Seventh Sunday of Easter
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today, our parish family gathers with overflowing hearts to celebrate a profound moment of grace and renewal. We are deeply honored to welcome Fr. Michael Gokie as he celebrates his very first Mass here among us. This is a day of immense celebration, marking the culmination of years of prayer, discernment, and formation. For many of us, Michael is not just a new priest but a dear friend, and witnessing his "Yes" to the Lord’s call brings a unique and vibrant joy to our community.
The Gospel proclaimed today is especially significant for Fr. Michael, offering a message that serves as the bedrock for his new ministry and a challenge for all of us. It emphasizes a concept that is the very heartbeat of our faith: DIVINE INTIMACY. To be a Christian is not simply to follow a set of rules or to study a historical figure; it is to know God closely, personally, and deeply. Today, in the Gospel of John, Jesus provides us with a beautiful and definitive truth: "Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God" (Jn 17:3). This "knowing" is an invitation to a life-long friendship, a communion of hearts that begins here on earth and finds its perfection in eternity.
While every member of the faithful is called to follow Jesus, the priest is invited to follow Him "more" closely in a very specific and radical way. This is the foundation of priestly celibacy. We often wonder why our priests do not marry; the answer lies in the imitation of Christ himself. Because Jesus did not marry, choosing instead to give His entire self to the Father and to the service of all humanity, the priest seeks to mirror that total self-gift. By embracing this path, Fr. Michael stands as a living sign of the kingdom to come, his heart undivided and his life completely available to the people of God.
As we participate in this Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, let us lift up Fr. Michael in our prayers. May his ministry be defined by the same intimacy with the Father that we hear about in today's Gospel. May he always find strength in the real presence of Christ, and may his hands and heart always be open to the needs of this flock.
God bless Fr. Michael!
Fr. Carlos Keen
Parochial Vicar
