“Rooted in God’s Love”

Dear Parishioners,

        I want to express my deepest gratitude for your powerful prayers and support while we were away this past week for the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s biannual priest convocation. It was a truly rejuvenating time of fraternity, reflection, and spiritual renewal for our priests, and we felt sustained each day by the spiritual bouquet of your intercessions. Please know that we carried you in our hearts as well, praying for our beloved parish community and giving thanks for the many beautiful things God is doing right here at St. Joseph Fullerton. Thank you for your unwavering faith and for continually supporting us in our vocation. We are truly blessed to shepherd such a loving parish family and to walk alongside you on this shared journey of ministry.

       Our parish is sustained by many gifts. Financial generosity matters deeply because it allows us to plan, serve, maintain our parish, support our ministries, and carry out our mission. Volunteer service matters. Prayer matters. Participation matters. Encouragement matters. Gratitude matters. When those gifts come together, faith is renewed, and mission is sustained.

       Today’s Gospel is among Jesus' most important teachings. Indeed, the message is clear: Love of God and love of neighbor are the Lord's two most important commandments. Too often, we think of love in terms of feelings. But love is not merely sending good thoughts or feelings to others. It takes concrete form, as the first reading points out. But what if we feel we have no capacity to love others? It is easy to get caught up in our own busyness and think we have nothing left to give. If this is the case, something is missing, and today’s Gospel offers the answer. 

       To love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength means orienting those areas toward God. God has already given us his love. He brought us into existence because of his love for humanity. His love sustains us every day. When we open ourselves to him, his love floods our hearts. That experience gives us the ability to love others. Remember the words of the First Letter of John: We love because God first loved us.

       We cannot give what we do not have. That is why we must commit ourselves to prayer and the sacraments. Each time we receive the Eucharist, we receive God, who is love, into our hearts. When we pray, his grace pours into our hearts. 

       This love, greater than the universe, cannot be kept to ourselves. God’s love always pushes us beyond ourselves toward others. Being loved so deeply by our Creator and Savior naturally leads us to want others to have the same experience. To love our neighbor as ourselves means acting in ways that show we want the best for the other person, just as we want what is good for ourselves. We carry that love into every part of parish life.  

       There is nothing better than the love of God. By first receiving God’s love and allowing it to flow into our actions, we fulfill Christ’s commandments. May the Lord continue to renew our faith, strengthen our parish, and sustain the mission we share.