Fr. Stephen unfolds the Parable of the Dragnet and asks a practical question: what makes people remain in the Church and grow holy rather than drift away. The Lord says the net gathers every kind, and the Fathers teach that the good and bad are found within the Church herself. Separation at the end is real, and the warning about gnashing of teeth is not theater. It is mercy that urges us to build parish life that forms hearts now.

Fr. Stephen lays out three practices that keep a parish healthy. First, live the faith with visible hospitality so the Church is a home, not a club. Second, build ministries that give concrete purpose, because shared service becomes the school of love. Third, learn the faith within the Church so zeal is guided by truth. Together these habits help souls prepare for Communion, repent regularly, and persevere with ho ...