26 Aug 2017

This Week Letter – August 27, 2017

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Dear Parishioners and Friends.

 

It is difficult in today’s world to identify a person who not only believes truly in God, but also believes His actual Words. The true believer prays, goes to church on Sundays and holidays to attend Mass, he receives Holy Communion and does the works of mercy out in the world.
Our Lord gave Simon, an ordinary fisherman, without any education, his new and much more significant name Kephas, or Peter, which means “truth”, “rock”. (Mt 16: 13-20). Why did this simple man, who knew only how-to fish, suddenly become the foundation of the Church? Who was he, that Jesus had decided to choose him? After all, Saint Peter was at the very beginning an ordinary fisherman. Maybe it would have stayed this way, but one day Jesus appeared and got into his boat. Upon returning to the shore, Peter took courage and confessed to Jesus that he was a sinner, for which he heard: “Do not be afraid, from now on you will be a fisher of man.”
The time Peter spent with Jesus developed in him a sense of who Jesus really is, in Peter’s heart. He saw that the Lord was different from everyone else. Peter also received spiritual enlightenment and inspiration, and therefore he was the one who professed faith in the name of the Twelve. Thus, Christ gave Peter the power and authority. After receiving the mission, Peter willingly and unreservedly desired to fulfill the Lord’s will in everything that would contribute to the building and growth of the Kingdom of God.
It is hard to believe with all your heart and soul if you are not raised in the Christian spirit. If parents do not give a good example, it is hard to go every Sunday to church, and to obey the commandments. So, in order to truly believe, to let God plant the seed, we must love Him and give Him our soul, not feeling like His prisoner, but like His child, of whom He takes care. To be honest and truly devoted to God, one must use mind and heart. The conclusion is that faith does not come by itself. To truly believe, we must know and understand. We must love and follow Him. All of this must be done voluntarily. After all, God gives us free will. To believe we must love. We must love to be “the rock”.
In Holy Baptism we are all submerged in the life, death and resurrection of Christ. All of us are the foundation on which Christ continues to build His Church in the 21st century. May we never fail Him.

Let today’s picnic be an opportunity to provide love and mutual understanding despite linguistic, cultural and ethnic differences. It is the same Christ who joins us, He offers the same heaven to all people from all over the world. Thanks to your love, brothers and sisters, heaven is already beginning here on earth.

God bless!

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