All Saints and All Souls Days, Vocation Awareness Week, and Election Day

On October 31st, in a “normal” year, little goblins, superheroes and princesses would have descended upon our doorsteps seeking treats and goodies. Our relationship with God is sometimes like that Halloween tradition. We, like children, eagerly come to God's doorstep when we want something. We come to God for blessings, requests of help for ourselves or someone else, for strength in times of trouble, and, most importantly, for the gift of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist at Mass.

All of these are available to us if we but knock at God’s door. But are we to be merely like children who continually ask for more without ever thinking about God’s will for us and the gifts He gives us?

If our relationship with God is based solely on our asking and God giving, we are like the neighborhood children coming to our door asking for candy. What is the relationship? God is always at the door waiting for us to knock. He wants to give us love, joy, faith and blessings. However, God’s gifts come with a purpose and a responsibility. God does not give us His gifts just to keep to ourselves. He gives them to us to be shared, and shared abundantly, with others. With love and generosity the gifts are given, so with love and generosity they are to be shared.

As we stand at the doorstep of God to receive His gifts, we are to receive them graciously, cultivate them responsibly, share them with others in love and justice, and return a fitting portion back to God with gratitude. If we do this, we are no longer just neighborhood children knocking on God’s door, but truly His sons and daughters. (Adapted from the October 2013 ICSC parish newsletter)

This week there are many things happening – All Saints and All Souls Days, Vocation Awareness Week, and Election Day to name a few.  It seems to me that if we are truly grateful for what we have – life, vocation, freedom – our lives would show this through our prayer for those in our lives as well as those who have died (the saints and souls); we would celebrate our vocation by living them to help us on our path to holiness; and, this year especially, we would develop our conscience and get out and vote.  It is all about Stewardship, believe it or not, and gratitude for what we have been given.

Fr. Chuck