Dear Friends in Christ:
Almost every year, either through the homily or a bulletin letter, I try to remind the parish of our vision as a parish. Actually, it not just a vision for St. John Vianney Parish, but for every parish, everywhere in the world. It is the description of the early community of the followers of Jesus as described in the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. St. Luke describes the early church in Jerusalem, in the days after Pentecost, by saying that “They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the communal life, the breaking of the bread and prayers” (Acts 2:42). In this description, one can easily see the importance of the apostolic tradition, the ecclesial bond of unity, the centrality of the Eucharist and the absolute necessity of the spiritual life. These are the essential and transformative characteristics of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. We are not who we are without being devoted to these essential elements. The result is that when we, here at St. John Vianney parish, devote ourselves to these very same things, we experience a Living Faith that Changes Lives and Makes a Difference in individuals, families and our community. Sound familiar? Do you recognize that? I hope that we all do.
In looking at this bulletin, our website, our staff directory, our activities calendar, the list of ministries and groups or even our budget, one can see that everything we do is centered around the teaching of the apostles, the communal life, the breaking of the bread (the Eucharist) and prayer. That is who we are and who we are called to be. Our job at home, here at church, and out in the world is to bring the living presence and message of Jesus Christ to others. Or as the universal church prays on the feast day of our patron saint every August 4, we want ‘to win souls for Christ!’ That is our job, our mission and our vocation!
On New Year’s Day, a few weeks ago, I made a challenge to our parish for 2025. This challenge had three parts. The first part was that I asked everyone to meet a new family in the parish. It could be someone who sits next you at Mass, or another family who has a child in your child’s Youth Formation class, or maybe someone at Coffee and Donuts. It really doesn’t matter who. The important thing is to meet and get to know another family and spend this year getting to really know them. More than just saying hello, but spending time with them, converse with them, learn about them and their family, share a meal, work on something together. The second part of the challenge is to pray for the new people who have met. Pray for the new person or persons that you have met. Pray for them, their needs and their family. As you get to know them, you will learn more about them. Pray for their protection and wellbeing. Pray that they may be blessed and guided by the Holy Spirit. Pray that they may grow in their love and faith in the Lord. Pray in gratitude for these new friends, these new sisters and brothers in the Lord. At the same time, realize that they are also praying for you, your family and your needs. Lastly, the final part of the challenge is for each parishioner to go outside of the parish and invite and bring someone to St. John Vianney. It can be a neighbor or a friend, a co-worker, or a relative. They can be a fallen away Catholic, someone without a church home or someone who does not Jesus or even believes in God. Invite and BRING them with you here to St. John Vianney. Bring them here so that they too may experience the joy that we have as followers of Jesus and members of His body, the Church, as we live here in this parish. They may or may not have a spiritual conversation, but if they do, what a glorious thing that would be and you were the instrument of God’s grace for them. Our challenge in 2025 –
Meet somebody, Pray for somebody, Bring somebody!