Videos

The 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Added Sep 25, 2017 •

Copy this URL:
Embed code:	<iframe class="edlio-embed-player" type="text/html" width="640" height="360" src="//www.allsaintschurch.com/apps/embed/?v=158113" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Change dimensions

Sunday, September 24, 2017 Fr. Chad VanHoose, Associate Pastor

Show Transcript

why would anyone put off God why would anyone delay a commitment to God these are some of the questions that stir for me after hearing the gospel Parable today specifically with those who stood in the marketplace all throughout the heat of the day what were they doing all the way here in the parable is that they stood around idle so what were they doing as they were idling where they scrolling through social media where they watching Netflix where their lives too busy to hear The Master's Call to enter the vineyard maybe they had too many other commitments that excluded them from accepting this commitment to Common to the vineyard we don't know what these men and women were doing each of us enters into the vineyard at different seasons of our life and some of us can have that excuse you're too busy maybe once my life settles down then I'll commit to the landowner then I'll enter the vineyard but brothers and sisters know if this is happen for a really long time because this year is busier than last year and next year is going to be even busier so what do we do with the busyness of Our Lives or encouragement to you here at All Saints is to not put off God to not wait until magically everything settles down in your life cuz the reward that God has for us in entering the vineyard early in the day early in our lives is his very self the reward is more time with God if we enter earlier in the day we spend the entire day with God and that's our reward so why would we delay putting off no I don't pretend to know all the ends and outs of your life and I don't mean to minimize your other commitments but to make a commitment is to say yes to one thing and no too many others especially you young parents Your Daily Commitment of just keeping your kids alive takes up most of your time I get that but if you can't give everything right now please give something give what you can feasibly give to the Lord and ask him how you might follow him in a more committed way into the vineyard today we have the great privilege to hear a patient from to missionary disciples here at All Saints Randy and Mary best parishioners here at the parish they're going to share with us what their journey of discipleship and commitment have looked like here at All Saints so we woke him up Randy and Mary and we ask that everyone give them their attention thank you Father good morning as father said my name is Mary best and this is my husband Randy we have two sons Michael graduated from the University of St Thomas this year and Ryan who is now in his junior year at St Thomas we have been prisoners here since 1989 Brian was still in a stroller when also it's made the move from downtown Lakeville up to the top of the hill where we are now Randy and I are both table Leaders with the middle school at BP Edge program and we both joined a small group last spring WeeWorld family for the totus tuus program this past summer I look forward to being involved with that again next year I've begun training for the catechesis of the Good Shepherd program and will be an assistant to the atrium starting next week member of the Catholic Watchmen and Emmaus groups and is currently serving on the parish Life Commission Barry and I come from different Faith background she was raised Catholic and I was raised Protestant we were married in the Catholic church and after attending Mass together as a married couple for a while I decided to go through the rcia process and join the Catholic Church wanted to raise our child in the Catholic faith asset Anniston weekly giving or something we've almost always done but we were just often just going through the motions there is a teacher and starting when our boys were first able to attend just had a few P because we can save money that way and because catechists are always needed during those many years I was not very involved in our Parish I remember at times think our life is full with kids and their Sports and activities working family let's just play it safe for now I'll write the checks Mary can teach a PP and so we're good or at least recovered First Church goes but lately we find we haven't just been playing it safe in that way at least when we quit playing it safe our lives and our faith became richer we started attending Mike the earrings Bible studies and found that we not only learn more about the Bible but also got to know other people who are also seeking a no more about their faith we also sign up for holy hour and adoration and that has helped our prayer life girl and a witch no it's been keeping us focused on Christ and on each other in our marriage one of her sons intentionally got himself involved in the All Saints High School youth program and it changed his life he became a disciple we now know it was the Holy Spirit working within the mission partners and the and the staff and the youth program here at All Saints that made the difference for him and that is also had a great impact on us our other son did not follow the same path and is now away from the church struggles that I have led him away from the church our struggles that he and we deal with daily but we love him as all of you Solitaire love your own children and we have high hopes of him returning to the faith one day but we know it is all in God's time the interesting thing is we are now certain that both boys paths in life so far Divergent as they maybe have been blessings to us to marry and I and I brought us toward relationship with Christ and not away from him we also have aging parents with health issues and like everyone other day-to-day problems that sometimes can seem like crises whether they are or not but because we quit playing it safe we are learning now more and more to trust Jesus and not ourselves not trying to be in control of these big things we fail at this often of course but now sometimes we succeed and if it hadn't done I'm taking steps just a few years ago to get out of her comfort zone and take root in search All Saints I don't I don't think we could say the same thing today way we approach our financial stewardship is also changed in the past we gave out of a sense of obligation and as a result really let it impact our personal finances in any meaningful way now our financial giving to the parish and to the Archdiocese is intentional and as approached carefully there's no longer would like just another bill what we've heard for so many years we have found to be true the financial gifts we make to the church reflect our own relationship with Jesus our financial commitment has grown significantly as we have made the intentional ways to become disciples it is also grown as we've come to know how important All Saints is to our lives our kids lives and the lives of those both inside and outside the Parish Community here in Lakeville you no longer make Financial contributions because we feel an obligation to we contribute because we are invested in our parish and we want to these are investments that are worth making in a meaningful and substantial way the many ways we think our experience with stewardship this kind of typical for many married prisoners are involvement started off small and we built our sense of belonging and the church initially through our kids but we didn't flourish or grow until took risks and deep inner faith it was then that we began to see more and more how important God's church is to the well-being of ourselves and our families now we invest knowing that our returns will be large we have asked the whole ferret to enter in and take charge so that we can bear fruit for the kingdom of God Jesus told us this plainly in the parable of the sower in Mark chapter 4 the source of the word those seeds the fall Rocky ground do not have deep roots and when troubles arise on account of the word immediately they fall away but those that were sown upon good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit 34th and see Bolin hundredfold becoming real stewards of what we've been given by Christ in baptism means offering of ourselves and sharing sacrifice and service this year we want to add our voices to those of Father Wilson and Chad to invite you all to challenge ourselves to grow in your own discipleship and stewardship through sharing of your time and your faith your sacrifice of your resources both financial and material and through service to others in the parish using your gifts and talents you'll be receiving your commitment card in the mail in the coming week where you can fill out your commitments to sharing sacrifice and service in the coming year this year plan to take root form relationships and connections that route you in the life of faith in the parish bear fruit allow this fruits of your faith to be shared for your gifts and resources thank you

Videos

The 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

More videos in LITURGY