God has blessed us beyond measure, and now that we have arrived at the year 2019 we look at ways to count our blessings and to find ways to give glory to God during this new year. How are we going to make Christ known and proclaimed during this year? As a parish community we must look at ways to grow in holiness and wholeness for the Glory of God. We should keep striving to be a true community of Jesus Christ, continuing to support one another and offer Jesus to one another. How can we do it? I want to commit myself to be a good priest, a good pastor, a faithful follower of Jesus. When I first felt the desire to become a priest I was attracted to it because I loved Jesus and wanted others to fall in love with Him also. I wanted to spend my life sharing the love of Jesus with others. Sometimes I forget what first drew me to the priesthood, especially when I become too busy trying to solve problems and make the parish work. It’s easy for me to become so busy working for Christ that I forget about Christ. When this happens I try to remember how it all began for me, how I fell in love with Jesus as a child, how I felt his love for me growing up, and how I gave my life to Him as a Christian and as a priest. Going back to these moments of blessing helps me to regain clarity in the present and moving forward. Here is what I desire for all of our parishioners for this year:
1. I desire that every person who belongs to St. Mary’s and the Missions parish knows Jesus personally and intimately.
2. I desire that every person in our parish love the Church and is joyful in inviting others to experience the presence of Jesus in our Church.
3. I desire that our parish be sacrificial in the way we treat one another, always thinking how I can help, how I can assist, how I can serve.
4. I desire that the sacraments of our Church, especially the Eucharist and Confession, be used frequently and with devotion.
5. I desire that everyone who comes to church have a smile and a kind word ready to share with others.
These are my wishes for the New Year, for me and for my parish family. How about you?
Fr. Wojtek Kuzma