God Always Wins

Bishop Charles C. Thompson told hundreds of youth and young adults attending the 2017 Source Summit Retreat that the readings for the March 17 Mass he celebrated for them reveal one simple truth.

“God always wins.”

The first reading recounted the Old Testament story of Joseph, whose brothers sought to eliminate him. Joseph, forced into slavery, ultimately became the third highest official in Egypt and eventually ended up saving the entire country, including his own family.

The Gospel reading, from Matthew, included Jesus’ parable about the vineyard owner who sent workers and, ultimately, his son, to collect from tenants, who refused all approaches and ultimately killed his son. “What Jesus is trying to tell us in this Gospel is foretelling what’s going to happen to him,” Bishop Thompson said. “All the different people the vineyard owner sent were the prophets. And then he said, ‘I’ll send my son,’ and he is killed. We hear Jesus say, ‘the stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.’

“Despite what they tried to do to Joseph, God still brought about the salvation of the people through him,” the bishop said. “Despite what they tried to do to Jesus, God still brings about our salvation. God always wins. And if we want to be winners, we need to make sure we’re on the right side … that we’re seeking to be on God’s side, not just assuming that ‘God is on my side.’”

“This Gospel has very special meaning to me,” Bishop Thompson said. ‘Christ the Cornerstone’ is my episcopal motto. ‘The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.’ It is the pivotal stone on which a foundation is built. We celebrate Jesus Christ the Cornerstone – the most significant aspect of what it means to us to be disciples, family of God. That is the most important stone in the foundation of who we are and what we are about. In this Eucharist, we receive that cornerstone; Jesus himself.

“Somehow we felt called to be here tonight,” Bishop Thompson said. “Each of us also has to ask, ‘when might I allow jealousy, envy, pride, resentment or bitterness to blind me from recognizing the very cornerstone of my life?’ That’s why we have Reconciliation here all weekend – to help us recognize the blind spots in our lives … how we might reject each other.

“We are called to recognize Christ coming to us in all people, and how we are to bring Christ to all people,” the bishop added. “This weekend, let us take time to ask ourselves where we might be rejecting … the Cornerstone, the only Son of God our Father so that we might grow through this Lenten season. We want Christ to be that very foundation of what we are all about. Pray for the grace to keep Christ-centered and Eucharistic-centered in all things.”

Presenters at this year’s Source and Summit included Chris Padgett, Nic Davidson, Leah Darrow and Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, who annually travel to Evansville for Source Summit. Priests of the Diocese of Evansville also participated, including Father Jeff Read, Father Lowell Will, Father Jean Vogler and Father Crispine Adongo. Father Read is Diocesan Chaplain for Source Summit.

Annunciation Parish’s Christ the King Campus hosted an Adult Source Summit Retreat on March 18. Padgett, Darrow, diocesan priests and Franciscan Friars of the Renewal participated.