, we call Him King. Even though He wore a crown of thorns and came to us as a little child, we know that He is a King with abundant riches! As His sons and daughters – princes and princesses, if you will – those riches are for us. If we follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit, we will be drawn into service for the Kingdom. The holy work of mission doesn’t earn our salvation, but it makes us more like the Son who won it for us. I pray that you will let Jesus be King of your heart and your life today.
Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Pray for Us!
- Kelli Reutman