Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear Friends,

The last line of today's Gospel reads to me as a rally cry, a call to action: "the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit". I'd like to invite us all to reflect on the ways that our lives may or may not be bearing fruit. There are some very obvious ways to bear fruit such as loving our family members, serving at Mass, offering a gift to a charitable organization or even forgiving someone who has hurt us. There are also many subtle ways that we can bear fruit for the Kingdom of God; such examples may be smiling at a stranger on the street, taking an extra moment to listen to someone even though we may be in a hurry, or offering a silent intercessory prayer when you see someone having a bad day. There are so many beautiful opportunities throughout the day to bear fruit for the Lord and to bear the light of Christ to one another!

On October 1st, we celebrate the feast of St. Therese of Lisieux - this year it fell on Sunday - and I can't think of a better saint who teaches us how to bear fruit for the Lord! She taught us "the little way" to Heaven and inspires us that little acts of love have a profound effect and are very powerful in sharing God's love with those around us.

May we always look to the Holy Spirit to guide us and may we have the docility to His inspirations so that we bear much fruit and further the Kingdom of God!

God bless you,

Amy Burghardt