Festivals

Note to reader: Just to make it clear this post is in no way a knock on parish festivals. I love parish festivals, and pour my time and money into them. And I really hope I win the $10,000 major raffle.  

This weekend was my parishes festival and for the past few weeks we heard urgent cries about the need for volunteers. In fact this tends to happen every year. However, I feel like in the past few years we have become more and more desperate for help.

The desperateness of their plea and clear need for aid hit me hard. It caused me to ask myself if I was willing to make a desperate plea to save souls. We put so much time and effort into making the festival a success because it keeps the parish and school running but are we willing to put that same time and effort into bringing others to Christ.

The Archdioceses of Detroit has called for a year of Evangelization, what are we doing about it? If we could really see the need to save the souls of others from hell and immerse them in God's mercy, I doubt we would be able to take time for rest. The Body of Christ needs to be mended and built up. The time to act is now. We must share with our brothers and sisters that God became man to set us free from sin, shower us with mercy and forgiveness, and give us a new life in Jesus Christ. I firmly believe if the amount of people it takes to put on a festival put their hands to the plow and showed others the desperate need to share the gospel we could really make a change in the world.

Our festivals would not be seen as something we need to do to keep us in the black but a way to celebrate together. Our goal should be to make heaven reign on earth. We have the power to do awesome things. Jesus tells us in today's gospel, "Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these." We are called to do greater works than Christ himself! As St. Catherine of Siena said, "If you are what you should be, you will set the world on fire." What are we doing?

My prayer tonight is that we will set the world on fire with the power of the Holy Spirit. That I will commit myself more deeply to proclaiming the name of Christ, our salvation, to everyone I encounter. And that all those who read this might join me in this commitment.

Check out St. Paul Street Evangelization for more information on Evangelization.