St James Catholic Church

Dear Parishioners,
Anyone who has driven often on highways can recall times in which traffic has slowed to a standstill because of a bottleneck, when multiple lanes of traffic must funnel down to a single open lane. This contemporary phenomenon is very much like Jesus’ words today about getting into heaven. Jesus says people will come from every direction but must pass through a narrow gate to enter. Getting in is not easy and some will be sent away. May we embrace God’s discipline the spirit in which it is explained in the second reading, recognizing that it is offered out of God’s love for us.
Four times in the second reading we hear the word discipline each time in a positive way, given out of love to help grow. It is no coincidence that it comes from the same root in Latin as the word disciple. Discipline teaches us to be good disciples. It is necessary to stay true to our mission, to love God and our neighbor as ourselves, and to see the Christ in others. Doing so habitually forms us into the kind of disciples whom Jesus called to follow him.
Love, Peace, Joy,
Fr. Bob