Of all of the gifts the Father gave to his son, we too are called a gift by Jesus himself. As we live our faith each day, Jesus sends us forth as his friends and disciples to change the world in his name and his image. Jesus himself prays for us, as our greatest intercessor and mediator, that we might fulfill this mission and come to the perfection only He can give. We continue to grow in faith, hope and love so that we might be even stronger disciples working together for the Kingdom of God in a unity of heart, mind and purpose. Jesus continues to make his name known through us.
There is a hymn which reminds us that “We are one in the Spirit; we are one in the Lord.” United in our faith, we form the Body of Christ as we employ our different gifts and talents to encourage and strengthen our sisters and brothers. This is our purpose and our joy. Jesus is our center, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end of all that we are and do.
Jesus fills us with his loving presence. We are a part of His Sacred Heart. As Jesus hands over his mission to us, he does so with the greatest love ever known. He laid down His life for us. Stephen laid down his life for the Lord. With every act of love and compassion, every prayer and celebration of the Eucharist, we too lay down our lives to become a new creation in Jesus. This is our blessing and our promise. May we continue to be an answer to Jesus’ prayer to be the holy people of God united in faith, hope and love.