Family is extremely important!!! It is what we call the Domestic Church. It is in the family that we first begin to learn about the love of God. Our parents are always the first teachers in the faith. How many of us know someone in our families that are away from the Church? How many of us are sad by this? It is a sad situation. Our families are cutting themselves off from God’s grace. They are cutting off the path to salvation. It is a big deal! It should bug us that they are not coming to Mass. So what are we willing to do to get them back? Are we willing to pray more for them? Are we willing to tell them the truth, because there may not be anyone else to do this? Are we willing to make sacrifices for them? What are we willing to do to help our family get to heaven?
Yes, baptism is necessary for salvation, but so is living a life of faith in Jesus Christ. We are to walk with Him daily. Each Sunday we are to go to Mass. God made us, and He made us to be in relationship with Him. So, are we willing to tell our family all this and more, so that they will be in Heaven? Because once we die there is no turning back. We can’t say to God, “Well I wanted to follow you more. I meant to do this.” Death is the beginning of eternal life. Whether that is with God for eternity or not is figured out while here on earth. Make the time for God, and make time for living the life and telling our family members these truths. BE NOT AFRAID!!!
This week I will be leaving on Sunday, August 7 and returning Friday, August 12 in the evening. I will be at Camp Survive, the middle school camp that the Diocese puts on. It is an AWESOME camp, please pray for all those attending. If any emergencies come up, please call and leave a message at the office, someone will be checking messages on a frequent basis.
Fr. Thomas P. Galarneault