Dear Parishioners:
Jesus invited His disciples to take
a step into a deeper relationship with Him by asking questions. At a moment of intensity, He asks His
disciples “Who do you say that I am?” (Mark 8:29 ) This question is at
the heart of all other questions. We are
asked to identify Jesus for Who He IS and in so doing we establish the very
ground on which we stand.
Our age is a skeptical age. It tends to discount anything that came
before our age until it is tested. It
doubts what it cannot see. It denies
first and then seeks to manipulate things to go a predetermined direction. Jesus calls us out of this way of
thinking. He invites us to see the world
from God’s perspective. He invites us to
welcome God into our world freely by becoming part of what God is doing. Jesus invites us to dream of what the world
can be through His grace and to take concrete steps to let it happen in us.
The New Evangelization is the Call
of the Church today. From Pope John
XXIII, who prayed for a New Pentecost to Pope Francis, who calls us to go to
the peripheries, we are invited to become a welcoming community that leads the
world to Jesus.
This week, I will be interviewing
our Confirmands, the 8th Graders who are preparing to receive the
Sacrament of Confirmation. I will sit
one-on-one with each of them to invite a deeper look at what God is doing in
their lives. This is always a revelatory
moment. I learn from them what is going
on in the lives of their families in regard to Faith and how they are
experiencing their own moment of discernment concerning commitment. This is a privilege moment, and as Pastor, I delight in this opportunity to
speak heart-to-heart with each one.
Next weekend, on Saturday morning,
our 2nd Graders will be receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation
for the first time. They delight in the
power of this Sacrament to allow them to experience the healing Mercy of Jesus
as He forgives them their sins and teaches them to forgive others.
As our youth enter more deeply into
the Sacramental Life of the Church, all are invited to set an example for
them. Take the opportunity to renew your
own relationship with the Holy Spirit you received at Baptism and
Confirmation. Go to Confession,
especially if it has been a while, and renew your commitment to the life of
Grace and Holiness. Aim high. Be holy.
Love. God cannot be outdone in
generosity.
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