Abound in love for one another (Hans Urs von Balthasar)

May the Lord make you increase and
abound in love for one another and for all,
just as we have for you.

 1 Thessalonians 3:12 

    When you say Yes to God unconditionally, you have no idea how far this Yes is going to take you. Certainly farther than you can guess and calculate beforehand… but just how far and in what form? At the same time, this Yes is the sole, non-negotiable prerequisite of all Christian understanding, of all theology and ecclesial wisdom. 

    The point to which everything comes down is this: the total self-giving to Christ (leaving everything, every wife and child: Luke 18:30) is now wedded to the task of committing this totality to the service of the flock of Christ and finds in this its practical application. Also, this entire service, in the Catholic understanding, is not likely any worldly “job” but is a special kind of participation in the redemptive work of the Son – who was obedient unto death – and is thus itself marked by this work. 

    A good priest is always a miracle of grace.

--Hans Urs von Balthasar 

Happy Anniversary of your
Ordination to the Priesthood, Fr. Pat!
We are so blessed by your commitment
to the service of the flock of Christ! 

Image source 1: Fr. Pat celebrates Mass for First Holy Communion, April 28, 2024,  https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=854995249999224&set=a.855001323331950 

Image source 2: Fr. Pat creating stand-alone Nativity sets for the 2023 Advent Fair, https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=757995679699182&set=a.757479833084100
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