THE GOOD NEWS
ARCHBISHOP BELTRAN

February 4, 2007

The Good News

...ADF Message 2007

My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: May the peace and love of God be in your hearts and your homes.  

May you come to rejoice always, for you are in the palm of His hands!

I wish to speak to you about our  2007  Archdiocesan Development  Fund  appeal.  Joyfully  and confidently I invite you to join me on this exciting journey of faith.

The goodness and graciousness of God has been showered upon us as individuals and as members of God’s family. The Church, which is the Body of Christ, includes every one of us.  Yet all of us together cannot constitute the Church without Jesus as our Head. This image of the Body of Christ, Jesus the Head, we the members, is biblical and beautiful. It is also assuring and practical. As Head of the Church, Jesus suffered and died to redeem us. He continues to forgive and heal, to nurture and sanctify us. As members of the Body of Christ, we partake in His ministry and therefore have the responsibility to share the Good News of Jesus with others.

The Good News of Jesus is shared with others by our good example of  joyfully living the fullness of our Catholic faith and by the work we do as the Church of our Archdiocese.  These works or services are rightly called our apostolates. These apostolates are the services, guidance and encouragement we provide to parishes, to our Catholic schools and other institutions  and  indeed  in  one way or another to every Catholic person living in this Archdiocese.

A Catholic Archdiocese is not simply an institutional organization.  

The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City is the Body of Christ located here in central and western Oklahoma and the Panhandle. The Archdiocese is the family of Catholic people living here in this part of Oklahoma. The Archdiocese is you — and you — and you — and it is me!  We are the people of God.  We are the Body of Christ.

As Catholic people united in this Archdiocese, it is up to us to join together in prayer, in sacrifice and in work to fulfill the mission which Christ gave us.  The services which we provide in the Name of Jesus and as members of His Body are financed principally by the annual ADF appeal.  

Today is the formal opening of the 2007 appeal. This year’s goal is once again $3,000,000. Last year we actually reached that goal through your participation and generosity. I thank each of you who responded in faith last year and I trust I can count on you again today.

My sincere and ardent request, however, is not extended only to  those who in the past contributed to our Archdiocesan Development Fund appeal.  

My request is made to every Catholic person in this Archdiocese.  Every Catholic person benefits from the  ADF  appeal.  Every  Catholic   person shares the responsibility for the Church and its mission. Every Catholic person should want to be united with Jesus, our Head, to  provide those services that He entrusted to the Church as His Body.

Brothers and Sisters, Catholic people of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, please make a pledge of financial support for this new year of 2007.  

Please pledge whatever you can. I certainly hope that you will consider making a pledge of at least $25 or $50 or $100 a month. Make your pledge payable over the remaining 10 months of this year. In that way you are truly supporting the work of our Archdiocese, the continuing mission of Jesus throughout the whole year.

In the past, more than 10,000 donors responded to my request and made a pledge. To every one of you, I say thank you.

In the past, many Catholic people did not respond at all. But a new day has dawned and I am trusting and counting on you to come forward this year.

The past is over and we are in the new year of 2007. This is a blessed year, filled with God’s grace. This is a new opportunity for you and the Church to reach out to serve and benefit everyone. It is a time to renew our faith in Jesus and to share His Good News of Salvation. Moreover, from biblical teaching to everyday experiences, we learn that true charity, that real generosity and commitment does not seek a selfish return. Rather, when one responds in faith and gives of their time, their effort and their finances, they give to benefit others and not themselves.  They give in the spirit that Jesus expressed about Himself and His  mission. He said that He came to serve and not to be served. Thus, we give not to get something back but to help others come to know, love and serve God.

Dear Catholic people of our Archdiocese, please hear my sincere and urgent request for the funds necessary to fulfill our ADF appeal.  Your support is crucially important. I make my request to you. I appeal to you. I do this in faith and with hope and because of the love I have for  God and for you. Please join me by committing a personal pledge of $25 or $50 or $100 or more a month. Sign the pledge card today and make it payable over the next 10 months of this year.

After your pledges are properly recorded, your signed card will be placed in the basket in my chapel.  Thus each day through this year,  I will be reminded of your generosity and your sacrifices and commitment.  

Gratefully I will respond and pray that Almighty God will bless you most abundantly as He continues “to hold you in the palm of His hands.”