Saturday, November 22, 2014

Fr. Chuck's Column, Sunday, Nov. 23



Today we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. This week we celebrate Thanksgiving. Next weekend we start the new Church year by celebrating the First Sunday of Advent. Lots going on!



We all have much for which to be thankful. We can be grateful that Christ is our King, our ultimate authority and purpose. So many people serve lesser gods or success, or fame, or riches, or pleasure, or drugs, alcohol and so on. Making Christ truly the King of your life is not at all easy, but it does give your life transcendent purpose and meaning. We have something to look forward to not only for the rest of our lives but for a long, long time after that; indeed for all eternity!



We are blessed to be part of an active parish. I pray that we will strive everyday to share with those around us the great benefit we have received by faith in Jesus Christ. I pray that St. Austin will more and more become an evangelizing community that lives its faith fully and joyfully reaches out to share that Good News with others. This is done not at church but rather in the marketplace, at work, in the home, in the neighborhood, in all the places we live and encounter others. And as Pope Francis has shown us over and over again, the best tool we have for evangelization is JOY. Joy attracts. Joy wins over. Joy evangelizes.



So as we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King, OUR King, and as we look forward to celebrating Thanksgiving, may we more consciously immerse ourselves in the joy of the Gospel, let that joy permeate all the aspects of our lives, and then let that joy shine forth.



St. Austin can be a truly joyful, evangelizing community. Now that would be something to really be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!



God Bless,

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