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Introduction
As I travel from parish to parish, I am continually
amazed, delighted, and filled with gratitude at the people I am
privileged to meet. Almost always, the pastor will introduce me
to a co-worker who is doing extraordinary work as a religion teacher,
or a member of the Finance Council or Pastoral Council, or someone
who looks after the sick and the homebound, or that couple always
ready to say "yes" when there is a need.
In addition to those who serve to generously in
our parishes, I am privileged to meet and work with dedicated
men and women who give of themselves to Catholic Charities in
Fairfield County or to the network of Catholic schools in the
Diocese of which we are so proud, or in other ministries of service
which span the entire local church. I am continually filled with
gratitude to God for those whose works of faith, hope, and love
build up the Church which was born from the side of Christ as
He gave himself for our salvation.
The Spirit of Such Labor
This afternoon the Cathedral is filled with men
and women from every part of the Diocese of Bridgeport who give
of themselves to further the mission of Christ in our midst. You
are the living embodiment of what the Lord teaches us in the Gospel;
you are those who continue to give substance and life to St. Paul's
words about gives that differ but cooperate in building up the
Church, the Body of Christ. Let's spend just a minute reflecting
on each reading.
In the Gospel Jesus teaches us the spirit in which
we are to serve by mediating an unseemly argument among his followers
about who was in fact the greatest. Jesus did not make invidious
comparisons between on disciple and another. He did not condone
either a popularity contest or a power struggle. In fact, he tried
to shut down that way of thinking among his followers by teaching
us how it is in the Kingdom of the Beatitudes: "…let the greatest
among you be as the youngest, the leader as the servant!" Jesus,
the Son of God - who 'did not deem equality with God as something
to be grasped at' - added, simply, "I am among you as one who
serves". This is what we celebrate this afternoon - you who serve
as Christ - you who give of yourselves without counting the cost
- out of love for Christ and love for others.
And when we do not resist the invitation to serve,
the Spirit unlocks in us the power of God's grace and bestows
upon us many gifts for the common good of Church and society.
In God's loving providence, these "gifts that differ" build up
Christ's Body. "For as in one body we have many parts, and all
the parts do not have the same function, so we, though man are
one body in Christ and individually parts of one another."
So this day we honor those of you to whom the Spirit
has given an array of gifts - as teachers of the faith, servants
of those in need, administrators, extraordinary ministers of the
Eucharist, trustees, council members, school advisory board members,
those who maintain buildings and grounds, custodians of parish
history … and much, much more. All this and much more is the source
of strength and joy for the clergy who serve you so devotedly
and for your fellow Catholics in your parishes and throughout
the Diocese. In you we rejoice in the lavish love the Holy Spirit
has poured out upon us! And our joy increases when we realize
that you are representative of the goodness and generosity of
so many of our fellow Catholics who, day in and day out, give
of themselves in love.
Year of St. Paul
In this Year of St. Paul, we are reminded of the
joy St. Paul felt when he saw the faith grow and spread in the
communities he founded. "Grace to you and peace! I always give
thanks to God for you all!" he wrote. "Praised be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!" Paul's joy was not so much that
his work was succeeding as it was a gift, a fruit of the Holy
Spirit by whom Christ continues to dwell among us and work through
us. All the more, then, did Paul love those communities of faith
with a tender love born of prayer.
In that spirit, together with my brother priests,
I repeat the words of Paul to the community at Thessalonica, when
he said: "We keep thanking god for all of you and we remember
you in our prayers, for we constantly are mindful before our God
and Father of the way you are proving you faith, laboring in love,
and showing constancy in hope in our Lord Jesus Christ!"
May God bless you and keep you in His love!
Return to the Writings of Bishop
Lori
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