Pastor’s Letter: January 21, 2024

Pastor’s Letter: January 21, 2024

19 Jan 2024 | Posted by: chadmin

Dear friend,

This Sunday at the 11 am Mass our 8^th grade Confirmation candidates will receive the Rite of Election/Acceptance or the Signing of the Senses. This liturgical rite during the Mass both allows the individual candidate to publically express the desire to be Confirmed as an adult Catholic and for the sponsors to pledge to support his/her faith journey. The two big Sacrament years in our grade school are 2^nd and 8^th. In 2^nd grade, the kids receive First Confession and First Communion. In 8^th grade the kids receive the Sacrament of Confirmation from the Bishop. These sacramental gifts are about deepening our individual relationship with God. At Baptism and Confirmation, we also receive a sponsor. The sponsor is an adult Confirmed Catholic who promises to support us in our Catholic Christian growth. Baptism and Confirmation put an indelible mark on the soul. These sacraments truly configure our souls to God in a particular way. However, each individual still needs to grow in the faith through practice and education. The formation our children receive at school gives them a firm foundation in who we know God to be and how we are saved through the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This formation requires the support of family, friends, and sponsors. Please pray for all of our 8^th graders preparing for Confirmation and pray for their sponsors that they provide a good example of the lived Christian life.

“This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” These are the first words of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel after the arrest of John the Baptist. The ministry of the Baptist was about repentance and preparation for the Messiah. When Jesus enters the Jordan River, John baptizes Jesus as he sees the dove descend from Heaven. Along with the miraculous voice of God the Father, “this is my beloved Son, listen to him,” the ministry of Jesus builds on the preparations of John the Baptist. The word “gospel” means “good news.” Jesus comes to bring the “good news” that will mean “fulfillment” to all people. For Jesus, the kingdom of God enters the world with his voice. He comes to proclaim truth. In Mark’s Gospel, the “good news” and “fulfillment” are about the call to “repent” and “believe.”

The themes of repentance and belief are often more commonly associated with the season of Lent. One of the blessings when the ashes are applied to the forehead of the faithful on Ash Wednesday is “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” The call to discipleship or the call to living Christianity starts with repentance and moves toward belief. No matter one’s theological knowledge or even religious affiliation, all are created in the Image and Likeness of God. As our lives flow from God, there is an innate desire for God in all of us. Our desire for truth and meaning encourages us to honesty with self about our words and actions. This is the call to repentance. Repentance is an acknowledgement that we are not perfect and that the Christian call is for the bad to get good, the good to get better, and the better to get better still. When one repents with a relationship with God, this relationship results in a deeper belief. The Word of Truth is always a call to repentance and a deeper trust in God. At each Mass, we celebrate with wonder the reality of God nourishing us in the Blessed Sacrament. May the Lord help us deepen our belief in the good news of Jesus Christ and call us to repentance.

God bless,

Father David