Dear Friends,
Let me begin by thanking you for the warm reception that I have received since coming to St. David, now more than a month ago. I feel very much at home here and I hope to be of some assistance to Father Windle as he leads us all in the way of grace.
Be prepared always! Jesus tells his disciples, and us by extension, that the Son of Man will come like a thief in the night. This is our challenge now. Are we prepared for the day when our time here on earth comes to an end? Gloomy words for a summer’s day to say the least, but we must always live our lives anticipating the coming of the Lord.
Jesus also reminds the disciples—and us—that the more they are entrusted with, the more will be demanded of them. We have probably realized this principle when it comes to expectations at work, at school, and even at home. What are our responsibilities as a faith-filled Catholic? What is demanded of us? We are entrusted in Baptism with our faith. This precious gift may have been handed down to us by our parents or another family member or even by a close friend. The question now remains, what are we doing with that gift? Are we living out our faith in joyful expectation, or are we just getting by?
We spend so much time waiting: waiting in a doctor’s office, waiting for a show to begin, waiting for a loved one to arrive. Each wait asks of us patience. It is a mistake to think that we wait for Jesus in the same way as we wait for everything else in our lives. Jesus is always present to us as we wait. Jesus is here beside us as we wait.
The reading today reminds us that we must always be aware of God’s presence in our lives and of our obligation to respond to the gifts that God has given to us. The prayer after the Our Father in Mass reminds us that “we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.” May this be our prayer today and always.
God Bless you,
Monsignor Kennedy