By Trusting In God’s Loving Providence

Archbishop Chaput-When we think of the Church, we usually think of our local parishes. This is understandable.   At our parishes we encounter Christ in the Eucharist, couples are married, babies are baptized, sins are confessed and families come together for the burial of loved ones.

But for Catholics, the Church is actually much bigger and wider than any individual parish. We may rarely think of the Archdiocese of Denver as our primary community of faith, but it really is. Each of our parishes is a local expression of the archdiocesan Church, which in turn is the local reality of the universal Church.

The Church’s first mandate is to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior—even when the Gospel message is inconvenient in our own lives or unwelcome in the world around us.

The Church’s second mandate is to build up the community of believers.  The vitality of Christian life depends not on feelings or good intentions, but on a deep and mature faith, especially in the face of adversity.

The Church’s third mandate, following in the footsteps of Jesus, is to care for those who are in need. Jesus didn’t require people to believe in him before he loved them, healed them or entered into their lives. As Christians, we have the responsibility to be the presence of Christ in the lives of others—even those who are not believers. Thus, an important portion of ACA resources always goes toward serving the poor through the works of Catholic Charities.

Giving of our resources is a sign of faith. For many of us, money embodies the ideal of security. Yet, it is the message of the Gospel that we should trust in God’s provision, and that we are stewards—not owners—of the many good things God has placed in our lives. Our only real security is God’s love, and the more generously we reflect that love to others, the deeper our own happiness here and in the life to come. The Christian vocation invites all of us, priests and bishops included, to give sacrificially from our material resources back to God.

(edited by Jeff Gares)