At the moment I am ministering at Christ Our Light parish in Cherry Hill. It is a beautiful place with ‘Resurrection Catholic School’ across the way. It is a rather large parish and there are tons of ministries. Here God’s people are reaching out as the hands and feet of Christ to those in need. It is a beautiful sight to see as the Church seeks to bring the Good News to all people.
One of my favorite things to do is preach! It is a challenge and thought provoking, to sit down and contemplate what to say to God’s people. As I gather knowledge from what I learned from school, what I am currently reading, and finally what just comes to me in prayer. In this process, it draw me into the depths of God’s love, mercy, and truth. All these things help me stay grounded in Jesus Christ. For Isaiah says, “Unless your faith is firm, you will not be firm.”
This leads to another important reality in which the Church is rediscovering today. This is the holy hour. I always do this after we eat dinner. The holy hour entails simply being with Jesus. Knowing he is present with you. At times you will experience the purifying fire of God and other times his comfort. But don’t let this scare you, for all sincere hearts experience this reality on the road of redemption. For Christianity is a great challenge. The Church is the place where we act on His word in order to be holy in deed, and not in our imagination. The holy hour brings everything into perspective because our lives are meant to become a sacrificial offering pleasing to the Lord. And who better to learn from than Jesus present?
Lastly, if Jesus is calling you, respond like a man. Do not be a coward, but say “yes”, recognizing it will be difficult and a great challenge. But all these things are so because Jesus sees the saint in you that you lack the foresight to see. No saint ever had ‘zero struggles’ and no saint was able to overcome them by their own power. Rather it is Jesus Christ operating in you which will give you the strength to conquer sins and be a real witness to Jesus Christ in a fallen world. So if you experienced a ‘heartfelt call’ to follow him in this way, do what Saint Matthew did. “He got up and followed him” (Mat. 9:9-10).
Father Paul Abbruscato
Latest posts by Father Paul Abbruscato (see all)
- Parish Life - December 21, 2021
- Salvation in and through the Church: The New and Eternal Covenant - October 13, 2020
- Hope in the Middle of a Pandemic - March 18, 2020
