Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Love one another. It’s not an option but a command to be taken seriously if we are to be

genuine friends of Jesus. Why was this non-negotiable for Jesus? Because loving others does three things:

1. Authentic love brings us out of ourselves;
2. Loving others is what keeps our faith from simply being a collection of beliefs or philosophies;
3. Love is the great evangelizer.

When we love others, it is a decision in that we freely choose to leave our own concept of comfort. It moves us beyond ourselves. Love is never self-serving. Even as we respect ourselves and honor what our personal needs are, we do so in order to be healthy enough to serve others. Exercise, rest, nutrition, spiritual enrichment and ongoing faith formation are all necessary for us to have the strength to love and serve others. Self-care is not about being inwardly preoccupied; it’s always about having the ability to offer ourselves for others.

Many have said that religion is bad because it indoctrinates and imposes a set of beliefs and rules. This is true if there is no love. As Catholics, we profess our faith and we subscribe to various disciplines (spiritual, moral, intellectual, etc.) because they are rooted in the love of Christ. How boring would Catholicism be if merely a set of rules!

“See how they love one another.” Since the early Church, outward charitable signs have been the very mark of discipleship. Caring for the poor and the widow, the orphan and those on the margins – in other words, the most vulnerable – are tangible signs that followers are living out the Gospel, the Good News. These are signs that people are overflowing with love and they want to generously share it. This is attractive for those seeking assurance that God is always near.

How is loving others a priority in our life as disciples of the Lord?

Joyfully yours in Christ,

Fr. Gurnick

Dear Parishioners,

We are officially now a parish blessed with an oratory! Please see the special insert in today’s bulletin with Bishop Malesic’s formal Decree which designates St. Malachi’s church building as an oratory of Saint Patrick Parish. I invite you to carefully read the document along with my personal message attached to it.

At the time of writing this week’s column (Thursday morning), our College of Cardinals have yet to elect a new Pope. So far, black smoke came out of the chimney twice. By the time you read this column, we pray that white smoke blows confidently into the skies as we welcome the next successor of Saint Peter. Personally, I must say that I can’t wait to insert the new pope’s name into our Eucharistic Prayer after the notable absence since Francis’ death. This is significant every time we celebrate the Mass in that we belong to the local Church when we mention our own Bishop Edward and that we are in communion with the Universal Church as we pray for ___N.___ our Pope. May the Lord bless our new universal shepherd and may we hear his name inserted into our prayers.

As we celebrate Mother’s Day, let us be mindful of our two mothers: our earthly mother and our Heavenly Mother, Mary, the mother of God and of the Church. The month of May is traditionally the month of Mary. Through her, the work of Motherhood is glorified and sanctified. On this Mother’s Day, bringing all mothers to the altar, let us honor them (and all women who share in this role of loving service) with our prayerful thanks and by how we live our lives.

To Jesus through Mary,

Fr. Gurnick