General

Called Forth

September 29, 2022
Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. John’s,

One of the biggest issues of our day is that of human life. Usually, the argument is focused on the beginning and end of life, and rightly so because the bookends need to be right, for everything else to be right. But we must also remember that we believe in the dignity of human life from conception until natural death. The whole of human life has worth and meaning. Our Lord Jesus Christ recognized this reality which is why He gave His Church the mission of proclaiming the Gospel.

Throughout our life, Jesus uses His Church to show us our dignity and teaches us how to live according to that dignity. Beginning with baptism, we are born into spiritual life with Christ and His Church. From there comes training in how to live a holy life. We are taught what it means to live like Christ and how to live in the dignity of being called sons and daughters of God.

Here at St. John the Baptist, we have many ministries that honor the dignity of human life. One of those ministries is our school. We teach our students from pre-school to eighth grade to become good and contributing members of society. However, we don’t just stop there, we also form them into holy young men and women.

We have many groups that meet for fellowship, formation, and prayer. Groups such as Catholic Watchmen and devoted that meet monthly draw in large crowds, but what makes them special is that they draw in different generations at the same time. Men and women, young and old, grandmas, mothers, and daughters all desiring in grow in holiness and discuss with each other the topic of the evening and how it applies to their lives. Each sharing their own experiences so that they can all grow in holiness together.

One of the responsibilities I have as the Parochial Vicar is to make pastoral calls and visits. Whether that be visiting people individually in their homes and in the hospital to anoint them or celebrating Mass and hearing confessions in nursing homes. I do five nursing home Masses a month along with confessions. We also have many extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion who go when I cannot because we want to honor the lifelong dedication to Christ of the homebound, elderly, etc. As members of His Church, they came to pray faithfully and to receive the sacraments, but now that they are older and are not as mobile, the Church comes to them.

As Christians, we honor the dignity of human life from conception until natural death. Our focus right now is on the bookends of life, especially when beginning. But let us not forget the many ministries we have that cover the whole of human life whether it be the beginning, middle, or end. May we give thanks to God for the gift of His Church that helps us to live that holiness of life in keeping with our dignity as His sons and daughters.
 
In Christ,
Father Joseph Nguyễn, 
Parochial Vicar