We are the Lord’s

24th Sunday of Ordinary Time

We are the Lord’s

“For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:8). These words of St. Paul are poignant and powerful.

The motto for Carmel Catholic High School is Belong, Believe, Become. I’m very fond of that slogan. There’s great spiritual breadth and depth to such a maxim. In the life of missionary discipleship, the journey starts with belonging. Before the catechesis and training, before identifying goals and benchmarks, before trying to reach the next level, the Christian first starts with a sense of belonging. It is in knowing that I have friendship with Christ, I am in relationship with the Lord, I belong to Him that makes all the difference and changes everything. If I know that my identity stems from Christ, if I know who I am and whose I am, then I will be able to believe: to grow in faith, knowledge and wisdom, and therefore become all that God calls me to be as I put my faith into action.

St. Paul teaches that, simply put, we belong to God! Our living and our dying, our entire existence and every aspect of it therein, everything belongs to Christ our Lord, and it is God who we ultimately answer to – since we belong to him. That’s the Good News! At St. Francis de Sales, my motto can very well be: “We are the Lord’s.” Here, as members of the Church, the Body of Christ, we are proud to profess the lordship of Jesus Christ over every aspect and dimension of our lives, our being, our parish. To God be the glory.

“We are the Lord’s.” As one family in Christ, belonging to the one Lord, indeed we, too, celebrate its members. In the words of St. Paul: “if one part [of the body] is honored, all the parts share its joy” (1 Corinthians 12:26b).

Just over a week ago, on September 1st, Fr. Gerald Walsh joined our parish community as the Associate Pastor.

I am delighted to have Fr. Gerald here. I have known him for over 10 years and he is an exceptional priest who indeed witnesses to the truth that we belong to God, and God loves us. Since arriving, he has spent time meeting parishioners and families, parish staff and school faculty, and visiting the sick to celebrate the Sacraments. In addition, Fr. Gerald has been engaged with our school community, greeting students and encouraging them on their journey of faith. Please join me in welcoming Fr. Gerald and keeping him in our prayers. I know he looks forward to serving at St. Francis de Sales, helping us to grow in our relationship with God.

Another cause for joy is that a member of our very own parish community has entered the seminary system for the Archdiocese of Chicago. Andrew Kowalski is from St. Francis de Sales parish, receiving his Sacraments here. Currently, he is in the Propaedeutic or Spirituality Year, the year of discernment made prior to entering into philosophical and theological studies at Mundelein Seminary. As a part of this formation stage, Andrew resides at the Bishop Quarter House located right next to Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago. There, Andrew is able to focus on the human and spiritual foundations of his vocation, within the framework of having intentional community and a consistent rhythm of prayer. When Andrew has a free weekend or is back in town during a semester break, he looks forward to worshiping with us at his home parish. Please keep Andrew as well as our Teaching Parish assigned seminarians (Alex, Ben and Will) in your prayers.

Wishing you God’s peace and everything good; we are the Lord’s –

Fr. Christian Shiu
Administrator