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Introduction: We Thank God for You!
It is a joy to be with you this afternoon and I want to thank
Father Pecaric for hosting us so graciously and for his dedicated
and energetic service to the people of Holy Cross Parish! And
with him I want to thank my brother priests who are here after
a very busy Sunday schedule - I'm very happy you're here.
Let me also thank Sr. Alejandra Keen who directs the Office for
Pastoral Services and, in a very special way, Michelle Grieco
whose ministry has been so helpful to the community gathered here
today. Thank you, Michelle, for organizing this Mass and the Education
Fair that follows.
And I certainly want to thank in advance those who have tables
at the Fair, including a number of parishes, Catholic Charities,
St. Vincent's, and St. Catherine Academy which is a near neighbor
to Holy Cross Parish.
Let me warmly welcome Helen Burland (President) and Sr. Marilyn
Muldoon (Principal), as well as our St. Catherine Students of
whom we are so proud.
It is also always a joy for me to welcome my brother Knights
of Columbus, not only because I happen to be the Chaplain for
the Order but above all because of the robust defense of human
life and dignity which characterizes this Order founded here in
CT by a holy priest some 126 years ago - my very warming and grateful
greetings!
And I want to welcome with all my heart the families of those
with special needs, especially the parents and siblings, and those
of you - boys and girls, men and women - who have special needs
and who are so very precious in God's eyes and ours!
St. Paul describes how my own feelings in being you better than
I can in today's second reading, from his first letter to the
Thessalonians: "We give thanks to God always for you, remembering
you in our prayers, unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith
and labor of love and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ
…." So we have come to celebrate this Mass not only for you but
indeed to celebrate it with you and to give thanks to God for
the wonderful gifts that are so often to be found in needs which
you bear in a spirit of faith, hope, and love.
We Belong to God
And in this spirit of thankfulness, let us think about the Gospel
we just heard. It tells how some powerful people tried to trap
Jesus by asking him a trick question about taxes … & those questions
are always tricky! Either way Jesus answered - if he supported
or opposed paying taxes to the Roman Empire who had conquered
Israel - he'd be in trouble. But Jesus was not only too smart
for his opponents - he was too wise. He asked them to get him
a coin and then he asked whose picture is on it. His opponents
said that Caesar - the head of the Roman Empire - was on it. And
Jesus replied, "Fine! Give to Caesar what belongs to him and to
God what belongs to him!"
It's a pretty interesting story but maybe we wonder what it has
to do with us! Well, it has a lot to do with us - with this community
of special needs families - gathered together here at Holy Cross
this afternoon. It has to do with us because we belong
to God! We are God's people! And that's really a very important
message for all of us to hear. For what belongs to God is also
what is most important to us: our minds, our hearts, our freedom,
the people we love, the world we live in, our souls, our desire
to do what is good, our hope to live with God forever.
These are the things - our human dignity - that God cares about
and these are the same things that we care about the most.
And among the things God cares about very much are your special
needs. I come from a family where we experienced special needs
first hand. My older brother has a serious learning disability
and over the years - 61 to be exact - it hasn't been easy for
mom and dad. But they would be first to tell you that Frankie
- because of his needs - is a person who values what is more important
in life and that's friendship. Frankie's needs keeps on showing
mom and dad and myself the basic importance of friendship - in
the way he shows affection for our family and for those staff
at the group home where he lives… and because of love he has developed
other gifts and talents… even remembering the lyrics of songs
he learned years ago. And when you really think about it, all
God is asking of us is our friendship. He made us so that he could
love us and so that we could love him in return.
And that's why we're here - to be in the presence of Jesus so
that he could keep on claiming us as his own - as sons and daughters
beloved in the eyes of his heavenly Father.
And they way God claimed us as his own was the Cross - by which
he shared all that we suffer and much, much more. By his Cross
he won for us eternal life and joy. By bearing the cross of a
special need, we can deepen our special friendship of Christ and
special friendship with one another. And it is so important that
there be opportunities like this for you to do so! And in that
friendship we become truly holy, truly pleasing in God's eyes.
So it is especially appropriate we're having this Mass at Holy
Cross!
Conclusion
It is my hope that all of you will find this Mass and educational
fair to be a source of support, information, assistance and loving
welcome. I also hope this Mass will encourage us in our duty as
citizens to defend the God-given dignity of those with special
needs and to secure for them the services that they require.
May the Lord bless us and keep us in His love!
Return to the Writings of Bishop
Lori
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