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January 13, 2021
Praised be Jesus Christ! We have entered into the Liturgical season we call ‘Ordinary Time.’ This weekend we begin with a great story, about the call of a young man named Samuel who was sleeping in the temple. Upon hearing several times, someone calling loudly his name “Samuel, Samuel” he woke up instantly and followed Prophet Eli’s instructions, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening!” Then God spoke, Samuel listened and he grew up accompanied by the Lord’s presence.
We are in our sesquicentennial celebrations until Saturday, November 13, when we close the event with the Bishop’s Pontifical Mass. For the last 150 Years, as for the next 150 Years, the body of Christ at St. Elizabeth has evolved with different ministries carrying forward God’s mission among us from one generation to another, proclaiming the Kingdom of God in both word and deed.
St. Elizabeth Parish has been marked for years with great communal activities, worship, administration, programming, teaching, and much more, that keep us going and encountering others’ sufferings in all walks of life, be it within our church walls or outside our Church walls. As we live one day at time in this New Year 2021, our focus is to keep Jesus mission alive both ‘within’ and ‘without’ while we focus our time and efforts to making more intentional disciples.
Following Jesus example of preaching, teaching, feeding and healing, we continue to “Behold, the Lamb of God” who takes away not only the sins of the world, but also the miserly, affliction, injustice etc. in our world. When the two disciples of John, followed the Masters advice to behold the Lamb of God, Jesus asked, “What are you looking for?” The disciples responded: “Where are you staying”? In their intense desire to spend time with Jesus, they wholeheartedly answered Jesus’ call to “come and see.”
We are the intentional disciples who have responded to “Come and see!” And this is not the end. Part of being a disciple is to build the body of Christ – by being a follower of Christ who makes new disciples. My prayer is that our lives continue to be a testimony of that unconditional and faithful love.
Let us embrace our new parish mission statement, while leaving ourselves behind to encounter others through the Four Pillars of Discipleship and Stewardship of our diocese:- Hospitality – to maintain a warm and welcoming environment, and invite others to join us in prayer, especially Sunday Mass;
- Prayer – to journey the path to Heaven together through celebration of the sacraments and ever-deepening lives of prayer;
- Formation – to continue sharing, learning, and accepting the teachings of our Lord and His Church; and
- Service – to share our Lord's Love by reaching out to all in service, especially the afflicted.
Together in Christ Mission
Fr. Alfred Tumwesigye