Come to Me

The theme of this year will be "Inspired by St. Paul," taken from our parish motto: "Inspired by St. Paul, Centered on Christ, Called to Holiness." At the center of our year will be our parish's patronal feast, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, on June 29. It is my hope that this "Year of St. Paul" will help us to be more "Inspired by St. Paul" so that we can be more "Centered on Christ" and more fully embrace that we are "Called to Holiness" with the hope that we might more effectively embrace our mission of calling, forming, and sending disciples of Jesus Christ. Before we can call, form, and send, we must be willing to be called, to be formed, and to be sent. Inspired by our great patron, this year is an opportunity for all of us to grow in our experience of being called by the Lord, of being formed as disciples, and of living our lives as those who have been sent. I pray that the "Year of St. Paul" will be a year of great conversion for me and for all of us, and will lead to an even greater yes to the Lord.

I am hoping we will live this year with a special emphasis on St. Paul. That during this year we will get to know him better so that the phrase "Inspired by St. Paul" will not be merely a catchy slogan but will truly mean something for all of us and will provide concrete direction in our daily lives. I am hoping we will grow in turning to him as our patron, seeking his powerful intercession, and finding inspiration in his life. Throughout this year, we will have specific initiatives aimed at helping us grow in our knowledge of our great patron. However, more than specific initiatives, it is my hope that this year will be a year with St. Paul. During this coming year, we will journey through another Year of Grace with a specific focus on how our great patron can shed new light on the gift of our faith and on the circumstances of our daily lives. And while I propose this theme for the parish, I also ask you to decide to make this a "Year of St. Paul" for you and your family. Through prayerful reflection, please consider how you might make this a year of St. Paul. For those who are leading apostolates or ministries in the parish, please consider how you might lead your respective groups to make this a "Year of St. Paul" so that, at the end of this year, we might together truly experience what it means to be "Inspired by St. Paul," with the hope that we will be more "Centered on Christ" and more deeply embrace the fact that we are "Called to Holiness."

I believe our great patron, St. Paul the Apostle, is a very important figure for this moment in the life of the Church as we are called to embrace and participate in the "New Evangelization." St. Paul the Apostle traveled over 10,000 miles over a period of 30 years as he conducted three missionary journeys to share the Good News of Our Lord Jesus Christ. He suffered tremendous challenges during this time as he preached the Gospel and established churches throughout the northern lands of the Mediterranean Sea (including the lands of modern-day countries of Turkey, Cyprus, Greece, Macedonia, Israel, Syria, and Italy.) He is said to be the greatest evangelist who ever lived. As we spend this Year of St. Paul, it is my hope that, "Inspired by St. Paul", we will learn from him as we seek to implement the Church's call for the "pastoral conversion of the parish" to fully embrace the New Evangelization.

A year of St. Paul is a great opportunity for us to grow in our knowledge of and love for Sacred Scripture. St. Paul's life is narrated in the Acts of the Apostles, and his writings are found in the New Testament. We learn about his life, and we learn from him, in the context of Sacred Scripture. He was an inspired writer of Sacred Scripture who wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. God is the primary author of all Sacred Scripture. And so, this Year of St. Paul cannot help but be, for us, a year to grow in our knowledge and love of Sacred Scripture. Beyond the writings of St. Paul contained in the New Testament, St. Paul is considered to have been the greatest scholar of the Old Testament alive during his lifetime. He models for us what it means to be steeped in Sacred Scripture and faithful to God's Word. This Year of St. Paul is a great invitation for all of us to grow in our knowledge of Sacred Scripture and to participate more fully in the Liturgy of the Word at Mass.

In Christ,
Fr. Wilson