I think of how when I was ordained a deacon, when I ordained a priest, and when I was appointed as Vicar General of the Diocese by Bishop Kopacz, I professed the creed of our faith, professing, “I believe in one God, the Father mighty, maker of heaven and earth…. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God.” I think of how it was not only important for me to profess my personal faith in our Lord Jesus Christ as an individual, but it was important for me to profess it as a part of the Church, as a part of a community of faith. I think of how I my personal faith evolved in the community, as I grew as a disciple of Christ in different ways. As I think of the different communities I served as a missionary and a priest, I see how my faith in Jesus has grown and developed. It was important for me to believe in Christ in my heart, to truly take personal responsibility for that faith, but it was also important for me to be open to the faith of the community, to allow the community to influence my belief and my faith. I think the sin of the Pharisees was that their vision of God was not open to Jesus’ proclamation of the kingdom. God calls out to us in so many different ways in our lives. If we are not willing to grow in our faith and be open to surprises, then are we really open to God and his will for us? Even in this scary new world we live in today, in this harsh reality we are facing and we did not expect, God is speaking out to us in different ways.
H. May we see the face of God in our reality.
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