My Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Who are you’? If I met you at one of our gatherings, you would most Iikely introduce yourself by your name. You might elaborate with a connection regarding where you work or where you go to school or how I might know your family. Our connection, our communion is from generation to generation, from the very beginning, more wondrous than you might imagine. As each one is conceived, our name becomes eternal as a child of God!

In our naming, God bestows upon us His divine love. He gives His very heart to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. He joins with us as part of salvation history.

Salvation is not something that happened, but is happening, is alive through our bringing Christ to everyone we meet.

The psalmist tells us we are blessed as we seek God with all our heart. It is not a plural “hearts,” but one heart — the heart that is through, with and in God. The heart given to us through the Eucharist that we might with one heart bring the gift of the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord to each person.

This is the awesome opportunity of Our Catholic Appeal. If we are who we believe we are — God’s children — then we are on a pilgrimage to heaven, not individually, but together. Our journey prospers as we form seminarians to serve God as ordained priests; as we seek, form and ordain permanent deacons to preach the Gospel by their daily living; as we train our catechists and teachers that our children will know about God and grow in faith; as we tend to the poor and lonely through physical sustenance and shelter; as we care for the sick in our visitation and offering the Sacraments; as we are His body.

Thank you for being the body of Christ on this earth. Thank you for everything you have done to assure that our offering for Our Catholic Appeal flourishes our pilgrimage to heaven. No matter how you participate, I ask you to participate because we cannot be on this pilgrimage without each one of you. It is the essence of the Eucharist to be Communion with each other, to be His presence in every moment of every day to each one.

Join me as I join you to be of one heart through, with and in God. 

VIDEO LINKS

Find the Our Catholic Appeal videos online:

English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=squ3WZ0sT-I&t=2s

Spanish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz7xHlU_qxA&t=10s

Donation link: https://www.cfocf.org/oca/give/