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I had the privilege of celebrating my 31st anniversary of ordination on July 22nd, and I am very grateful to all of you for the prayers, love and support.
In this Sunday’s gospel text Jesus reminds us that the kingdom of heaven is like a hidden treasure or a pearl of great price, and that finding it brings such profound joy that one gladly gives up everything else to possess it. This parable reminds me of St. Mary Magdalene, on whose feast day I was ordained. She searched for a cure for her ailment; Jesus delivered her from seven demons. But what Mary found was far more than healing of body and soul. She found Jesus Himself, the Savior of the world. He completely transformed her life. Her encounter with Him redefined her identity. She joyfully became His disciple, and traveled with Him and the apostles, financially supporting His ministry. She was a devoted follower who stayed with Him through the crucifixion and was the first to see Him after His resurrection. Jesus was her everything - her treasure indeed! Like Mary Magdalene, let us boldly acknowledge Jesus as our greatest treasure. May His love keep us steady and guide everything we do. May we imitate her by continuing to support the church and the proclamation of the kingdom of God, not out of a sense of obligation, but in gratitude for the graces we have received. I try to imitate Mary Magdalene in search of the hidden treasure in my daily priestly life. I experience the treasure in my personal prayer, in our common celebrations, our shared faith, and in our fellowship with each other in the parish. The treasure is alive in our midst! While Jesus Himself is our ultimate treasure, we can be a “treasure” to one another by treating people with the same care, kindness, and grace that God shows us every single day. So, you are the treasure and fine pearl I have found in my ministry. It is a great blessing to serve you! Thank you and have a grace-filled week! Fr. Nick Apetorgbor
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Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I thank you all for the wonderful Meet-and-Greet last Sunday. The atmosphere was great, and many wonderful conversations took place. We shared faith, hope, love and joy, and I had the opportunity to get to know a few more wonderful people of our parish. It was a time of real community characterized by trust, curiosity, and a wish to journey together as a Church, as a Christian family. I felt appreciation and love, for which I am incredibly grateful. In this Sunday’s Gospel text Jesus speaks about the kingdom of God using parables. One of the parables is about a man who sowed good seed in his field, and an enemy sowed weeds in the same field. Instead of pulling the weeds up prematurely - which would damage the wheat - the farmer lets both grow until harvest, when the weeds are burned and the wheat is gathered. The image of the good seed and the weeds is a reminder that God’s good seed does grow. It grows in the presence of weeds, it develops despite being surrounded by weeds. It grows quietly yet powerfully. This parable teaches us that to grow spiritually requires real world struggle. A faith that never encounters challenge, opposition or discomfort will remain shallow, fragile and unfruitful. Our Church Fathers remind us that Christians grow best in the presence of pressures, not the absence of them. Our parish, our families, our places of work and our communities are not perfect. That is why we should be grateful to God that our faith is alive and active despite the distractions, temptations, challenges, and suffering that we experience in our environment. Let us continue to pray not so much for a weed-free life as for deeper roots; God often uses the weeds to grow the seed. While God is the ultimate source of all growth, we are called to be active partners in His work. That is why faith continues to bloom whenever believers gather, listening to one another with profound patience, steadfast faith, and genuine joy, as experienced during our Meet-and-Greet. Thank you for being an important part of our beautiful OLS family! I wish you a grace-filled week! Fr. Nick Apetorgbor |
AuthorFr. Nicholas Apetorgbor is the Parochial Administrator of Our Lady of Sorrows. Archives
August 2026
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