Blog & Pastor Letters

Every morning as I set out for Mass, many thoughts rise with me from my bed. The faces I saw yesterday at morning Mass are the likely the faces I may see again sitting down, meditating, and patiently waiting for Mass to begin. I find this highly encouraging for my ministry, and above all, for my spiritual life. In my reflections, I always remember this admonishment from the Bible: ‘Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth’ (Ecclesiastes 12:1).

When you find something of value, you are likely to share your findings with others. Unless it is a cache of gold in the Gobi Desert, you are likely to announce your find so that others can share in your joy. Gold can lead to some selfish behavior and you are likely to avoid hasty publicity and, in the process, lead others to plunder the site and cart away your newly found precious metals. Valuable items are guarded jealously. And when we discover something that is most valuable to our lives, we marvel at the discovery and celebrate it like no other in the past.

When Jesus says, ‘the greatest among you must be your servant’, he wants all Christians to add humility in their repertoire of talents while serving others. By itself, leadership in whatever form, is meant to add value to people’s lives and allow them to taste a future reality from the present. Jesus exemplified this by laying down his life for all people. It wasn’t out of weakness that he did this, but out of love for sinful humanity that we may live.

In a world that is gradually secularizing, maintaining the sacred becomes difficult. The Christian is constantly at danger of being attacked for his beliefs, his dogmas, and his teachings about the purpose of human existence. How did we find ourselves here and where are we going after we die? The answer is as varied as our belief systems. For the Christian, the meaning of human existence is completely tied to the purpose of God’s love for the world which man is given a supreme role. It is the duty of man to remember his Creator, for we came from him, and we shall return to him.

(Adapted from the writings of St. Francis de Sales, especially Sermons, L. Fiorelli, Ed.)

In today’s Gospel Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of God will be given to those who live the Lord’s way of truth and sacred love. St. Francis de Sales expands on this:

How happy we shall be if we love this divine Goodness that has prepared such favors and blessings for us! God became one of us so that we might become like God. Our Savior gave us His life not only to heal the sick, work miracles, and teach us what we must do to have a life-giving, healthy life. He also used his entire life choosing to shape His cross by enduring insults from those for whom He was doing so much good. He chose to give up His life for His people who rejected Him.