Next weekend St. Gerard Parish will have its annual Mission Cooperative Appeal. Once a year each parish in the Diocese of Lansing has such an appeal. Someone representing a missionary activity of the Church speaks on behalf of the mission work he/she is part of both to educate us about the mission work of the Church and to ask for our prayers and financial support. Even though most of us are not specifically involved in hands-on mission work, missionary activity is the work of all of us ultimately. Therefore, it is important that we know as much as we can about the missionary outreach of the Church and support it. As we all know, before his Ascension, Jesus charged us with the task of sharing the Gospel with all nations:
"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." (Matt. 28:19)
There is no greater gift than the gift of faith. Our relationship with Jesus is a relationship that is forever. His way of life promises a deep and abiding joy and peace that all of us long for. Having been blessed with so great a gift, why would we not want to share it? Parents, is there a greater gift that you could ever give your children? Is there a greater gift we could share with our friends, co-workers, neighbors, and extended family?
Even as we do all we can to support the mission work of the Church in foreign lands and in some of the most depressed areas of our country, we ought also take advantage of every opportunity to share the precious gift of faith with others. As Jesus said to his disciples when he sent them on mission:
"The gift you have received, give as a gift." (Matt. 10:8)
Fr. John Klein, Pastor