Archbishop Lori's Homily Text
Commitment Weekend
February 15-16, 2014
Dear Friends,
I’m happy to have
this opportunity, as your Archbishop, to visit with you today. One of my great joys in my service here in Baltimore is personally
visiting the wonderful and vibrant parishes that make up our Archdiocese. I’m
in the process of making my way around to all of our parishes. So if I’ve been to your parish, of if I’m
still on my way, I’m coming soon - to a parish near you.
You know, these days
are especially inspiring days to be Catholic. It seems that every day, our Holy
Father, Pope Francis, is opening minds and hearts to the Gospel, opening the
world's eyes to the compassion which is lived out by our Church. This has moved
Catholics around the world to become more in touch with their relationship with
Christ and the Church, reinvigorating our faithful and bringing back many who
had been away.
When he was
installed as Pope on Saint Joseph's Day, last
March, in Vatican City,
the Holy Father called on all of us to 'Be Protectors of God's Gifts.' He said
that the vocation of being a
"protector" ... means respecting each of God's creatures and
respecting the environment in which we live. It means protecting people,
showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the
elderly, and those in need, who are often the last we think about. It means
caring for one another in our families: husbands and wives first protect one
another, and then, as parents, they care for their children, and children themselves,
in time, protect their parents." The Holy Father continued, "It means
building sincere friendships in which we protect one another in trust, respect,
and goodness. In the end, everything has been entrusted to our protection, and
all of us are responsible for it. Be protectors, "he said, "of God's
Gifts!"
Certainly, this is a
call to stewardship - examples of which are found countless times in the
Gospels - stewardship of our community, our family and our faith. For this
reason, we have chosen "Be Protectors of God's Gifts" as the theme
for the Archbishop's Annual Appeal this year.
This is most
fitting, as the focus of the Appeal is stewardship - a very responsible and
loving way of caring for God's Gifts that have been entrusted to us: defending
them from harm ... helping them to grow ... and making them better so they can
be handed on to the next generation.
The Archbishop's
Annual Appeal helps us protect, foster, and sustain the essential services and
ministries of the Archdiocese of Baltimore so that we can proclaim the Gospel,
celebrate the Sacraments, and extend the love, mercy, and charity of Jesus
Christ in the world.
I'm happy to have
this opportunity, as your Archbishop, to visit with you today. One of my great
joys in my service here in Baltimore
is personally visiting the wonderful and vibrant parishes that make up our
Archdiocese. I'm in the process of making my way around to all of our parishes.
So if I've been to your parish, or if I'm still on my way, I'm coming soon - to
a parish near you!
The Appeal allows us
to share our good works and spread the Good News of God's love throughout our
Archdiocese, from its westernmost reaches Garrett and Allegheny
County, to Tyndall, to Harford County,
to Annapolis, to Clarksville,
to Frederick, and to Baltimore City
itself.
The Appeal helps us
sustain the essential mission of the Church - to evangelize, to teach the
faith, to ensure that there's a strong sacramental life in the Archdiocese ...
to keep our schools strong ... to carry on a vibrant program of nurturing and
forming priestly vocations ... to supporting our retired priests, and to
extending a helping hand through our charitable outreach to the less fortunate
members of our community.
In other words, the
Appeal touches all the cylinders of the engine that is the Archdiocese of
Baltimore, helping them to fire properly and keep everything running smoothly.
The generosity of those who give to the Appeal in many ways transforms lives,
bringing hope to those who have none, bringing comfort to those for whom
day-to-day life is a struggle, and, most importantly, bringing God into the
lives of those who have lost their spiritual way, guiding them to the path that
leads to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Yet, I'd also like
everyone to regard the Appeal as a call for each one of us, in our own lives and
vocations, to "Be Protectors of God's Gifts." Parents protect God's
Gifts by providing an example to their children of living lives of faith and
virtue.
Parishioners are
called to active involvement in the life of their parishes, and doing all they
can to help see that every member of your spiritual community becomes more in
touch with God's love. And for all of us, protecting God's Gifts is a matter of
prayer, as we ask God's blessing, and the intercession of Our Lady and the
Saints, as we go about the work of the Lord.
A moment ago, I
mentioned that the inaugural homily of Pope Francis was delivered on the
Solemnity of Saint Joseph. The Holy Father describes how St. Joseph was, in many ways, the ultimate-protector
of God's Gifts, safeguarding Mary, Jesus and the Church. Saint Joseph, the Pope
said, was "constantly attentive to
God, open to the signs of God's presence and receptive to God's plans, and not
simply to his own ... Joseph is a "protector" because he is able to
hear God's voice and be guided by His will ... " The pope continued,
"in him, dear friends, we learn how to respond to "God's call,
readily and willingly, but we also see the core of the Christian vocation,
which is Christ! Let us protect Christ in our lives, so that we can protect
others, so that we can protect creation!"
I ask that you
reflect with me on these words from our Holy Father, Pope Francis. I am
confident they will inspire you, as they inspire me, and encourage us together
to take on this role of "Protector." Ours is the privilege, and the
responsibility, of preserving our Catholic faith and assuring that our
children, and their children, will encounter Christ and His love through it,
just as we have. I confidently ask your generosity, and your participation in
this year's Archbishop's Annual Appeal. Let us all join together in being
"Protector of God's Gifts."
Thank you, dear
friends, and may God bless us, and keep us always in His love!