Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
What a great week! We get to spend time with family and friends on a whole holiday dedicated to giving thanks. As Christians, we know that all we have and our very existence is a gift from God. I myself will be participating in the ecumenical Thanksgiving service Wednesday evening at the Immanuel Lutheran Church. The service starts at 6:30. Then Thanksgiving day we will have Mass at St. Mary’s at 9 AM. There will not be Adoration before hand. After Mass, I will be heading to Oak Park, IL to my brother’s place to spend Thanksgiving with my brother and his family and my parents. I’ll be back Saturday afternoon for Confessions at St. Mary’s.
Today we have the parable of the talents (money) and the servants. The master entrusts his money to his servants. One he gives five talents. He is savvy and earns 5 more. Same with the one who is given two talents. This servant makes two more. But the servant that is given one talent just buries it and eventually tries to give it back to master.
We too have been entrusted with God’s possessions. We have been given the gift of our Catholic faith. The Catholic Church has the fullness of Truth. Because Jesus Christ is the Word, God, He is Truth. “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Jesus deposited the fullness of Himself, the fullness of Truth into the minds and hearts of His Apostles. We call this the deposit of faith. The successors of the Apostles, the bishops, as a whole and in conjunction with the Pope, have protected that deposit faith for 2000 years. We are so blessed to be Catholic, to have been given the deposit faith, the fullness of truth, the divine revelation of Jesus Christ. What have we done and what are we doing with this great gift we have been entrusted with? Are we praying? Are we studying to learn more about God and who we are as sons and daughters of God the Father? May we give thanks for the gift of our faith, but may we also be inspired to grow our knowledge and love of God.
Have a blessed Thanksgiving,
Father Vogel
Father Andrew Vogel's Blog 