Welcome everybody to our Church. Today we celebrate 6th Sunday Ordinary Time. Today’s readings from the Holy Scriptures tell us how the history of salvation was changing.

During today’s First Reading from the Book of Leviticus, we heard of society’s treatment towards those who suffered temporary skin disorders. According to the Mosaic Law they were isolated from the community. They were expected to move outside the community, wear torn clothes, leave their hair disarranged, cover their lip and cry out, “Unclean, unclean!” This would last as long as the person was afflicted with the skin disease. They were treated as a second category of people.

In the New Testament there is different Law. Jesus brought new law. In the Gospel of Mark we see Jesus who heals the leper who was excluded from society under the Mosaic Law. Jesus gave to this man new life, new opportunity and new goal in his life. Jesus as we know came to the world to save the people, to save the lost sheep, not those who were already saved. He opens His arms to all, drawing them to His Sacred Heart that radiates with infinite healing love.

The cured leper was excited. He had found the truth, the way and the life in Jesus. He went forward and shared it with others for the glory of God the Father.

My dear brothers and sisters, there is a lesson to be learned here for all of us.

Jesus many times in our life is helping us. He give us strength, grace, power to live according to God’s commandments. He cures our deceases like He did for the leper. He takes care for us in every aspect of our life. Our work is to respond to Jesus.

Our spiritual work is to proclaim the good News to others, like a leper from the Gospel did. We must tell the people that Jesus can help them in their problems. They have to only ask Jesus for help. They have to pray. The best place and time is in church and during Holy Mass.

My brothers and sisters that is today’s message from God to you! May His Words enrich your spiritual growth in Christ!

“I will raise up for them a prophet!” From today`s first reading.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today, we celebrate the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Readings for today’s Sunday are telling us about a great prophet, promised Messiah.

In the First Reading, we heard of God’s promise to Moses that He would raise up for us a prophet. This is only one of God’s many promises that were made and are found in the Old Testament. All these promises were fulfilled in New Testament in Jesus Christ. Five weeks ago we celebrated the arrival of the promised prophet in the incarnation of God through Jesus Christ. In a few months, we will celebrate the resurrection of the greatest of all prophets, the Lord Jesus.

St. Paul in his letter to Timothy tells us “There is one Mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all – this was attested at the right time.”

In the Gospel, we heard that Jesus entered the synagogue and taught in Capernaum. Those who heard Him were astounded at His teachings because He taught with authority, not as the scribes, and He had power over evil and Satan. In the presence of Jesus a man with an unclean spirit cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” The evil spirit that possessed the man recognized Jesus as the Messiah. The evil spirit calls the name of Jesus twice, first as Jesus of Nazareth and then as the Holy One of God. The demons recognized Jesus as a Messiah as a true God. Jesus commanded the unclean spirit to be silent and to come out of the man. Once that happened, those who were present were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching – with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” The people had never seen such great power, nor ever heard of it since the days of Moses.

Summarizing today’s Holy Readings, in Jesus, we have seen the fulfillment of God’s promise to send a prophet like Moses. Jesus spoke with authority. He was not like the scribes and Pharisees. He didn’t just speak the truth, He was the Truth Incarnate. Jesus gave orders to unclean spirits, and they obeyed him. It wasn’t the words that kicked the devil out; it was the person who spoke those words.

My dear brother and sisters Jesus is calling us today to speak with authority about Gospel, God’s love, his commandments. He called us to be His presence for others. We are called to destroy evil in our world and around us. We are called to live our vocations, place our faith, hope and trust in Jesus Christ the Son of God.

Follow me and I will make you fishers of men! From today`s Gospel.

Welcome my brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus to today’s celebration of the Holy Mass. Our participation in the Holy Mass is our answer for God`s calling. During every Holy Mass Jesus is calling us to be his Apostles and His witnesses in today`s world.

During today’s First Reading from the Book of Jonah, we heard how Jonah answered God’s calling. Jonah was called by God and told to get up and to go to Nineveh, that great city, where he was to proclaim the message of the Lord. In obedience to the Lord God, Jonah went to Nineveh. He proclaimed the Divine Word of God, advising the sinful people that unless they repent of their sins, in forty days, their city would be overthrown. As we all heard, the people turned away from their evil ways and God changed His mind. Through Jonah, the faithful servant of the Lord, the people were once more united in the righteous ways of the Lord God.

During today’s Reading of the Gospel of Mark, we heard Jesus calling the Apostles; Simon, Andrew, James, the son of Zebedee and his brother John. Each and every one of them left what they were doing to answer the calling of Jesus. By answering their calling, they became faithful servants of the Lord.

Jesus said, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.”

Fishers of men are ambassadors of Christ. They represent Christ. Christians, through their Baptism and Confirmation are called to be lights in the world. They are called to go forward and to evangelize the world as Jonah, Paul and all the disciples of the Lord Jesus did, some even to death. They are called to evangelize all; family members, friends, co-workers, the strangers, all of those with who they come in contact during their lives.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, we all have a calling to answer. Whatever we are doing in our life has to be answer to God’s calling. It doesn’t matter if you are parent, priest, teenager, child, married or single. Jesus calls you to follow him and be his Apostle and fishermen.