How many of you actually saw Pope John Paul II at some point in your life? That was the question raised in the church I was visiting this weekend. It was remarkable to see a significant number of hands go up. There were quite a number of us who could say we had seen a living saint. I saw Pope John Paul II in St. Louis in 1999 with a hundred thousand or so others attending Mass at the stadium where the Rams football team calls home. Although it wasn’t an intimate encounter by any stretch of the imagination, I am still glad I had the opportunity for the experience.
This weekend was a magnificent weekend for the universal Church. The festivities surrounding the canonizations of two popes truly created a buzz of excitement throughout the world. We also concluded the Octave of Easter and celebrated God’s Divine Mercy in a pronounced manner. The refrain of the Responsorial Psalm summed it up well. “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his love is everlasting.” That should bring us much comfort and peace to realize just how deeply we are loved by God.
The weekend was a blessing to me personally as well. I was invited to preach at St. Patrick’s Church in Casper to share some information about the life and mission of Jesus Christ and His Church throughout the Diocese of Cheyenne. It is always a privilege to highlight how the Church is bringing the transforming love of God to others through our various ministries. As I expounded upon some of the ways we are building up the Kingdom of God in our diocese, it was a tremendous pleasure to see the smiles and the nodding of heads when parishioners realized how their generosity and support of "Living and Giving in Christ" is making a difference in the lives of others. People of faith are truly making an impact in the world. This is difficult to see sometimes when our secular media tends to focus on what is wrong. However, if we look for the good, it can be readily visible as well. As I prepared my homily I was pleasantly reminded of all the positive things happening in the life of the Church.
This is the season of celebrating First Communion and the Sacrament of Confirmation. In all of these events I encourage you to look for the profound encounter with the living Christ. “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
This weekend was a magnificent weekend for the universal Church. The festivities surrounding the canonizations of two popes truly created a buzz of excitement throughout the world. We also concluded the Octave of Easter and celebrated God’s Divine Mercy in a pronounced manner. The refrain of the Responsorial Psalm summed it up well. “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his love is everlasting.” That should bring us much comfort and peace to realize just how deeply we are loved by God.
The weekend was a blessing to me personally as well. I was invited to preach at St. Patrick’s Church in Casper to share some information about the life and mission of Jesus Christ and His Church throughout the Diocese of Cheyenne. It is always a privilege to highlight how the Church is bringing the transforming love of God to others through our various ministries. As I expounded upon some of the ways we are building up the Kingdom of God in our diocese, it was a tremendous pleasure to see the smiles and the nodding of heads when parishioners realized how their generosity and support of "Living and Giving in Christ" is making a difference in the lives of others. People of faith are truly making an impact in the world. This is difficult to see sometimes when our secular media tends to focus on what is wrong. However, if we look for the good, it can be readily visible as well. As I prepared my homily I was pleasantly reminded of all the positive things happening in the life of the Church.
This is the season of celebrating First Communion and the Sacrament of Confirmation. In all of these events I encourage you to look for the profound encounter with the living Christ. “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
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