St. Anthony's Catholic Church

Fr. Matt’s Corner: ... Repent and Believe! ...

          Greetings to you, my dear friends in Christ. I tell you, brothers and sisters, the time is running out … This is the time of fulfillment! The Kingdom of God is at hand!

          "Whoa, Fr. Matt, slow down a bit; Hold on here . . . what's up with all this urgency?‟

          As we live through the Gospel of Mark again this year, we can begin to see the urgency – the zeal – with which Mark writes. In the original language (Greek), almost every other sentence begins with: And immediately . . . ! It almost seems as if the story is being told by a breathless child who is recounting some stupendously adventurously exciting event.

          Hmm . . . come to think of it, maybe that really is what's happening here. As Jesus breaks onto the scene, so He breaks into our lives. Maybe we can see and hear Him anew this time – like those four fishermen: Simon, Andrew, James, and John. Maybe whatever it is we've been fishing for with our lives, Jesus will turn up the heat – calling us to a new and bigger catch: Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men! Maybe we might be given the courage to respond by leaving the past behind and following Him like they did. Maybe . . . just maybe . . . we can live with Him, too.

          Perhaps He will fill us with that same zeal as we forge ahead here at St. Anthony‟s parish. Beautifully prayerful liturgies, youth, family, and community activities, picnic and adult education, social justice and outreach, dinners and fish fry‟s and dances and movies, new and renewed ministries – living through, in, and with Jesus – now that's something to get excited about.

          It took one man, Jonah, to bring new hope and a new way of life to the great city of Ninevah. It took Simon and his brother Andrew and James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John to abandon their nets and their father and their boat in order to follow Jesus and to bring about the Kingdom of God for all the world.

          Where might it take us; and what might it require of you and me? This is the time of fulfillment! The Kingdom of God is at hand! Won't you join in?

          Peace to all of you this holy day and to all who love the Lord in simplicity of heart,

Fr. Matt