Fulfilled in Your Hearing!

In the 4^th Chapter of Luke’s Gospel, we hear of Jesus’ preaching: “Today, this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”  It was a bold message of God’s plan. For the listeners this was not new. They heard this from the prophet Isaiah. But what is radical is that it is being fulfilled in their hearing. Jesus realizes the message. He is filled with the Spirit, embraces the mission, and lives it out.

Some biblical scholars say that Jesus’ message is viewed as the pastoral plan for His ministry. It is very straight forward. It reveals who God is and what HE desires for His people. He is the God of life, hope and love. In His ministry that is all Jesus did.  He proclaimed that the Kingdom of God is at hand. Jesus invited people to be part of the mission. Some did not embrace it, and some did. Those who participated in the mission recognized that it took a change of heart, a change of perception, a change of lifestyle. And as they did that, they began to discover something new. They began to have a better understanding of God.

Friends, you all have heard me talk about Holy Spirit’s Pastoral Plan. On May 2^nd, 70 members of our community gathered to identify the plan’s priorities. It was evident from the lively and passionate discussions that our hope is for all to practice Radical Hospitality, which is to love as Jesus loved, forgive as He forgave, to understand as He understood. This is what Radical Hospitality means – to be Jesus to others, to live as He lived His life.

After listening to all of you, I worked with the Parish Pastoral Council to create the plan. Before we embark on its implementation, I would like to present it to all of you and perhaps hear your comments and answer some of your questions. Keep in mind this is a living document. You will notice that we are already responding to some of the ideas we heard. But there are also some that might take more work and time.

I am asking all of us to join me in this beautiful plan. As we say YES to the plan, like the first disciples of Jesus, we begin to re-discover who we are and how God is calling us to continue to be part of the Kingdom. The success of the plan will depend on you and your participation. Fr. Robert, the parish staff, and I cannot do this on our own. We need your help. Read and pray about the plan. Ask yourselves, “What animates you about the plan? Which part of the plan interests you? Would you consider devoting some time to making the plan a reality?” As you ponder the answers to these questions, let us remind ourselves of Jesus’ words: “Today, this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” Let us not forget, the plan is not just ours, it is God’s as well. Please join me in saying: “Today, this pastoral plan is fulfilled in our hearing.”