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Homily My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: For more than one hundred years, the Knights of Columbus have gathered for an annual convention here in Oklahoma. Throughout that one hundred year history, you have been very active in promoting our Catholic faith and supporting our many ministries and services. It is always good to join with you in these annual meetings and indeed in all your good efforts. I take this opportunity, therefore, in the name of the entire Catholic community of Oklahoma, to thank you for your courageous efforts and your generous support on behalf of our holy Catholic faith. Currently we are in the midst of the Easter season. Therefore, we proclaim that Jesus is risen from the dead and we recount the biblical events of some of His appearances to the apostles after His resurrection. In todays Gospel, we heard the account of the miraculous catch of fish. For the apostles who had labored all night and had caught nothing, to have their nets filled to the breaking point at the command of Jesus would certainly catch their attention. These and other similar actions of Jesus would certainly give them reason to believe in Him. Thus, their faith developed and prepared them for the challenging mission Jesus would entrust to them. At the end of the meal that followed the miraculous catch, Jesus elicits from Saint Peter a true faith commitment not just belief but love. And each time Saint Peter expresses his love, Jesus reminds him of his obligation. If you really love Me, Jesus says, then feed My lambs; tend My sheep. The mission which Jesus gave to Saint Peter and the other apostles is very clear. They are commissioned to continue the work and the ministry of Jesus. As Saint Paul would later say, The Church is the Body of Christ and we are its members. My dear brother Knights, wives and families of the Knights and all who are gathered here in faith, this annual state convention can be for us an event as moving as the miraculous catch of fish. Here we have the witness of brothers and sisters who testify to the goodness and love of God in their lives. Here we experience the dynamism of the Church which Jesus established and continues to protect. Above all, here at this convention Mass, we have the presence and action and communion of Jesus. It is He Who is Lord and God Who has called us here. He invites us, Take My Flesh and eat It; take My Blood and drink It. Then He promises us: And you shall have life everlasting. My dear friends, our Catholic faith is not an illusion or a human construction. It is a remarkable gift from God. Therefore, it is not right that we ever take this faith for granted. Rather, like Saint Peter, we must profess our faith in Jesus by a true love of God which leads us to Christian action feed My lambs, feed My sheep. This obligation to live the fullness of our Catholic faith cannot be accomplished for us by anyone else. It is a personal responsibility that each of us received at the moment of our baptism. It is an obligation that has to be fulfilled in every and all instances of our daily lives. It means a conversion of heart, a turning to the Lord, a faithfulness to His teachings and commandments. In our society today, religion and faith are often relegated to Church or church services. An unfortunate dichotomy is made in which God is removed from consideration in the most important decisions we make daily. In effect, we go it alone. We forget about God. We shut out the influence and guidance of the Church. Thus faith becomes subjective and weak and accomplishes nothing. Our Catholic faith has always begun with a belief in God and a acceptance of what God has revealed. This is why we recognize the Knights of Columbus as a true Catholic organization. The Knights were founded and continue to maintain a belief in God and love of God. You continue to see the beauty and dignity of every human being because we are all created in the Image and Likeness of God. Therefore, your adherence to our Catholic beliefs, practices and traditions is what distinguishes you as a great Catholic fraternal organization. On my part, as your archbishop, I thank you for your strong faith and your support of our holy Catholic Church. I ask Almighty God to bless all of you and your efforts at this state convention and in your homes, your work and your parishes. Most
Reverend Eusebius J. Beltran |