Weekend Wisdom, January 29th, 2023
This weekend we hear from Dcn. Mark Mullins, deacon for St. Francis Xavier and St. Mary.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, As I mentioned in my homily last weekend, Jesus calls us into the light… He calls us to BE THE LIGHT! 2,000 years ago, Jesus brought light into a world flled with darkness and gloom. Today, we are called to be flled with the light of Christ to help spread love, peace, and joy into a world that so desperately needs it. Christian joy is said to be the fruit of living all the virtues. Holiness leads to joy… loving God with our whole heart and loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. Authentic joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. In the words of St. Paul, “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” (Galatians 5:22-23) Our families, neighborhoods, and our world could certainly use more of that! What does joy look like? Afer being blessed with two grandsons who are now nine and seven, Lynn and I were blessed with our granddaughter, Emma, who will be two in March. Our daughter Kara sent us this picture of Emma (right) that flls me with joy every time I look at it! A year ago, Emma was too young to play outside in the winter. Now that she knows how to walk, she is able to enjoy God’s gif of snow! With a little help from her brothers, the wet snow became a small “snow child”. Tis is what God wants for all of us…JOY! Out of God’s great love for us, God gave us life, and he also gave us his only son Jesus, who died for us, so that one day, we will be with him forever. As Jesus said, “If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” (John 15: 10-11) Tis past Monday, the Catholic Church in the U.S. observed the “Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children”. God our Creator is the author of all life. Let us continue to pray for greater respect for the sanctity of all life from natural conception to natural death. We pray that everyone is able to experience God’s joy so that we can be a light to the world!
May God bless you and your family, Deacon Mark
Deacon Mark is busier in retirement than he was in his accounting job! He and his wife Lynn enjoy travelling and spending time with their kids and grandkids. At the parish, Deacon Mark assists with weekend Masses, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA, previously RCIA), and the occasional baptismal preparation. His wife Lynn is also on staff at the diocesan newspaper, The Compass.
