|
Homily for Annual Mass My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: For several weeks now, we have been hearing or reading about the financial crises that we are in. Each bank statement or monthly report tells us how much we lost. We wonder… will we ever get it back? Will it get worse? Since I know absolutely nothing about finances and economic conditions or recovery, I cannot address those topics. There are however a number of human conditions that I am much more prepared to touch on tonight. The first of these is GRATITUDE. I wish to thank you for your generosity to the Church by your gifts and support of the CFO. During the past year, you have contributed freely and generously and I am most grateful to you. I also wish to assure you that your financial gifts to the Church (in this instance, the Foundation) are more than monetary sums. They are expressions of gratitude to God who is never outdone in His goodness and mercy toward us. I also want you to know that even though our Foundation is affected like you and others and every organization, we will continue to accomplish all that we can to enhance our Catholic faith. This is especially true in our support for the Catholic schools of our Archdiocese and the religious education programs of the parishes. We will also endeavor to maintain the marvelous scholarship program we have developed in the Archdiocese. Precisely because you have all suffered some loss and may suffer more ahead, I urge you not to withdraw your support from the Catholic Foundation. Yes, it may be more difficult but it is this sacrificial giving that Jesus asks us to do. Therefore, in His Name, I thank you for all that you have so generously donated and, in advance, I thank you for your continuing sacrificial support. Much more important than any money or any foundation, or any program, is the gift of life that God has given each one of us. We were created in the Image and Likeness of God. God created each of us for a purpose. It is His plan, His Will, that each of us should share eternal life with Him. We all know that our life on this earth is limited. No one of us expects to be here forever. We know that eventually each of us will die. Then, if we have loved God, who first loved us, we can enter eternal life in heaven. We also know that God does not force us. If we sin, if we reject God’s plan, if we choose to live away from God, He does not annihilate us. We still live forever, but away from God by choice. It is this personal choice and decision that causes us eternal misery, suffering and failure. This we deserve because of our sin, our rejection of God’s love. This is precisely the warning the Sacred Scripture gives us: “What does it profit a person to gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his immortal soul.” As difficult as our economic situation might be, it cannot affect our true interior happiness. Finances, property, possessions and material prosperity all contribute to our daily lives but all are limited. It is God alone who can grant us true peace and life everlasting in heaven. Therefore, while I thank you most sincerely for your financial support of our Catholic Foundation, I am ever more grateful for your response in Faith to Jesus. Always remember that Jesus and He alone is our Lord and our Savior! Most
Reverend Eusebius J. Beltran |