(I heard this story on the radio as I was traveling this week.)
A young mother picks her six year old daughter up from school. The
little girl is in tears. Someone was picking on her at school and it totally
broke her heart.
Her 3 year old brother is in the car and asks his mom, why is she
crying. The mother answered “Someone was mean to her and now her heart is
hurting.” The little boy then began to cry as well. The mother asked him, “Why
are you crying?”
He answered, “My heart hurts because her heart hurts.”
A simple story that reveals truth; we are created in the image of God.
Our inner self is the reflection of that image of God. The image of
God we are to show to the world is our life, our love, and our compassion.
The world screams against this. It doesn’t want us to believe it. There
is no scientific study that proves this. Yet, for believers, the only thing needed to prove we are made in the image
of God is our faith. Even the youngest of child can realize it. “My heart hurts because their heart hurts.”
Moved by sorrow and compassion for the lepers suffering
and misfortunes, Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him….
For believers, the fact that we are made in the image of God is simply a
stepping stone to an awareness of God. Life is not about you; you are about
Life.
The Bishop’s Appeal is about life. Bringing life to our family, not only
our immediate family, or the immediate family of this community, but the entire
community that is the Church in our Diocese, and even the community of the
entire world, to which we bring the presence of Christ.
Just as Jesus
did, reach out and touch someone…
The appeal supports our seminarians. Young men who have found the image
of God in themselves and have pledged their life to Christ, to the Church and to you and me for the next 40-50-60 years.
It is with compassion and love we take care of the retried and infirmed
priest. These are men that have been part of our lives. In love and compassion,
they have embraced us celebrating marriages, burying our loved ones, hearing
our confessions, and sharing with us the Eucharist. Supporting these men who gave their life to
God and to us is a necessary responsibility.
This appeal brings the love of God through Christ to assisting the Poor
(CC and SVdP), prolife ministries, and developing a strong catechist program
for our children, new believers, and even us seasoned soldiers of Christ. We
should never forget the importance of our Catholic Schools, the Catholic
Connection, and Hispanic Ministries which are supported by this appeal.
The Bishop has identified these programs are the life blood of the
Church. It is providing for our family in life, love, and compassion. “My heart hurts
because their heart hurts.”
My brothers and sisters we are called to imitate Christ. Just as Jesus
did, reach out and touch someone…
In the gospel the leper realizing his healing in compassion and love the man went away and told the whole matter. He spread the
report abroad. When we share our life, love, and compassion through the
Bishop’s appeal we spread the whole matter to those who need it.
I end all my homilies with these words “Yall be good yall be holy and
preach the gospel by the way you live and love,” and this weekend that includes
sharing. Amen.
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