Dear Parishioners and Friends,

Possession of anything is in our time a privilege and, at the same time, a duty. In the course of time, luxury goods once classified as such in daily life, become the standard. However, there are goods, which do not become obsolete over the years even with the advances in technology, or civilization. These are spiritual goods, not material goods.

According to the reading of Joel, the goods which God sends us, give us great abundance, “Then you really will be able to eat to satisfaction and praise will be to the Lord your God, who has done great things for you, and my people will never be put to shame” (Jl 2.26). And so living according to what the Lord recommended, may we abound in good times, and most importantly, in the intangible spiritual goods. Do we have a choice? I think that the reasoning is simple; living under the umbrella of God, we live well and comfortably. Moving away from the Lord our God, destroying His gifts, surely we will experience suffering and disappointment.

St. Paul in his letter to Timothy writes: “we brought nothing into this world; neither, we can remove anything from it. However, having food and clothing, and a roof over our heads, let us be thus content! And those who want to get rich, fall into temptation and in many foolish and harmful situations. They drown men in destruction and perdition. For the root of all evil is greed of money. Chasing after this, some have wandered away from the faith and find themselves burdened with many sorrows. You, on the other hand, a man of God, flee from these kinds of things, and follow righteousness, piety, faith, love, perseverance, gentleness! ” (Tim 6.7-11). This passage shows us the right truth and attitude and determines our personality, our way of life and conduct. The consequence of this choice is a proper approach to our lives.

In reflecting on our lives we can read properly the Gospel of Jesus. When we possess and multiply our goods, we should do so in moderation, not to be driven into a blind alley. The art of choice, freedom and our free will are given to us from God, but how we apply them to our lives will be the ultimate outcome. These choices are not only our property; they also belong to the Lord. This happens with anyone who gathers treasures for himself and is not rich in the eyes of God». (Lk 12.21)

Using this opportunity I would like to wholeheartedly thank all who have made their donations to the “To Teach Who Christ is” campaign, which is important to the parish and the Archdiocese. Many of you made your pledges and now are gradually paying them. You who share what God has given you will receive a much greater reward.  The reward  God gives is incomparable with those that men will give you; is it for all eternity. Let us find ways first of all, to seek such a reward in our daily lives. God Bless You!