People of the Risen Lord,
Wow! That sounds formal. Please pray for the priests of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester. Sunday through Wednesday we will be at our annual convocation with Bishop Barron in Okoboji. It is a chance for camaraderie, hearing from the bishop directly his vision for ministry, and to slow down and have some extra time for prayer. Don’t worry. For me, that will include some golf.
I am pumped for the Marathon. Sort of. I think I’ll be rollerblading or longboarding instead of running. I ran cross country and track in high school. Came in last in a couple of races. My PR was about 21:45 for a 5K (3.1 miles). So about a 7 minutes/mile average. So my running days are over…unless being chased by a bear.
Also, Hank and Levi (Whitney and Alexander) Hammond are getting Baptized next Saturday (September 30) morning. If you see them, congratulate them and pray for them. It is always a gift and joy to have new souls enter into the Body of Christ, to have their Original Sin washed away.
Today’s Gospel is all about mercy. God just wants us to turn to Him, love Him, and to live life the way He knows is best for us. If we figure this out early in life, all the better. However, if we learn this late in life, He will welcome us with open arms. As Jesus says over and over again, He has not come for the righteous, but for the sinners. We are all sinners. Some days we realize this and some days we don’t. However, until we understand the depths of sin, we will not understand the depth of Jesus’ love for us. God is infinitely generous. May we open our hearts to God’s generosity.
Peace and Love of Christ,
Father Vogel
Father Andrew Vogel's Blog 