Pastor’s Weekly Letter, October 14

Pastor’s Weekly Letter, October 14

12 Oct 2018 | Posted by: chadmin

Dear friends,

The Church offers us some beautiful readings for reflection this week. The Bible, from beginning to end, provides the framework for the path to heaven. The New Testament reveals that Jesus Christ saved humanity from sin and eternal death by his Life, Death and Resurrection. Next to the actual work of God’s salvation, the Bible points out the necessary human disposition to a saintly life. The Book of Wisdom outlines the importance of praying for virtue. The Biblical author prays for prudence and received wisdom. This wisdom is more precious than any physical possession because it relates to the essence of God. The Bible communicates how to properly engage the things of this world for spiritual benefit and prideful gain. Holy insight into the physical world, our relationships and ourselves comes with the great gift of wisdom. A gift we all should pray to receive.

The passage from the Letter to the Hebrews illustrates the one fear Jesus invites his followers to maintain. In general, Jesus tells us to “fear not.” Fear is an unhealthy and debilitating spiritual condition. However, proper fear of God elicits saintly conduct. The Word of God, the Bible, is “living and effective” enabling us to “discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.” This truth allows us to understand that God knows everything about us personally. “Everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him,” which invites us to reflect upon end-of-life judgment. This doesn’t call us to a debilitating fear that prevents us from relationship with God but to a proper love of Him who loves us best. Fear of God calls us to sainthood. A maxim we have all likely heard describes this well. “People will not always remember what you did, but always remember how you made them feel.” As we contemplate our own judgment, the Lord wants us to honestly recognize the way our lives affect the lives of others. May we seek to properly love and build up those around us by offering Christ-like words that truthfully penetrate to the heart. In this way we will follow the Gospel call to properly put our trust in spiritual instead of physical aspects of life.

God bless you,

Fr. David P. Richardson