"Go to the crossroads in the town and invite everyone you can find to the wedding.”

PATHWAYS TO THE FUTURE

Like the king in today’s Gospel, God sends us out as his servants to the towns and the crossroads of our daily lives to invite guests to His wedding feast. We share His invitation to join Him in our communities, our workplaces, our schools, and wherever we meet and engage with others. Through the witness of our lives, our faith, and our love, we draw and attract others to the banquet feast and to a personal relationship with God and with Christ, His son.

A few months ago, every Parish counted the number of people attending Mass as part of a Diocesan Census. It recorded that almost 37,000 people gather each week to celebrate the Eucharist and be in the presence of Christ in the parishes across our Diocese. We should be thankful for that, but we want more people to join us and to experience the love of Christ.

Each one of us has a part to play in building the Church of today and tomorrow in Down and Connor. We are God’s church. May we work with our clergy and with each other to make our faith communities vibrant, welcoming, and joyful. Through the invitation of the witness of our lives, may we attract others to join us each weekend as we gather in the presence of Christ to celebrate Mass and clothe ourselves in His love and mercy for the week ahead.

“See, this is our God in whom we hoped for salvation … We exult and we rejoice that he has saved us” Isaiah 25:9