With the rise of modern psychology many people seek the so-called self-fulfillment or self-realization.

debbie linbrunner • January 20, 2021

From pastor’s desk on the 3 rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

 

With the rise of modern psychology many people seek the so-called self-fulfillment or self-realization. The problem with that is that most of the time we do not even know what makes us fulfilled or self-realized. Very often we achieve the desired goal, but we end up being greatly disillusioned. In reality, we do not know what really is good for us and what makes us whole. Moreover, it is not uncommon that the human need for self-fulfillment quickly turns into selfishness. God’s commandments and fraternal charity are laid aside and it becomes all about “me” and “my happiness.” In consequence, many people become miserable and restless or they plunge into hedonism and stifle the deepest longing of human heart—the longing for God.

Viktor Frankl, a well-known Austrian psychiatrist and holocaust survivor, wrote a book entitled  “ Man’s search for meaning.” Currently, it is a classic of existential psychology. In this book, Frankl describes his experience of the concentration camp and the horror of war, but he also shares his thoughts on the role of faith and spirituality in human life. Frankl observed that people had a better chance of survival and sanity, if they believed in God. Those people who had strong faith were much better equipped to deal with the horrific reality surrounding them. They also could see a deeper meaning to their suffering and a purpose of life that went beyond this world.

I am sharing this example with you, for this Sunday our Lord Jesus calls us to deeper way of life. We see how the Lord by entering human life provides purpose and meaning for every human being. Hence, there are two important utterances of Jesus in this Sunday’s gospel that go against the spirit of this world fixated on self-fulfillment. In the first utterance we hear Jesus calling people to repentance: “ The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” In the second, our Lord calls the first disciples to follow Him: “ Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

The first announcement of Jesus is a wakeup call. If people want to see the Messiah and enter His Kingdom, they need to repent. In other words, people must turn away from their sins, which consist of evil deeds and deceitful thoughts. However, repentance is impossible without faith. It is faith in God that makes one  want to change. So, when Jesus is calling people to repentance, He ultimately is calling them to have faith in God. Repentance is only a necessary step in the growth of faith. To translate that to our lives today, we need to see how our faith shapes our motivation and choices. If I truly believe in God, my life cannot be the same as that of the world. Otherwise I will be like those who follow Jesus out of curiosity but eventually turned away from Him, for they lacked faith in Christ as the Son of God.

In the second utterance our Lord invites His first disciples to leave everything they knew up to this point and join Him on an unexpected journey. Their response is immediate with no regret and no turning back. It is a journey of the apostles, that is, the messengers of the Good News. As we know how the story develops, the apostles are entrusted with the preaching of the Kingdom of God to the entire world. In this way, they find fulfillment in their lives while forgetting their personal needs and focusing only on the Lord Jesus who becomes their Way, their Truth, and their Life.

Our Lord Jesus calls each one of us by name and He knows what we are capable of. Let us pray that we too may be courageous to follow Christ whenever He calls us to a specific vocation or mission in the Church. For serving the Church—the Mystical Body of Christ—we will serve all peoples of the world and advance the coming of the Kingdom.

Have a blessed week! Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

 

 

Mensaje del pastor para la celebración de la Pascua 2025

By Anthony Aruanna • April 14, 2025
Queridos hermanos y hermanas,

Pastor’s message on Easter 2025

By Anthony Aruanna • April 14, 2025
Dear brothers and sisters,

From Pastor’s Desk on the Eight Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C

By Anthony Aruanna • March 2, 2025
“Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?” — Our Lord Jesus addresses this question to His disciples trying to tell them that they need to be healed of their spiritual blindness first. In this context blindness is not to believe in Christ and healing means to have faith in Jesus who is the Light of the world. In other words, when we gain our spiritual sight through faith, then we will be able to help others on the way to salvation. Without faith in Jesus we just remain living in the darkness of sin. Without Jesus we are all like blind men bouncing against the walls of reality and against each other. However, when we embrace faith in God in the person of Jesus and let our hearts be set on Christ, then He—the Son of God and Our Lord—becomes our guide. Because of that our every step will be illumined with the light of faith. While putting our faith into action in our daily life we also start bearing good fruits of an authentic and happy life.

Del Escritorio del Párroco en el Octavo Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario, Año C

By Anthony Aruanna • March 2, 2025
“ ¿Puede un ciego guiar a otro ciego? ¿No caerán ambos en un pozo? ” - Nuestro Señor Jesús dirige esta pregunta a sus discípulos tratando de decirles que primero necesitan ser curados de su ceguera espiritual. En este contexto, ceguera significa no creer en Cristo y curación significa tener fe en Jesús, que es la Luz del mundo. En otras palabras, cuando ganemos nuestra vista espiritual a través de la fe, entonces seremos capaces de ayudar a otros en el camino de la salvación. Sin fe en Jesús solo permanecemos viviendo en la oscuridad del pecado. Sin Jesús todos somos como ciegos que rebotan contra las paredes de la realidad y contra los demás. Sin embargo, cuando abrazamos la fe en Dios en la persona de Jesús y dejamos que nuestro corazón se fije en Cristo, entonces Él -el Hijo de Dios y Nuestro Señor- se convierte en nuestro guía. Por eso, cada uno de nuestros pasos estará iluminado por la luz de la fe. Al poner nuestra fe en acción en nuestra vida diaria, también empezamos a dar buenos frutos de una vida auténtica y feliz.

Del Escritorio del Párroco en el 5º Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario, Año C

By Anthony Aruanna • February 6, 2025
A menudo la gente nos pregunta a nosotros, los sacerdotes, qué hacer para profundizar en su vida espiritual. A todos se nos ocurren respuestas diferentes y, ciertamente, hay muchos caminos para una mayor vida espiritual. Hay, sin embargo, un método más probado que ha ayudado a muchos cristianos católicos a estar en la vía rápida de la santidad y a comprender mejor la vida espiritual. Es la consagración total al Corazón Inmaculado de María, o como propuso originalmente San Luis Grignon de Montfort allá por el siglo XVII, la Consagración Total a Jesús por María. Después de San Luis hubo muchos otros que siguieron sus pasos. Entre algunos de los santos más conocidos se encuentran el Papa Pío X, San Maximiliano Kolbe y San Juan Pablo II. Estos santos reconocieron que María desempeñó un papel vital en la vida de la Iglesia primitiva y que la Santísima Madre sigue desempeñando un papel importante en la Iglesia de nuestros tiempos.

From Pastor’s Desk on the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C

By Anthony Aruanna • February 6, 2025
Often people ask us, priests, what to do in order to deepen their spiritual life. We all can come up with different answers and there are certainly many ways to greater spiritual life. There is, however, a more proven method that has helped many Christian Catholics to be on the fast track to holiness and to better understanding of spiritual life. It is the total consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, or as originally proposed by Saint Luis Grignon de Montfort back in the XVII century, the Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary. After St. Luis there were many others that followed in his footsteps. Among some of the most known saints were Pope Pius X, St. Maximilian Kolbe, and St. John Paul II. These saints recognized that Mary played a vital role in the life of the early Church and that the Blessed Mother still plays an important role in the Church of our times.

Del Escritorio del Párroco en el 2º Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario, Año C

By Anthony Aruanna • January 26, 2025
Estoy seguro de que todos estamos atónitos y horrorizados por los incendios forestales del sur de California que afectan ya a cientos de miles de sus habitantes. La velocidad y la ferocidad del fuego sólo demuestran lo frágiles que somos como seres humanos individuales y como humanidad en general. Muchos californianos pueden estar dudando de su fe en estos momentos; muchos se plantearán preguntas: ¿Dónde está Dios? ¿Por qué permite Dios catástrofes tan terribles? Ciertamente, muchos de nosotros nos haríamos las mismas preguntas. Si Dios está detrás o no, no lo sabemos. Sin embargo, sí sabemos que vivimos en un mundo creado que tiene su propio ritmo y ciclos que se dan en la naturaleza. Las cosas suceden con y sin interrupción humana. Algunas cosas las podemos controlar (muy poco, de hecho), y muchas otras no. Lo que sí podemos reconocer es que las catástrofes naturales son una forma de llamada a la conversión y a una mayor confianza en Dios. También es una llamada a la acción para hacer la tierra más acogedora, de modo que las personas puedan prosperar en ella.

From pastor’s desk on the 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, year C

By Anthony Aruanna • January 26, 2025
I am sure that all of us are stunned and horrified by the wildfires in Southern California impacting now hundreds of thousands of its inhabitants. The speed and ferocity of fire only proves how fragile we are as individual human beings and as humanity by and large. Many Californians may be doubting his or her faith at this moment; many will pose questions: Where is God? Why does God permit such terrible disasters? Certainly, many of us would ask the same questions. Whether God is behind it or not, we do not know. However, we do know that we live in a created world that has its own rhythm and cycles that occur in nature. Things happen with and without human interruption. Some things we can control (very little, in fact), and many things we can’t. What we can recognize is that natural disasters are a form of a call to conversion and to greater trust in God. It is also a call to action to make the earth more hospitable so that people can prosper in it.

From pastor’s desk on 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year, B

By Anthony Aruanna • October 19, 2024
Last July over 50 thousand Catholics gathered in Indianapolis for the 10th National Eucharistic Congress. Obviously, the central theme of the gathering was the Eucharist. One of the key speakers at the Eucharistic Congress, Monsignor James Shea, said:

Del Escritorio del Párroco el 29 Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario

By Anthony Aruanna • October 19, 2024
El pasado mes de julio, más de 50.000 católicos se reunieron en Indianápolis con ocasión del 10º Congreso Eucarístico Nacional. Obviamente, el tema central del encuentro fue la Eucaristía. Uno de los principales oradores del Congreso Eucarístico, Monseñor James Shea, dijo: