"Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs... Then he embraced them, laid his hands on them and gave them his blessing". - Mk 10: 14,16
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As I get set to leave St. John's on Sunday, I want to write a special note to the youth of this great parish. This is to all of the students in the school, CCD, and youth group:
My young brothers and sisters,
Hi! Thank you so much for letting me spend so much time with you in Church, on the playground, in the classroom, on the campgrounds, at Cyberspace, on the white water rapids, and in your homes. You are a very special group of people of whom I am very proud and love very much.
As I said this morning at Mass, there are two things in this world that I love the most: 1) Jesus in the Eucharist, and 2) youth. I spend as much time as I can with both of you every day. I spend an hour with Jesus every morning in Church. Then, I come visit you on the playgrounds, in the classroom...I want to be wherever you are. I want to be a priest so that I can spend so much time with Jesus and you every day for the rest of my life. What a life!!
Jesus loves you very much! He, too, has a special love for children. The Bible verse above shows that. All of our love comes from Jesus. The love I have for you is from Jesus. It is really His love for you, coming through me. He has been the one playing with you, talking with you, embracing you, and laughing with you. It's not about Brother Greg, it's about Jesus. It's all about Jesus. He is always here for you; He will never leave you.
For now, I have to leave you. I have to go serve Jesus in another place. But, I will be back to visit you soon. I will pray for you every day. Please pray for me! Also, pray for Fr. Ray, Mrs. Suit, your teachers, your parents, your brothers and sisters, and your friends. Jesus wants us all to pray for each other. We are a family! Thank you very much for letting me be a part of the St. John's family.
I will miss you all a lot but will smile when I think of you. Please smile when you think of me! Our smiles will say, as they always do, "Jesus loves me".
May God bless each of you always,
Brother Greg
4 comments:
Greg--
As I have said many times, your enthusiasm, faith, and love are infectious...you will certainly become an excellent priest. The children at St. John's will likely always remember your teachings and your love.
May God bless you and guide you through the next part of your journey!
How does a person learn to forgive?
Thank you.
Thanks again for the kind comment-it is very encouraging!
How does a person learn to forgive? Wow, great question. Reading what Jesus said about forgiveness (forgiving seventy times seven times, forgive us our trespasses AS we forgive thos ewho trespass against us, e.g.)is always a great start. We need to learn how God forgives before we can learn how to forgive others.
One great parable about the forgiveness of God is the Prodigal Son. I suggest reading that over a few times...the instant and absolute forgiveness of the father represents God's great mercy. The son squanders his father's wealth, and the father embraces him with a kiss as soon as he sees him return! That is how God forgives those of us who turn back to him with a contrite heart.
Also, going to Confession regularly can help us learn to forgive others. Once I see how much I have sinned and how quickly God forgives my (serious) sin in Confession, it helps me to forgive others more quickly. I confess that I am a sinner, and that I am no better than anyone around me. God has forgiven me; how can I not forgive someone who has sinned against me?
One of the main reasons Christ came to earth is forgiveness. He offered his body on the Cross "so that sins may be forgiven". Learning about Christ and his Gospel (of forgiveness) is how a person learns to forgive, if you ask me.
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