Dear Parishioners:
This weekend we have the traditional
Peter’s Pence collection, the world-wide effort by the Church to gather means
for the Holy Father to assist with needs throughout the world. We have all been hearing news about how the
words that Pope Francis sends out can lead to a dialogue about important
issues. He has, from the first moment of
his election as Pope, been reminding us about our duty to keep the poor in
mind. Our generosity to this weekend’s
collection can serve to help the him reach out in our name as Catholics to
those in most need.
When the Catholic Church includes
collections as part of Mass, the intention is to remind us that our acts of
giving are part of the act of worship.
We have received all that we have and are from God. With grateful hearts, we give back something
of what we have received as a sign of our thanks and of our recognition that
God calls us to be stewards of the gifts we have received. What we have received as gifts we are to give
as gifts in turn to others.
God cannot be outdone in
giving. An open and generous spirit
becomes ever more ready to receive God’s gifts.
A heart that is closed and selfish has no room for what God wants to
offer. Can we learn to become more
generous?
The Church is calling us to be more
bold in our proclamation of the Gospel in a world that denies God a place in
the public sphere. We are also called to
be more conscious of our duty to reach out to others. What we do as a Faith Community is not about us,
but about God and His plans for our world.
We have been commissioned to make disciples, to teach what Jesus has
taught us, and to baptize others into Christ.
May we respond joyfully to this mission entrusted to us by God. And may others come to know Jesus Christ
through the life we share.
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