My Sisters and Brothers in Christ:

Great is our Lord! We profess this generation to generation! My own eyes are opened when I visit with you at your parishes and see the work of God through the touch of your ministries. My heart is full of love for you as you journey to His heavenly Kingdom.

Jesus came on earth to live among the people. Jesus the Eucharist! Jesus didn’t become the Eucharist. He is born to us as the Eucharist. When you hear the Gospel proclaimed, you and I learn how great is our Lord as Jesus the Eucharist shows us how to serve God. He takes on the presence of one another and in His divinity creates heaven on earth. He teaches us, then, how to continue the Covenant as we receive Him in the Eucharist.

Jesus leaves the Synagogue and enters the house of Peter and his brother, Andrew. Peter’s mother-in-law
was sick with a fever. Jesus, the Eucharist, approached her, grasped her hand and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them.

How great is our Lord that He helps us to understand the perfection of His Gift. The phrases, “He helped her up” and “grasped her hand” are two very powerful actions of Jesus. Jesus the Eucharist grasps Jesus the Eucharist shows us how to serve God our brokenness, our sinfulness and raises us up to serve one another.

Think about how wondrous this sacred moment is. Jesus leaves the House of God, the Synagogue, after praying. Within the Covenant of His holy mission, He enters the house of Peter and Andrew with other disciples. They immediately tell Jesus about Peter’s sick mother-in-law.

When we come to the celebration of Mass, we also enter the House of God. Here, just as Jesus and the disciples offered, we, in union with our brothers and sisters — those who we see sitting in the pews, those who are not able to join us, and those in the heavens —praise God in thanksgiving.

Full of faith, the disciples tell Jesus about Peter’s mother-in-law. We tell each other, as we are of the Eucharist, about our blessings and difficulties. We rely on each other through, with and in God to offer His Peace. What happens after Jesus the Eucharist touches Peter’s mother-in-law with His generous mercy? She waits on them. She is touched by the Eucharist and then in unity with Jesus, she offers mutual love in her service.

The ministries supported by you through Our Catholic Appeal are your offering, proclaiming great is our Lord! You receive the Eucharist and become the gift of Jesus to serve one another; to make holy all the days of our lives. Through the ministries of Our Catholic Appeal you wait on each other.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, great is our Lord! Jesus never tires of His love of you. Scripture tells us that He arises early to pray and serve. Let us never tire of preaching the Gospel. Come to His table and receive Him. Take Him to each other. Let us wait on each other at His earthly table that we might know, love and serve Him through all ages.

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