Browsing Deacon Steve Vande Hey articles

The Grace of God Within Us - May 26, 2019

Peace in Christ. In the Gospel from John, Jesus is about to surrender his life. He tells the disciples, “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all I told you.” Jesus did not leave us empty-handed. Jesus goes on, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” Jesus wants us to be in harmony with every dimension of life. He continues, “Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” This is a message echoed often in Scripture. We will face persecution, and Christians seem to be persecuted quite a bit these days, but God has promised to be with us always. We can be fearless and bold.

Jesus continued, “I am going away and will come back to you. If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe.” The teaching and insights of Jesus were new and fresh, and showed that he loved his own until the end. We are his own. Do we really believe that, and will people know that we are Christians by our love?

The 2nd reading from the Book of Revelation is an Apocalyptic form of writing. The people had questioned their identity and God’s fidelity. We hear, “The angel showed me the new holy city of Jerusalem. It gleamed with the splendor of God. The city had no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gave it light, and its lamp was the Lamb.” This is a vision of hope. God no longer dwelled in the house of stones, but in the hearts of his people. May Jesus continue to dwell in our hearts.

This weekend is Memorial Day Weekend. May we remember those who gave their lives in the line of service, and pray for them, and all those currently serving in the military and their families. Let us remember all our loved ones who have died, and thank God for the gift of the people who have been an important part of our lives. May we never take our freedom for granted. Through the grace of God, may we all be safe throughout this holiday weekend.

A group of us served a meal to those in need this weekend at the Gathering in Milwaukee at St. Ben’s Church, a chance to share God’s love.

We have been blessed in recent weeks with some incredible spiritual opportunities. First Communions were celebrated in all of our churches, and a large group of young people received the Sacrament of Confirmation at St. John in Little Chute. A number of Baptisms were celebrated during the Easter season, bringing new life to the church, and I presided at the Sacrament of Matrimony two weeks ago. Three new Permanent Deacons were ordained in the Diocese of Green Bay last weekend, on the 23rd Anniversary of my ordination. The Kaukauna Catholic Parishes had two people certified as Lay Ministers in the Emmaus Program: Sue Zwiers and Kelly McMillin.

Congratulations to all those experiencing these graces of God, and their families, and the many students graduating this time of year. May we all continue to be witnesses of God’s love in the world around us. God bless!   

Deacon Steve

 

 

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