Dear Corpus Christi,
We are coming together to a change in seasons, and not just the
heat is now on in the church. With this Sunday’s Feast of Christ
the King, the liturgical year comes to an end and a new year
begins with Advent next Sunday. Both the solemnity and the
season of Advent ask us to reflect on where and to whom our
ultimate allegiances lie. Contemplating Jesus’ sovereignty and,
during Advent, the promise of Jesus’ return, can provide some
comfort in a world that often seems chaotic and in the throes of
malevolent forces. Trusting in God’s ultimate plan should bring
peace to the believer and comfort in living and spreading the
Gospel message.
While the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops met this past week in Baltimore, I prayed that this
humility and confidence in the face of divine working (of
which we often only glimpse and grasp only a little) and joy in
what God has promised might bring the bishops to reach out as
pastors rather than lash out as judges. For that, I would be
thankful.
Andrew