These are the remarkable words St. Paul speaks in his letter to the Corinthians. He calls us “Ambassadors for Christ”. Picture yourself sitting in that large circle of chairs at the United Nations. To your left is the Ambassador from Russia and on your left are the Ambassadors to Nigeria and Poland. You are there as Ambassador for the Kingdom of God. Really.
Your words, your deeds, are meant to introduce these people to your country. You represent a nation that experiences the love of God living and active amongst its citizens because of their faith in Jesus Christ. The people of this nation love one another because they have first been loved by Christ.
St. Paul does not call us preachers. We are Ambassadors; living, breathing citizens of a nation that God has invited all humankind to claim as their home. And that’s what ambassadors do . . . they represent in their very selves the country they come from. We don’t spout slogans. We ARE our message.
So, what’s the point? The point is: YOU are the instrument God uses to help people know Him. Think about how you experienced God’s love in your life. Wasn’t it through PEOPLE? Your parents, friends, teachers, priest. Weren’t they ambassadors for Christ for you? Christ appealing to you through them? Parents, I don’t think you see yourself having so important a role. Jesus expects you to introduce Him to your children, your siblings and co-workers.
Wait a minute. I’m no saint! How can I give Christ to others? Just be your best self. Be the person who cares what happens. Be the person who looks out for others. Be a sign of hope when everyone else is quitting. Be the person who’s not afraid or embarrassed to admit their Catholic faith means something to them.
We are about to launch our One By One outreach this week. We want to be clear here – – – we are not looking for new parishioners. Rather, we want to share something that has made a huge difference in our lives. We want to invite people to consider restarting the practice of their Catholic faith. Why? Because it brings life and hope.
Soooooo . . . . think about who you will ask to join you at the One By One events. Say the Mission Prayer. Ask away. Remember you’re doing this for Christ, the Good Shepherd, and we are his sheep dogs . . . uh, I mean ambassadors!!
God bless you.
Fr. Tim
- Visit our web site at www.holytrinityweb.com
- Stop by the Welcome Desk after Mass
- Call the Parish Office @265-1616
- Email: HTOnebyOne@outlook.com
Not sure if you can come to all three events at this time– no problem! You can register for one event at a time and come back to register for the other events, or you can register for all events at once.
ONE by ONE lineup:
Saturday, February 21, 5:15 pm. “Let’s Play”
- Food and intro’s
- Trivia Competition (real easy, goofy questions, everybody wins)
- “You’ve Been Away? Me Too.” Talk — short story of one person’s being away and now returned. “Why I came back and what I found.”
- Invitation to come back for next event.
Saturday, March 7, 5:15 pm. “Let’s Talk”
- Food and welcome.
- “I Need God in My Life. My Catholic Faith Helped Me Find Him” Talk. Witness talk by a parishioner about how they found their place in the Catholic Church.
- Conversation at tables about peoples’ own stories. (Personal sharing only as people feel comfortable – – – no forced, uncomfortable admissions).
- Anonymous Question Box. Fr.’s John and Tim will do their best to answer all questions and address burning issues.
- Invitation to next event.
Saturday, March 21, 6:15 pm. “Let’s Pray”
- Pot Luck Supper (bring a dish to pass) and welcome.
- Move to church for an informal conversation and walk through of the Catholic Mass.
- Brief description of upcoming Palm Sunday and Holy Week.
- Invitation to join us for Holy Week and Easter Sunday.
