Every day, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ calls us to experience a spiritual renewal in our life, to realize His gifts of faith, hope and love. These gifts from God lead us to communion with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We either embrace or reject these gifts from God who is love (1 John 4), for no one can force us to be faithful, hopeful and loving. Once we say yes to the Jesus, however, once we commit to conversion, to turning to the Lord, we learn to pray in faith and we can experience His love, hope, peace and joy. Faith is an adherence to God as His sons and daughters “beyond what we feel and understand” (Catechism of the Catholic Church #2609). Jesus knows how much we can be swayed and side-tracked by our feelings, and that is why He consoles and counsels us in the Gospel this Sunday: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God…” (John 14:1-12).
When we live the faith in word and deed, amazing things happen in our life: we experience communion with the Lord Jesus and are able to do the opus Dei (work of God), realizing that God has prepared for us a dwelling in Heaven. Like the Apostles, therefore, we cry out, “Increase our faith, Lord!” (Luke 17:5), asking God to help us live the faith that we profess, to be instruments of His love and mercy for others. Each day, we need God’s help in order to pray, to proclaim the Truth with love, to keep His Commandments (Ephesians 4; John 14:15; 15:1-17), and stay close to Him in His Church, His Word and His Sacraments, especially in the Holy Eucharist (21 of our young people make their First Holy Communion next weekend!). When we follow Jesus Christ, we cannot settle for compromise or mediocrity, for Jesus is not some map or opinion or career choice. Rather, He is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). Apart from Him, we can do nothing good, because He is the source of all that is true and good. Adherence to Jesus Christ ensures that where He is we too will be, even unto the ultimate Communion with Him and the Father and the Holy Spirit in eternal life in Heaven.
As we begin to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima on Saturday, May 13, this Mother’s Day weekend, thanking God for all our moms, living and deceased, may we ask Jesus Christ’s mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the perfect disciple, to pray for us, and to help us to pray, and to be in closer communion with her Son, Jesus Christ, the Only Savior of the world. Amen. Alleluia.
With peace and prayers in Christ,
Fr. William