by letting us be called God’s children;
and that is what we are.
Because the world refused to acknowledge him,
therefore it does not acknowledge us.
My dear people, we are already the children of God
but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed.
There are a great deal of good people in Heaven!
Somehow a Saint that lived in 200 AD is far removed from me in 2024. The people that inspire me today are the young people of today who give of themselves to parish ministries and projects. They inspire me and maybe my service in the past inspired others.
Think of the people when you were young who inspired you to grow in your faith. In 1963 when I was a Senior in High School we had a religious education teacher by the name of Father Joseph Moran. Being disrespectful high school seniors we nicknamed him, “Bugs” He gave us a 6 week course to prove that the Eucharist is the Real Presence of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. He used quotes from the King James version of the Bible.
He started off in John 6; then moved to Luke 22 and Mark 14 and ended up in Luke 24. I don’t need to go through this proof now because we are talking about Saints. The important thing is the course change my life. I became a better Catholic and the reception of the Bread and Wine was the reception of His Body and Blood ever since and I am 80.
So saints in the past have inspired me. Nonetheless, the young of our Parish also inspire me. “Kelly” who took time off after her college graduation. She spent two years evangelizing on various college campuses. She solicited her own funds. She is now in grad-school and is working in parttime parish ministry. She and other young people like her are our future. This gives me hope.
These are some of the people in my life. Some like my parents are in Heaven. They planted a seed and hopefully an inspiration to me and hopefully many people have been an inspiration to you.
Now what about the people who drove you away from Church. I know many that this has happened. The only thing I can say is that your path to salvation and Heaven and Sainthood was not as easy as others. This doesn’t make it right but makes you human and you will succeed despite the obstacles that you have overcome.
The real saints are the ones who died 200AD and those that died last year in 2023AD. “A huge number, impossible to count”. None of these people were perfect but because of that you have to love them for the good things they did and how they have paved the way for you and me today.
God Love You Always
Bob Burford
PS: Please Pray for Cancer victims and their caregivers. Pray for the conversion of Russia and the salvation of the Ukrainian and Russian people and their soldiers. Pray for the Holy Land. Pray for peace!
