Don’t You Need That?

Dear Parishioners,

You have been hearing a lot about Alpha lately. Let me tell you why. We are Catholic Christians. Because we claim the name “Christian,” we are called to follow Christ. Alpha, simply put, is to gain a greater love for Christ. Christ said many things in his short life. He brought people to himself and asked them to be his followers. He took them from their lives as fisherman and tax collectors, for instance, and gave them a new purpose and a new mission. They were to spread the Gospel of his human and divine life. They were to tell people about the miracles he did, the people he fed, the broken lives he healed. They were to talk about his wisdom, his humility, and his coming back from the dead after his brutal execution. Christ said that he is the vine, and we are the branches. He is the seed, and we are the soil. He is the poor, the hungry, the sick and in prison, and we are to visit and feed and heal. He said many things and did many things that, if we think about it, should lead us to a radical life of service and giving to one another.

If we are content and satisfied in our lives in the face of the suffering of our fellow human beings, and do nothing, then we haven't gotten His message. Alpha is a program that shares videos, discussion, and a meal to energize our love for Christ. If we are content, it is because of God; and if we are satisfied, it is because of God. In the light of God’s generosity, we are to share our time, talent, and treasure. Alpha is a way to relearn the basics of our faith. Alpha is to help us know that we are hungry for God’s love. It is to allow the Holy Spirit to come upon us and send us out into our lives with the fire of faith. Don’t you need that?

Blessings,
Deacon Steve