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. . .Today Is ADF! February 8, 2009 On Sunday, February 8th, the date of this issue of the Sooner Catholic, I will wake up very early and my first thought will be “Today is ADF!“ No, no, no! I’m only kidding! Rather, my first thought, I hope, will be “Thank you, God, for another day!” I say this because this has become my usual morning practice. Each day is a gift from God. Each day is a new opportunity to grow in the love of God by responding to the challenges and obligations of our life. Each day we are blessed to be able to serve and help others by the grace of God. I hope that you and I will continue to praise and glorify God every morning as we gratefully remember that it is God Who created us, Who saves us and loves us totally and completely. Having mentioned ADF above, I do want to remind everyone that, yes, today is ADF Sunday! ADF is the annual appeal for the day by day expenses of the Church of our Archdiocese. There are a variety of ministries and services provided to all the parishes, schools and institutions of central and western Oklahoma. These services constitute the essential work of the Archdiocese. These services are dependent on the ADF appeal for their funding. They are provided by the Archdiocese because many parishes could not afford them or because of their nature, no parish alone can effect them. An example of this is the education and formation of new priests. Another is the Matrimonial Tribunal which requires the expertise of special ecclesiastical degreed people. Our Tribunal provides hundreds of married people the opportunity to enter a sacramental marriage and there are no charges or fees. The reality is that every Catholic person living in this Archdiocese benefits directly and indirectly in the services and ministries funded through ADF. As a sign of our unity in faith and ministry, all Catholic people are asked to collaborate and support the works of the Church by participating in this annual ADF appeal. This year, I am especially sensitive to the financial crisis we are experiencing. These are very uncertain financial times. There is no doubt but that some of the things we took for granted need to be re-evaluated and assessed more thoroughly. On the archdiocesan level, we have been doing this and we have reduced our budget to those things that are necessary to continue the essential mission of the Church. Difficult times often help us to become more genuinely realistic. For example, we are a people of faith. Our Catholic faith is a reality. It is a firm belief in Jesus and in all that He has revealed to us, all that He has taught us. As we practice this faith, there is a temptation to cut corners or to ascribe successes and accomplishments to our own talents and resources. Yet we know that everything ultimately rests on God. It is He Who created us. He Who redeemed us. He Who nourishes us. He Who promised us life everlasting and He alone Who can and will fulfill that promise. In difficult or stressful or confusing times and occasions, we are reminded by Jesus that too often we judge and reason by human standards. His challenge to us is to judge and reason by God’s standards, placing our full trust and confidence in Him. It is in this spirit that I strive to serve you, the people of this Archdiocese. It is in this spirit, I invite you to join with me to live and work according to God’s plan. It is in this spirit that I thank everyone of you who has already made a pledge of support by responding to the current ADF appeal. Indeed I turn to all Catholic people of the Archdiocese, asking you to participate with me in the life and ministry of the Church. I ask you to join me and all your brothers and sisters in faith by making a pledge of financial support to the Archdiocese for the coming year. Your pledge can be satisfied in the remaining ten months of this year. Yes, today is ADF 2009 and I graciously thank you in advance for your generosity. Be assured that your pledge card will be placed at the altar in my chapel. There I will pray for you and your special intentions throughout the year of 2009.
Developing the life of the Archdiocese through ministry |
