February 26, 2020 Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ: Pope Francis concludes his Lenten Message this year with a challenge for you and me: “…to become what Christ asks His disciples to be: the salt of the earth and the light of the world” (cf. Mt. 5:13-14). Lent is always a graced time for reflection on our growth in discipleship. The Holy Father urges us to fix our eyes on the Paschal Mystery and be converted to an open and sincere dialogue with Jesus as the means to zealous discipleship. This is an especially urgent call given the troubled times in which we live. At the Chrism Mass back in 2014, the Diocese set out to do precisely this. We fixed our eyes on the Church of the North Country and presented a Pastoral Vision that is Christ-led, Christ-fed and Hope-filled. Our Envisioning Process helped us establish Diocesan Priorities and Goals. Now, six years later, with 20/20 Pastoral Vision, we continue to keep our eyes and hearts focused on: following Jesus as disciples in mission; nourishing our lives through the Sacraments, particularly the Eucharist; and instilling hope for the future through pastoral planning. For generations, the Church has taught the value of fasting, almsgiving and prayer in helping us be the salt of the earth and the light for the world. They are important means for us to stay focused on our Diocesan Priorities of: Creating a Culture of Vocations, Strengthening Faith Formation in Family Life and Building Parishes with Living Stones. As we begin this Holy Season of Lent, we persevere in our mission as local Church to be passionate disciples of Jesus Christ. I encourage you to continue to be active participants in the faith life of your parish. Be a source of loving support for your priests. My prayer is that these next forty days, as disciples in mission, we might pray fervently for peace in our world and for healing and the purification of our Church. We pray for the courage and humility to be the salt of the earth and light of the world. May our prayer “penetrate deep within us and chip away at our hardness of heart in order to convert us ever more fully to God and His will.” Gratefully yours in Christ, |
|||||
|
|||||||||
