Father Vogel left us with a commission before leaving St. Columbkille for his new parishes in Elgin and Raeville.
He offered his last Mass at St. Columbkille on Thursday morning, with the parish's lay people in mind.
All of us, "as we are," are to "forward the Kingdom of God," he said.
Amos the prophet, in the first reading of the Mass for the day, was "an ordinary lay person" following what God had asked him to do, Father said in his homily. In the Gospel reading, he said, Jesus brought signs of His Kingdom through healing and forgiving.
So how are we, the lay people of St. Columbkille, supposed to further that Kingdom?
"Our entire role as a Church is to be Christ," Father Vogel said, "to bring Christ to the entire world." While Father has been called to bring Jesus to a new community, we at St. Columbkille are to continue our lives here being Christ for others.
May God bless Father Vogel as he extends the Kingdom of God. And may we embrace our role as Christ bearers.
Inspired by the Year of Faith, Susan Szalewski began writing weekly columns for us. Although that year is over, we liked them so well that we asked her to keep writing. Thankfully, she said yes. So watch for these on Thursdays and see the Year of Faith Blog here.
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