Joe Farris Inspires St. Anthony Community to Be Fully Alive St. Anthony Church | Glen Allen, VA

“Nothing will be impossible for God.”

These words from Luke 1:37 began Joe Farris’ 3 November presentation to over 100 teens and adults at St. Anthony Church in Glen Allen, VA.

Joe Farris is part of the Ten Ten Group that focuses its ministry on the importance of being fully alive in God’s love. In other words, everything we do and say should reflect God’s love. This is the perfect message to meditate on during the Season of Announcement. In fact, Luke 1:37 will be part of the Gospel reading on 24 November, the second Sunday in the Season of Announcement. In this reading, Gabriel announces to Mary that she will conceive and bear a Son, who will be named Jesus. Mary responds ‘yes’ to God’s call and humbly chooses to be the handmaid of the Lord.

In his talk, Joe reminded the community that we, like Mary, need to listen for God’s call, be willing to say ‘yes’ and believe that nothing is impossible for God. Joe helps to bring his message home by sharing his own personal experiences. Joe is a gifted storyteller and has the ability not only to entertain but also to connect his stories to the underlying message. In Joe’s life, God called him to sell his home and belongings and become a missionary. At first his wife and six children thought that Joe must have misheard God’s message. Laughter filled the room as Joe shared his wife’s initial response to this call. However, God was persistent and patient in calling Joe and his family, and they did sell their home and belongings and serve as Life Teen missionaries for two years. While the stories were entertaining, the message challenged us to always listen for God’s call and be willing to respond with a joy-filled YES.

Joe Farris is a parishioner at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. If you would like to have Joe speak at your parish, you can contact him through the Ten Ten Group or at joe@joefarris.org.