Catholic Transcript Online

The seasons teach us lessons. Autumn suggests that we must lighten ourselves in order to survive. Summer affirms the importance of roots. Summer affirms the importance of roots.
Summer affords more opportunities to be outdoors, to participate directly in the exuberant growth of plants, trees, fruits, vegetables and flowers. Without roots, and the cultivation of those roots, it would be all dryness, decay and death.
With the wonder of summer we experience a broader and deeper exultation of the spirit. That experience, however, is not confined merely to the world of nature. With the inner eye and the inner ear, the eye and the ear of faith, we know that all this growth is a gift of God. Our very lives are God’s gifts.
We are, therefore, religious in our bone marrow, in our DNA, to the aquifer of our being. Our religious and spiritual growth, however, must be cultivated. Now is the time to be planning for autumn. We cannot be so light that we are blown over by a wisp of a breeze, a raging wind or a hurricane of controversy.
Now is the time to make sure that our children are enrolled in Catholic schools or in religious education programs. Obviously, it is the parents’ responsibility to assure this, but sometimes they need prodding and encouragement to do it. Grandparents, uncles, aunts, godparents, sponsors and neighbors can provide a wonderful service in persuasion along these lines. It is the work of evangelization. Tact and sensitivity in this pursuit are of the utmost importance. We do not want winter to come too soon!
We speak of growth, develop-ment and education in physical, intellectual, social and emotional dimensions, but it is spiritual growth, development and education which integrate the full person. Without the spiritual we are all fundamentally flawed.
This challenge of the spirit faces all of us, in all seasons, at all stages of our lives. Too often people engage in debates and disputes on religious and moral topics, and they don’t know the basics. Christians these days peruse the Koran, sacred to Muslims and people generally, and it is a laudable exercise. At times, however, you wonder how well they know the Bible.
Occasionally one hears of individuals who fly from our own Tradition. How well have they really owned our Tradition? Our roots are rich. It is always in season to cultivate these roots.
For our children and ourselves, we need learning and we need practice. Our goals have to be a deeper appreciation of our faith, a more profound understanding of the Scriptures – the beatitudes, the parables, the Commandments – a stronger appreciation of the Blessed Mother and the saints, a more vibrant awareness of the wonder of grace and the reality of sin.
In this same grace we are called to cultivate an enriched awe before the mystery of God, a communion with Our Lord Jesus Christ in redemption and salvation, a sensitivity that reverberates in our soul to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
In our sacred exercises, we return to the school of prayer and the celebration of the sacraments. How often people who leave the Church for a while tell us it is the sacraments which they miss the most and which are the primary reasons for their return. The Mass, above all, resonates to the heart of our being.
Then there are the corporal works of mercy: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, visiting the imprisoned, caring for the sick, burying the dead. These are not merely secular activities. Springing from the person whose spirit vibrates with faith, they are sacred works, one with prayer and the celebration of the Eucharist.
You understand the sacred character of these works, of this trust and responsibility. Once again, a telling barometer of your commitment is your exemplary generosity to the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. As I write this message, the total is $8,771,000, and we still have the remainder of the calendar year to go. At this point, we are ahead of the total for all of last year.
You demonstrate to an extraordinary degree the unity of faith, prayer and effective action. You know what it means to be rooted in faith and to give life for all sea-sons. It is not possible to express adequately my gratitude to you. You have my most profound appreciation.
At the beginning of autumn, Sept. 23, to be exact, we will celebrate a Catholic Youth Spectacular. It will take place from 2 to 8 p.m. at St. Thomas Seminary, Bloomfield. It is for young people, grades seven to 12, from all over the Archdiocese – parishes, schools, Scout troops, CYO teams, etc. The theme is “Abundant Harvest: Catholic to the Core.”
As we transit to a new season, we will celebrate in communion and solidarity the many ways we cultivate our spiritual roots and look to larger harvests in the years to come. As we give thanks from our core for all that is, we prepare now for all that can be.