Dear Friends in Christ,
I am writing this article on the weekend of July 1st and 2nd – my first weekend as your Pastor. I want to begin by thanking all of you for your warm
welcome, your promise of prayers, and your
kindness to me as I begin this new ministry. After having spent the last seven years of my ministry in the formation of seminarians for the priesthood, returning to a parish as the Pastor is a very
different experience for me!
In the gospel for Mass this Sunday, we hear Jesus praying to his Father in these words: “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, you have revealed them to little ones.” What a strange and interesting scene. These words of Jesus point us to God’s preferential love for the poor – the little ones of God.
The sainted Mother Teresa of Calcutta gave the world such an unforgettable example of what it looks like to care for the
poorest of the poor. We all know the kind of love that the
Missionaries of Charity lavish upon the poor and suffering wherever they are in the world – including in our own City of Chicago. But what is not as well-known is the deep personal love and intimacy with Jesus that marked Mother Teresa’s
spirituality. Here is what she wrote to her sisters:
“Jesus wants me to tell you again. . . how much love He has for each one of you — beyond all you can imagine. I worry some of you still have not really met Jesus — one to one — you and Jesus alone. We may spend time in chapel — but have you seen with the eyes of your soul how He looks at you with love? Do you really know the living Jesus — not from books, but from being with Him in your heart? Have you heard the loving words He speaks to you?. . .”
This is what it means to become “little ones” ourselves: that we have met Jesus in our souls. We have allowed him to see us in our weakness and in our need – that we have allowed him to take care of us. Sometimes, it takes great effort for us to allow ourselves to be loved by another. This week, consider that you are the little one to whom the Father wishes to reveal all things in heaven and on earth, if only you will allow him to love you.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Thomas Byrne