Tomorrow, January 15th is being celebrated as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Be sure to see the announcements above about celebrations during the week at ND. From 12- 1 PM on the 15th, the Martin Luther King Jr. Senior Men’s Club is providing a free lunch in his honor at the Center, 1522 W. Linden Ave. The Civil Rights Center down the street on Washington will have an 8th Grade Art Exhibit from 5 – 7 PM, too. Celebrate the life of this great man.
I have sent the check to the JM Tree Farm for our Greenery Sale. We cleared $474.50. Thank you to all those who helped and/or bought greenery! Special thanks to Nicole MacLaughlin who chaired the sale. This money will be used to help the poor with utility bills during the winter.
We are beginning our 90th year as a parish. We are looking for more history of the parish as well as ideas on how to celebrate this great anniversary. Why not spend a little time looking at the pictures of the priest and deacons who have served here? Maybe you will be enlightened by the Holy Spirit to contribute a great idea or two for this coming year.
There is a new community organizing effort taking shape in Northern Indiana. It is called Faith in Indiana I have attended three clergy meetings. It is an interfaith organization looking at systemic change for the better. The diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend backs this with groups in Fort Wayne, Elkhart and St. Joe counties. It should develop into a lay led organization to make things better for everyone. If you would like more info on this group, please see me, Father Len. This is a leadership development process. Three parishioners have already shown interest, but we could use many more. As small as we are, we have a big reputation in the city.
Ordinary Time will only run for a few weeks, since Lent begins the middle of February. Today we celebrate the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time and the theme of our readings is being called.
Our first reading from the First Book of Samuel, gives us Samuel’s call to serve God. He is a young man living in the temple when God calls him. He had no idea it was God calling him and three times he ran to Eli, the priest, asking him what he wanted. Eli finally realized it was God calling Samuel and told him to just say “Speak, for your servant is listening.” The reading concludes: “Samuel grew up, and the Lord was with him, not permitting any word of his to be without effect.
Our Responsorial Psalm has us saying the same thing: “Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.”
In our Gospel today, John the Baptist points out Jesus as the Lamb of God to two of his own disciples, who then follow Jesus. Jesus invites them to go with him. They in turn go out to others saying: “We have found the Messiah.” One of the two was Andrew, went and invited his brother to meet Jesus. Jesus said to him: “You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas – which is translated, Peter.”
With our baptism, we were called, too, to be members of Christ. What an honor for each of us. We are called to live as Christ lived, loving God and loving neighbor.
One of the hallmarks of a Christian is joy. True joy comes to us when we are doing the work God created us to do, when we are being holy by bringing God’s love into the world around us. Come, Lord Jesus, help us spread your joy to the world!
The National Black Catholic Congress has published a Pastoral Plan of Action. It can be found on their website.
Let us continue to pray for peace in the world. Let us also pray for vocations to the church. Let us pray for the sick of the parish. Let us pray that all will come to respect life. Let us pray for one another and for the canonization of Father Tolton.