Worthy Chapter President and Brother Knights,
During the Easter season, we are preaching on the theme of Redemption. How are we to understand what it means to be saved, to be redeemed but the Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? After all, it is the Good News that we - as Catholics - are called to share with others as part of our mission as disciples of Christ. It is the kerygma that we are called to preach - not just bishops, priests, and deacons at the pulpit but all of us are called to preach the Good News: (1) God so loves us that He sent His Son to save us and that (2) Jesus died on the Cross and rose from the dead to save us from our sins and (3) to reconcile us to God.
Once again, how are we to understand what it means to be saved, to be redeemed but the Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? I think this past Sunday’s Gospel, about the Good Shepherd, helps us to know that when we talk about being saved and redeemed, we are talking about God’s unconditional love for all of us - his beloved sons and daughters. God’s unconditional love for us frees us to live lives of holiness and strive for sainthood, and is the basis of the pillars of our fraternal Order - charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism (particularly charity). I recently shared this thought with a few of the officers and I want to share it with you all:
The first pillar of our Order is Charity. Certainly, Charity encompasses the corporal and spiritual works of mercy of the Church. However, even more than that, Charity is rooted in the Great Commandment - to love God and love our neighbors. Therefore, all our works of charity must include an evangelization component to it. In other words, when the Knights are out doing works of Charity, we must also preach the Good News of Jesus Christ to those we are helping. Invite them to Mass, accompany them, and help them to take ownership of their faith in the same way that we have taken ownership of our Catholic faith.
As THE Good Shepherd, Jesus leaves us a model to be the “good shepherd” in our families - as “shepherds” of our “domestic churches.” From the Gospel of John: “. . .and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd. . .“ (10:16) & “. . .he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him. . .” (10:4). Let us ask ourselves these questions. Do we lead our families in faith or do we abdicate our responsibility to our wives? Do we take an active role in the formation of our children - faith, morality, and the day-to-day stuff?
Again, from the Gospel of John: “. . .I know mine and mine know me. . .” (10:14) & “. . .the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. . . But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers” (10:5). Do we know our children’s voices? Do our children know our voice? In other words, are we spending quality time with our children and taking the time to know them and allow them to know us?
Finally, yesterday was also World Day of Prayer for Vocations. In this homily yesterday, Fr. Michael O’Connor shared this story of a father who said to his son after a Mass where vocations to the priesthood and religious life was the focus. The father said to his son: “Don’t even think about the priesthood! I have grandchildren so get a real job.” As fathers, let us ask ourselves these questions. Are we selfishly living our dreams through our children when we should desire that our children follow the dream that God has for them? How can we change our way of thinking? We cannot on our own but God can help us. We must first hear God’s voice in the midst of all the distractions in our lives. We then help our families, especially our children, grandchildren, and godchildren, to hear God’s voice in the midst of all the distractions in their lives. May we always hear the voice of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, so that we will always follow his will and lead our families to do the same. Amen.
Here is my challenge to you all for the month of Man. PERSONAL & FAMILY: Make Mother’s Day Christocentric. Perhaps even pray this prayer of blessing over her:
May the Lord bless you and keep you! May the Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! May the Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace! (Numbers 6:24-26)
As a COUNCIL: Perhaps participate in the Living Rosary and May Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our mother.
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