Beloved Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
St. John, a beloved apostle of Jesus, recalls the words of Jesus, “to remain in God.” If we remain in God, then His kingdom will flourish by our daily living. In other words, heaven will bind the earth by our very being. During November, we participate in liturgies of praise and thanksgiving. We pray for the repose of the souls and rejoice in the communion of saints. We acknowledge all that is good with our celebration of Thanksgiving and are reminded of those who are in need; those whose livelihood is compromised; those who struggle to keep their family safe; those who judge not from above, but below; those who resist as God calls each one to love God and our neighbor.
Time and time again, age to age, prophecy to prophecy, we hear God speak, sometimes loudly, sometimes as a whisper in the wind, sometimes by lumen in the darkness, ‘Come to me; remain in me; go and bring Divine love to one another.’ We won’t be able to hear God’s voice, His gentle praise of welcome, if we are not ready to listen. How do we prepare to listen? We pray, we study, we participate in the celebration of Mass and avail ourselves to the Sacraments. We keep God in focus, just as we in small ways throughout the day, internally keep top of mind our children, siblings, or parents. We do all this as best as we are able, and then we open our heart, mind, soul and spirit to the breath of God. You are transfigured as you gain wisdom to understand that you are a sacred gift through, with and in God.
Within this cradle of God’s being, we reach out our hands to the poor and extend our arms to the needy. We let go of deception, pride, and labor out of God’s love. We open our day with its offering to God, that all we do will bear His fruit, at school, work, or play. St. Paul tells us, “Let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober” (1 Thess 5:6). Like the saints before us, we remain in God, taking comfort in the promise of a joyous reunion with Him.
As we remain in God, we also seek to understand the gift of life God bequeaths to each person and how to expound upon the talents each person is given for the benefit of one another. As our talents grow within God’s gracious love, so will our daily living be a testament of His goodness. Whether we are with strangers or our family and friends, people will find God’s beauty within each person. This beauty will bring forth God’s peace. God’s peace is not about being safe from human danger. It is about realizing the healing power of forgiveness. It is a holy peace that is unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering. God’s peace comes from God, the God who loves us all, unconditionally. Jesus is the bridge that leads us to God and His love. As we remain in Him, we become His bridge, the pathway, the pilgrimage of, as Pope Leo XIV says, “dialogue and encounter, joining together as one people, always at Peace.”
Pope Leo XIV said, “In our daily lives, in short, we can discover whether the Lord Jesus is for us merely a great figure of history, who said and did important things, or the Christ of God, the One sent to bring us into the love of the Father and to transform our lives and the world in which we live.”
During November, know of my prayers of gratitude for each one of you as we unite to become and yield God’s dwelling place. Consider the many opportunities to be the outreach of Jesus; through your prayer, through parish reflections, gatherings, pantries, or the annual collection of Catholic Charities of Central Florida. Participate in the celebration of Mass and receive Jesus the Eucharist. Sit with your family or friends at table and speak about your love for one another. Smile rightly for you are filled with His goodness. Be transfigured by Him and remain in Him that the glory, praise and beauty of His gift of Divine love will be known by your living. What a wonderful world God gives!