St. Matthew Catholic Church

Weekly Message     

27. God Hopes in Our Mission

Dear brothers and sisters,   

     Hope is not only something we place in God; it is also something God places in us. God entrusts His mission of peace and healing to our fragile human hearts, believing that we, graced and marked by His love, can carry His presence into the world - as bearers of hope for the world.

     A small child once lit a candle during a power outage. Her father smiled and said, “What good can one little flame do in all this darkness?” The child answered, “It helps me see you.” Jesus sends seventy-two disciples to go ahead of Him as humble laborers, dependent on hospitality, vulnerable to rejection, but filled with purpose. Jesus hopes in them to carry the extraordinary message of His nearness. It is a mission rooted in hope: hope that hearts will be open, that peace will be received, that healing will take root; and God will be seen!

     We, too, are sent out as pilgrims of hope, into families, workplaces, parishes, and neighborhoods. Our presence is not to dominate, but to bless, offer peace and healing. Therefore, St. Paul says that we have marks of Jesus in our lives. Our hope is not that suffering will vanish, but that Christ is with us in it, transforming it into new life. We build a life of courage, compassion, and hope through the cross of Christ that reveals God’s love.

     We are God’s messengers. The mission is not perfect, and we may stumble, but the message is His and He trusts us to carry it. God hopes in us because the Good News is not ours to invent, only to deliver. We are couriers sent two by two to prepare a place that Jesus intends to visit. He just needs our willing hearts. May our mission be to give hope to others as the Lord hopes in us!

Prayers and Blessings!

                                               Bishop Kelly's Pastoral Letter 
                                              Carta Pastoral - Pentecostes -Espanol

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                              for the Priests of our Diocese; & for our Bishop.
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