27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

To All the Parishioners of the Epiphany of the Lord 

Called by Jesus Christ to a Specific Parish Community for a Christo-centric Mission 

“Go at once to Nineveh, that great city [. . .].” (Jonah 1: 2). 

“The Lord said to him [Ananias] ‘Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul.’” (Acts 9:11). 

In both the above-mentioned Scriptural instances, there is a particular contingent believing community to meet with for a specific mission. God has a particular plan for those persons whom He has called to accomplish Missio Dei (Mission of God) at a specific place in an appointed period of time in the course of human history. Similarly, neither are asked to pitch their tent there forever, but they are expected to move on and to obey and execute what God is saying and entrusting them with. 

Throughout the Holy Bible, God has called his Prophets, Kings and Judges both to enjoy being with Him and to join with Him in His Global Mission. (Matthew 28:19). Through the call of Abraham, our Father in Faith (Genesis 12: 1-9), all the Nations of the earth would be blessed and Israel, as the Chosen Race, was called as a Light to the Nations. (Isaiah 42:6-7; 60:3). In the history of salvation, the call to follow Jesus Christ and the call to mission go together. (Mark 1:17). 

Against the backdrop of the above reflections, Fr. Clement Sahaya Anand and I arrived here for the Toledo Mission on the 17 and 19 September 2024, respectively. We were overwhelmed with great joy by the warm and affectionate welcome extended by Rev. Fr. Michael Dandurand and the Parish Community of Epiphany of the Lord. Both of us feeling very much at home in the Parish Community, a home away from our homes. 

At Epiphany of the Lord’s Parish, we both are committed to inviting and supporting every parishioner to become a missionary disciple of Christ, building God’s kingdom through our prayer, celebration of Holy Masses, administration of the sacraments, visiting the sick both at homes and in hospitals, through our service and outreach to others in faith. We strive together with all in the Parish to bring to life the words of our mission: 

Love God, Love your neighbor and make everyone a missionary disciple of Jesus Christ. 

By working together, we seek to build a strong parish community where all feel welcome and inspired by the Gospel to live God’s mission with faith, hope and love. 

Looking forward to meeting you personally. 

Yours in Jesus Christ, 
Fr. John Peter Lazaar SAC & 
Fr. Clement Sahaya Anand SAC