Week 6
17th – 18th June – 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
“And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.” (Matthew 10:7)
PATHWAYS TO THE FUTURE
In St Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells His disciples that “the harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to the harvest”.
We must continue to ask God for more vocations to the priesthood and religious life, but we must also recognise that we all have a calling from God and through our Baptism, we have received the gifts or charisms of the Holy Spirit to equip us to fulfil it.
In the coming months, we will begin to establish our new Families of Parishes across the Diocese. These are not simply parish structures, but are communities of faith where all, lay and ordained, work together to serve God and to serve, love, and care for each other. The new Families will be asking people to come forward to be trained and commissioned in a range of ministries such as catechesis, youth ministry and funeral ministry. Volunteers will be needed to help with management and administration. Liturgy teams will be needed to plan and organise prayer services and celebrations. Parish Families will need Readers, Eucharistic Ministers, altar servers, musicians, and so much more.
As we begin the process of renewal that Bishop McKeown spoke of at Pentecost, and as we plan for the practical changes that this will entail, we invite you to take time to pray and reflect on what this will mean for you personally. What role could you play? How will you use your Baptismal gifts for the glory of God and the love of others? How will you respond to God’s call for you?
To find out more go to www.pathwaystothefuture.org