Dear Friend of Carmel Mission,
The Gospel today reminds us of a crucial aspect of being a follower of Jesus Christ – bearing witness to Him in the world. John the Baptist’s witness, proclaiming Jesus as the Lamb of God, causes Andrew to be drawn to Jesus. After a single afternoon with Jesus, Andrew bears witness to his brother Simon, who as a result also becomes a disciple. The Scripture gives many other examples of how the witness of the disciples, of St. Paul, and of others drew people to Christ. This has been a bedrock of our Catholic faith through the ages, and is part of our own Baptismal call.
Here at Carmel Mission, we are fortunate to have the great example of our founder and first pastor, St. Junipero Serra. St. Junipero’s spirit of evangelization is an guiding light to me as we seek to extend God’s invitation to the world. In this time when we cannot gather in the usual ways, we have been able to focus on our burgeoning virtual community. I am inspired by those who join us online from near and far, who are drawn to this holy place, and are eager to pray and worship with us. It is my sincere hope that this continues well into the future.
To be an evangelist is to share God’s invitation of love, of fulfillment, and of peace with all we meet. As human beings we are drawn to beauty, to serenity, and to joy. When we express our faith in such terms people are naturally attracted and want to learn more. What about being a follower of Jesus Christ makes you joyful? What brings you peace? Simply living our lives in an in an intentionally faith-filled way extends an invitation to those we encounter on life’s journey. Thank you for continuing to share your faith, and for being part our Carmel Mission community.
I wish you and your loved ones continued blessings of good health, deep peace, and great joy,
Fr. Paul
Please take a moment to read our Carmel Mission weekly bulletin.