Dear OLA Parish Family, 

 

Jesus gave two explicit instructions that we must follow in order to enter the kingdom of heaven: repent and believe. We must repent and turn away from sin to follow God’s way of love and truth. This means we must change our way of thinking, our attitude, our disposition, and how we choose to live our lives – so that Jesus can be the Master and Ruler of our hearts, minds, and will. Whatever stands in the way of God’s will and plan for our life must be surrendered to Him, and we must do as God calls us to do. If we are only sorry for the consequences of our sinful ways, we will likely keep repeating the same sins that control our thoughts and actions. True repentance requires true sorrow for our sins and a firm resolution to avoid sin. If we yield to the Holy Spirit, we will find the strength and help to turn away from all sin that keeps us from living in His truth and love.

To believe is to take Jesus at His word and to recognize that God loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to free us from sin. God made the supreme sacrifice of His Son on the cross to bring us back to a relationship of peace, friendship, and unity with our Father in heaven. He is our Father, and He wants us to live in joy and freedom as His beloved sons and daughters. God loved us first, and He invites us in love to surrender our lives to Him. Believe in the Gospel – the good news of Jesus Christ – and in the power of the Holy Spirit, and you will be transformed into the likeness of Christ. 

 

Yours in Christ,

Father Edward Domme