THE GOOD NEWS
ARCHBISHOP BELTRAN

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July 12, 2009

The Good News...

           ...Gratefully Yours

Once again I am truly inspired by the expressions of kindness from so many people. I am grateful to all who called, e-mailed or sent cards of greeting at the time of my sickness. It is a great pleasure to assure you that my illness was short  (less than 24 hours in the hospital).  Also,   my   recovery   has been complete and total. In fact, if   the modern diagnostic procedures hadn’t detected a mild stroke, I would never have realized it. I am grateful to Almighty God for the good health He has given me throughout my whole life. I am grateful for medicine and the good nutrition readily available to us.  But I especially want to thank you for your prayers, your concerns, your greetings and good wishes.

I was so overwhelmed with  your expressive greetings and good wishes that I momentarily forgot the reality that everyone is not peaceful and happy.  A recent unexpected encounter with an angry person challenged me to be patient and kind. It was by chance that I ran into a questioning individual.  In answer to the initial question, I replied that I was a priest as, indeed, I am. Then immediately I added that I am a Catholic archbishop. This seemed to disturb my questionnaire, who then said, “Why, did you feel a call or something?”  “Yes, indeed,” I replied. Incredulously my interlocutor asked how old was I when I received this call? Did I ever have doubts? Did I ever want a family? Have I ever been disappointed with life? Am I unhappy?  

In the kindest, most gentle but firmest response I could make, I rejected all the negative implications made against priesthood.  Then the basic question came forth — “But wouldn’t priests be better people and not do such bad things if they could only get married?” With a strong but kind and factual response, but above all with the grace of God, the remainder of our conversation took a different course.  The hostility and anger disappeared. The sarcasm was gone.  God’s grace had been poured into a soul and I believe there was now light at the end of the tunnel.

As Catholic people, we must live the fullness of our faith and always bear testimony to the truth of Christianity.  While there are many hostile people, angry with God or the Church or us, there are others who are not angry, just confused.  Still others have lost faith or hope.  Some are simply ignorant of facts and others are negatively affected by a secular culture.

The reality is that every day you and I meet good and holy and happy people. We live and work and communicate with those who encourage us, inspire us and help us.  How grateful we should be to Almighty God Who has sent such good people into our lives. How grateful we should be to God for all the gifts, graces and blessings He has so abundantly bestowed upon us.