Pastor's Spiritual Reflections

By Fr. Leo Schneider (5/17/2009)

Dear People of Holy Name,

"It was not you who chose me, it was I who chose you to go forth and bear fruit." (Jn 15:16)

Each one of us is called to bear fruit in the kingdom of God. Keeping the Lord’s command to love God with our whole being and our neighbor as ourselves is how we bear much fruit. Jesus goes on to define loving our neighbor as laying one’s life down for another as he did for us. So to love God is to love those around us. We are called to make a positive difference in the lives of the people we meet every day.

Truth be told, I’m not sure how many of us reach our full potential in making a positive difference in other people’s lives. I think there are several things that hold us back. One is the feeling that we really can’t do much to really help other people, so we hold back. The truth is we all have gifts and talents to use and perhaps our first step is to discern our own gifts and talents so we can come to believe that we do have something to give to others.

Believe it or not, your biggest gift to others is your presence. To be truly present to another with listening ears and a companionate heart is powerful. When we can move beyond ourselves to enter another’s world, there is much we can give. Secondly, your prayers for others and the community are fruit offered to all. Being able to be at peace and contemplate the needs of others and pray for them is a grace for them and for us in our prayer.

Another thing that may hold us back is the feeling that we aren’t worthy enough. Here we need to remember Peter and Paul for example. Peter denied Christ and Paul persecuted and killed Christians before he became one. If they can make it so can we! You are good enough and what is more, God has chosen you to go forth and bear fruit. None of us can opt out of loving others, and none of us would want to as our intimacy with the truth of Jesus grows within us. The powerful sense of his love and his presence inspires us and eggs us on to love as he loved. As we move forward through this Easter Season we are making our way to the celebration of the Feast of Pentecost, the powerful presence of God made known through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

To prepare for the feast of Pentecost let us begin now to pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives, for the spirit is the power and presence of God. It is this Spirit that will help us know our gifts and find the courage to use them in God’s service. So when we pray during the mass for the Spirit to “descend upon these gifts,” let us also pray for the gift of the Spirit to descend upon all God’s people. In this way we will bear fruit and come to share in the fullness of life now and forever.

Lord God, bless your people with the gift of the Holy Spirit that we may know your presence in our lives. Fill our hearts with your love and give us the courage to serve you with loving hearts, to lay down our lives for you as we lay them down for your people in need. Be with us Lord and help us know the power of your Love. We ask this in Jesus’ name, who lives and reigns with you in the power of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.

In Christ’s peace, Fr. Leo