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I'm New Here
Welcome!
FAQs
Welcome Weekends/Donut Sundays
Request More Information
Join our Parish
Become Catholic
Who Are We?
Our Mission & Patron
Parish History
Domestic Church
Meet the Team
Parish Staff
Pastoral Council
Finance Council
Careers
Sacraments
Baptism
Eucharist
Reconciliation
Confirmation
Anointing of the Sick
Marriage
Holy Orders
Ministries
Adult Formation
Small Groups
RCIA: Adult Sacraments
Eucharistic Revival
Lenten Resources & Media
Catholic Social Teaching
Children's Ministry
Faith Formation
Busy Bees
Family Class
St. Bruno Parish School
Youth Ministry
Faith Formation
Confirmation Prep
Get Connected
Human Concerns
Ministries
Music & Liturgy
Ministries
Administration
Ministries
Stewardship
Belong Believe Become
Ministries
Events
Calendar
Schedule an Event
Messages
Blog
Bulletins
Catholic Faith Resources
Latest News
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St. Paul Mass on TV
St. Paul Mass on YouTube
Give
Giving
Love One Another Capital Campaign 2023
Gospel Meditation
I'm New Here
October
1
,
2023
A life-long Catholic friend of mine recently mumbled to me, “I can’t stand all these converts to the faith. They’re always rocking the boat.” It surprised me because he is dedicated to evangelization, and yet he struggles with openness to new Catholics. It made me realize how easily I close my heart to those whom I perceive to be outsiders who become new members of the Catholic community. Almost unconsciously I reduce the world to the categories of “us” and “them.” The result is that meaningful community silently shrinks in my life. Don’t we all do that to some degree?
This week Jesus’ punchy parable about the two sons blows up that black and white world. One son said he wouldn’t get to work, and then did. The other said he would, and then he did not.
“Which did the will of his father?”
asks the Lord. Like so many of us, in identifying the first as the answer, the religious authorities manifest hidden hypocrisy in refusing to follow Jesus. They — like us — intuit the correct path but simply won’t do it. The tax collectors and prostitutes are indeed following Jesus and thereby getting to work in the kingdom of God.
Everyone
is called to do God’s will regardless of the labels we may apply to them.
This week let’s reject the convenient but damaging categories of “insiders” and “outsiders.” Instead, let’s embrace a grateful attitude that Jesus is calling fallen, weak, and broken men and women like you and me. Then we begin to see that the tax collectors and prostitutes aren’t
them
. They are
us.
And Jesus wants all of us working in his boat, no matter the rocking.
— Father John Muir
©LPi