Dear St. Martin’s Parishioners,
The more clear we are about our vocation, the stronger our resolve in keeping it. Jesus shares with his disciples “the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now made manifest to his saints” (Col. 1:26): he must suffer, be rejected by the Jewish leaders, be crucified and be raised on the third day. This is his calling and mission, that which he kept before him daily as the goal to which he was striving. Because he knew his calling so clearly and and accepted it so willingly, when Peter unwittingly tries to dissuade him from that path, Jesus strongly rebukes him: “Get behind me Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” Jesus knows his identity (beloved Son of the Father), knows his vocation (to do the Father’s will) and is resolute in carrying it out (“For this purpose I have come to this hour” Jn. 12:27).
Our primary vocation is holiness, and Jesus gives us the blueprints for attaining it: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” Unless we know our vocation (“For this is the will of God, your sanctification.” 1 Thes. 4:7), are clear about the pathway to attaining it, and resolute in accepting it, we are susceptible to the subtle temptations of Satan. This Sunday, pray for the grace of clarity and resolve in the knowledge of and acceptance of your calling.
This past week, the pantry served over 420 clients, which is another enormous turnout. Please continue to be keep our pantry and its needs in mind, because as St. James reminds us, “faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
In Christ,
Fr. Dave
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