My Dear Parishioners:

The opening question in the old catechism is, "Why did God make us?" Most of us know the answer. God made us to know, love and serve Him in this life, and to be eternally happy with Him in the next! As a Christian we must begin with knowledge . Who is God? What is he like? What can we know about Him? In the Old Testament God revealed Himself to Moses as the "I AM". God revealed Himself as a great mystery, who exists from eternity to eternity. Yet God revealed Himself as one who is concerned with the cries and cares of His people, as one who rewards the righteous and punishes the evil. In the incarnation God reveals Himself as Father. Jesus tells us to call God, Father; Father in the most perfect sense of the word. One who loves, cares, protects, nourishes and gives life. One who corrects the erring and who calls us to embrace the good and reject evil. We know God as Father, and to know God the Father is to love Him. We love God because He first loved us and gave His Son, the Lord Jesus, to be the price of our salvation. Each time we look at the Crucifix we see God’s sacrificial love for us. I hope and pray that every Catholic household has many Crucifixes in it. Each time we assist at Mass, the perfect sacrifice is once more made real and present on our Altar, and by God’s love we partake of the very body and blood, the very life of God. God loves us not because we are so lovable; quite the contrary. The scripture teaches and the Church proclaims that we are born in original sin, alienated from God, cut off from the hope of eternal life. God loves us because He "CHOOSES" to love us. His love is an act of will. Remember the good Samaritan in the Gospel who showed compassion, showed love, not because the wounded Jew was lovable, quite the contrary. The Jews chose to be loving, to do the right thing. In this way he showed His love for God. How often do we allow our "feeling" to dictate our actions? As true Christians we must not love and do good to others because we feel like it, because tomorrow I may not feel like it. We love our neighbor, and seek to do good because, like God our Father, we CHOOSE to serve God and LOVE Him most perfectly by our actions. This is divine love, and its impossible without divine grace. This is why we must attend Mass each week, frequent the Sacraments of Holy Communion and Confession, pray each day, offer up sacrifices and penances. God invites us to be like Him, to choose to love our neighbor, even when they are not so lovable.

God Bless you all,

Your Friend and Pastor,

Fr. Dan Hesko

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