Wisdom, Be Attentive!

As you begin the New Year, I encourage you to be mindful of three important responsibilities:  

  Be faithful to God and His Holy Church.

  Be watchful of the evil that lurks in the world we live in.

  Be thankful for the protection provided by our Triune God, who loves us so much that He sent His only Son to bring light into our sometimes dark world. 

We live in an environment where values and attitudes are sometimes contrary to the teachings of the Church.  It is easy to fall victim to these anti-God ideals and materialistic values.  As people of God, we have a responsibility to be an example of light for the Church and Her teachings.

Be faithful to the vocation you have received from God.  For most everyone, that calling is to be a husband or a wife. The challenges in married life today have very serious consequences for our culture.  We must remain faithful in all that we do by pursuing a strong prayer life and a close relationship with God.  Be faithful and do not lose heart.

Be watchful…. There is a battle going on every day; a battle between good and evil. The battling is over the fate of your immortal soul. There is probably not enough preaching or daily conversation about the reality of the Devil or hell.  By avoiding the topic, we are playing right into the hands of the Devil because he loves anonymity.  He is the prince of darkness.  He roams around seeking the ruin of souls.  Be watchful and do not fall into sin.

Be thankful…. One of the best ways to receive God’s continual blessings is to be thankful and make sure prayers of praise are always on your lips.  Support one another with encouragement – in your own family, and your parish family; give support to your priest and the religious who sacrifice so much for the Church.  This Christian fellowship is the greatest form of gratitude; appreciating all God has done for us, by loving one another.  Be thankful and do not grow weary.

On Christmas Eve 2013, Bishop Charles Thompson celebrated Mass with the men at Wabash Valley Correctional Facility at Carlisle, Ind.  Fifty men attended the celebration in the Southside Chapel.  Bishop Thompson’s presence is very special to the men at the facility, especially on Christmas Eve.  

As a volunteer at the facility, I was blessed to attend the Mass and help sponsor six men who received the Sacrament of Confirmation, with one person making a Profession of Faith.  Watching these men continue to grow in their faith journey in the Catholic Church was a beautiful Christmas gift.  In spending time as a volunteer with prison ministry, I have observed men who are faithful, watchful and very thankful for the opportunity to experience the mercy and love of God.  They have an understanding of how evil lurks in our lives; they experience persecution when seeking God; and they believe in the power of prayer while depending on Christian fellowship as a catalyst for real peace. 

We are blessed and free to express our love of God every day, any place, and with great confidence in His protection.  Be attentive, be faithful, be watchful, and most of all be thankful. James 1:5 reads: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”  St. Thomas More once said: “Pray for me as I will for thee so that we may meet in heaven.”  

What a great way to bring light into an otherwise dark world.  Wisdom, be attentive! Amen!