Are you looking for New Year’s Resolution to grow in your faith? This presentation was given by Fr. Andrew on August 22, 2023 to the leadership of his cluster of parishes regarding how a person (and a parish) share their faith with others in an open and non-threatening way. Using Acts 8:26-40, we discern a four point outline:
Work on our own spiritual life with the Lord.
Deepen and foster our personal relationships with others.
Be ready to give witness when people have “opened the door.”
Show them the next step.
Fr. Andrew then offers some ways this process affects parish life.
People are always watching. If they see our consistent, faithful witness AND we are sincerely present in a loving and honest way, there often comes a time when people will comment about our faith. It is at that moment that we can respond, showing how our faith helps us face the challenges of life, and offering an invitation for them to take a step that leads to knowing more about God.
The Adoration of the Shepherds, Durante Alberti (1538-1613), Chiesa Nuova, Rome. The photo is my own.
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph knew blessings and burdens as they faced the ups and downs of life. Their example inspires us to engage our faith as we live within the context of our families today.
The First Letter of John reminds us that we are in the world, but not of the world…offering our lives for Christ as we face the challenges and temptations of everyday life.
In the First Letter of John, the apostle shows how from his own eyewitness experience he desires to pass on the Good News of hope that we have in Jesus Christ.
Here are some of the themes that we find in the Mass readings for the feast of the Holy Family.
1st Reading – Sirach 3:2-7,12-14
God sets a mother and father in authority over their children.
God exhorts children to honor their parents, when they are frail and elderly.
Psalm 128:1-5
“Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.”
Those who follow the Lord will have prosperity at work and at home.
2nd Reading – Colossians 3:12-21
With grateful hearts we put on virtue in all our dealings with the people we meet.
Within the family, husbands, wives, and children honor and respect one another.
Gospel – Luke 2:22-40
Joseph and Mary present Jesus in the Temple, where they encounter Simeon and Anna, who give praise to God for the child and prophesy that he will bring salvation to the people.
Gerrit van Honthorst, Adoration of the Child, 1619-1620, oil on canvas, Uffizi, Florence, Italy. The photo is my own.
The birth of Jesus, the Light of the World, brings strength, hope, understanding, and joy to our lives. May we open our hearts to the Lord’s light and shine with his love! Merry Christmas!
Three Great Things 