My dear parishioners, you are an important team member in Our Lord’s enduring Christian mission. Simply stated, you are a worker whose work is the
sharing of our Christian faith. You are sharing and witnessing before others at this very celebration of Holy Eucharist today. Every individual, indeed every generation—in whom God desires to reveal his glory [cf. Isa 49:3]—must discover anew the baptismal mystery of Christ.
This mystery is the “
secret and hidden wisdom of God which God decreed before the ages for our glorification”. [1Cor 2:7] If are wise in Christ, we possess “full awareness of man’s dignity, of the heights to which he is raised, of the surpassing worth of his own humanity, and of the meaning of his existence”. [Pope Saint John Paul II,
Redemptor hominis, 11]
No one may follow Christ without being his disciple. Your discipleship will be put to the test, either in this life or at the moment of your personal judgment before God. In the name of Christ, I encourage you to remain close to the Lord as you are to your own spirit. Remain close to the Church and her teachings, inspired as they are by the Holy Spirit.
Continue to take refuge in the Word of God “
delivered to the saints”. [Jude 1:3] Hold fast to your daily habit of prayer and the liturgy of Holy Eucharist, the “source” and “fountain” of our faith. [
Sacrosanctum Concilium 1 No. 10] Maintain your devotions, especially our Blessed Mother’s Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Deepen your reverence for the sacred, and be unwavering in your support of the sacraments and liturgical norms of the universal Church.
Next, put your stewardship of the mysteries of Christ to the service of his kingdom. Our Savior declared, “
You shall love your neighbor as yourself”. [Mt. 22:39] United to the Hebrew
shema—
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord [Deu. 6:4]—this commandment fulfills “
all the law and the prophets”. [Mt 22:40]
Hence, do not be diverted by your own devotions and religious practices from the needs of others, or indifferent to the salvation of their souls. This would be to place your own redemption in jeopardy. For clergy and laity alike, the
salvation of souls finds its fulfillment in the ongoing
care of those very souls. We are to be more than unthinking servants—indeed, as friends of Christ, we are to be a
“light to the nations”. [Isa 49:6]
The silent witness of empty seats in our Catholic Churches is deafening. Jesus, the “
Lord of the harvest” [cf. Mt 9:38] calls you to labor in his fields. Announce the glory of God! Deliver souls from their bondage to sin! Show yourselves to be “
faithful and wise stewards” [cf. Lk 12:42] who labor to fill our Churches with joyful people glorifying God. Teach the mysteries of salvation. Sow the Gospel in every field. “Stir up faith in Jesus the Messiah and Lord, and bring together the Church”. [
Dei verbum 17]
Put your hand to the plow. Shoulder the load. Be worthy of the wage you wish to receive from God! His divine grace will empower you to
“speak freely to God, drawing near to him with confidence”. [Heb 4:16] Discover your own discipleship maturing. Claim the peace of Christ. Draw close to one another, especially in difficult or hostile situations. The Holy Spirit will give you words to “
proclaim how exalted is God’s name”. Read your Bible and “
make known his deeds among the nations”. [Isa 12:4] Begin by sharing your own story:
Let me tell you what God has done for me. If you want to save your own soul, then save others! Sincerely in the hearts of Jesus and Mary. Your pastor, Reverend Richard Barker.
My dear parishioners, you are an important team member in Our Lord’s enduring Christian mission. Simply stated, you are a worker whose work is the sharing of our Christian faith. You are sharing and witnessing before others at this very celebration of Holy Eucharist today. Every individual, indeed every generation—in whom God desires to reveal his glory [cf. Isa 49:3]—must discover anew the baptismal mystery of Christ.