BRIDGE

Acts 17:15,22b 18:1, Psalm 148 Heaven and Earth are full of your glory; John 16:12-15


today we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, she who was sent as messenger to us to three shepherd children continues to speak o us about the necessity of conversion and prayer. 

Mary is not unlike the rest of us disciples in the sense that she is always on mission.  She continually seeks to bring the good news to world.  From the beginning, Mary, pregnant with child, goes to Elizabeth and her presence brings joy to all in the home. 

From then on, Mary has continually brought the same good news and joy to people of each generation as she did so in Fatima. 

Pope Benedict reached into this missionary zeal in his visit to Fatima. 


Here are a few Words of Pope Benedict upon visiting Fatima, "He must seek truth by means of his cognitive process, tend toward the good in the sphere of volition, be attracted by beauty in the aesthetic dimensions. Consciousness is Christian to the degree it opens itself to the fullness of life and wisdom that we find in Jesus Christ."


In other words: We must seek the truth with our minds, do good with our wills, allow beauty to enter into our hearts and then we shall begin to fully open up to the person of Jesus as the fullness of life. 

Every time we say the rosary we seek the truth with our minds as we think about the life of Christ, his ministry, his service, his teaching. He is truth himself. We learn to do as he did as we conform our will to his and truly understand goodness seen in action in the life of Christ. We learn to love what is good for us from goodness himself. We let the beauty of such a life, the God man who brings grace and redemption, to enter into our life and heart and show us what true beauty is all about, "no greater love then to lay down one's life for one's friends." Is there anything more beautiful?

We see the same missionary zeal resonate in the life of Paul.  He is on his second journey and finds himself in Greece.   Like a good missionary, he uses his surroundings and the culture of the people to create a bridge to introduce Jesus to them. 

We too are invited to be bridge builders.  We must be creative in using the things around us, the cultural phenomenon, to introduce Christ to others. 

Mary did it.  Paul did it. We must follow their lead.