A Note From Father Eickhoff

November 13, 2022

First off, I want to congratulate the young men and women from our parish who received the Sacrament of Confirmation this past Thursday.  You are well on your way to being hated and cast aside by the world and society that surrounds us.

That last sentence is both accurate and intentionally written.  The Scripture passages that we hear during Mass today remind us that to be faithful to God and to His teachings often result in being disdained and disliked by people in the world and society around us who do not follow the teaching of God.  So often when people are confronted by the example of someone else living their life in a manner contrary to their own, the result is not a case of just shrugging one’s shoulders and saying, “live and let live,” but rather it creates a visceral reaction to harm the person who is living their life differently from their own.  In many cases, the person who has turned away from God knows what he or she is doing is wrong but, unwilling to correct himself.  That person instead attacks the faithful man or woman who reminds him that it is possible to live according to God’s teachings.  Jesus Christ warns His listeners today that this will occur to them should they remain faithful to Christ’s teachings.

Now this warning to Christ’s disciples could have the effect of causing men and women to turn away from God.  After all, no one likes being disliked or disdained by other people.  It is only for some great cause or purpose that people are willing to put up with being abandoned by the world and society around them.  Certainly, I will argue that being faithful to God and to His teachings is such a great cause and purpose.  Yet, we disciples of Jesus Christ are promised by God a result that is more than just having to stoically endure attacks and insults for remaining faithful to God.  We are also promised that ultimately God will be triumphant, that ultimately everyone will see Jesus Christ and know that He is truly the Savior of the world and the Lord of all Creation.  We are promised that all who remain faithful to Christ will share in His victory.  We do not know the date that the ultimate victory will be revealed, but it will come.  And, as promised by the Holy Scripture in the First Reading, when it comes we will be vindicated by God in front of the whole world.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Stephen Eickhoff
Pastor