By Fr. Thomas Brouillette
The railroad bridge repair crew was working on a railroad bridge when a train pulling a passenger car approached and stopped.
From inside, a finely dressed man opened the window and called to the foreman below, “Tony! How are you?”
Tony responded, “Hi, Dave! I’m doing just fine. It’s good to see you.” The men on the crew were startled by this exchange, because they knew the man on the train was the president of the railroad. They couldn’t understand why or how he knew their foreman, Tony.
The president called to Tony, “Come on up and have a cold drink of water.” The two men spent a few minutes together, and afterward Tony made his way back down to the railroad bridge. The train pulled away.
From Tony’s crew came the inevitable question, “Tony, how do you know the president?!” His answer came, “Dave and I started working on the railroad on the same day, with the same pay, in the same position some 30 years ago. There was one difference that has set us apart. I went to work for $2.20 an hour. Dave? Well, he went to work for the railroad.”
This short story reveals a difference in perspective and motive for these two men. We can ask ourselves the same question why our diocesan family ‘goes to work’ to make the gifts of eternal salvation available for the People of God. We know it’s not for money, nor should it be for notoriety.
What is the motive? Our motive is to please God and take care of our people with the gift of education, the sacraments, and our presence, affording them the opportunity to encounter Christ, grow in knowledge, and become Catholic witnesses in service of the truth of the Gospel and the good of the human person. This assists our People on the journey to their eternal home. We strive to make our diocese a place worthy of the human person, according to Christ’s teaching.
How are we offering others the opportunity to encounter Christ? The bishop, our pastors and their assistant pastors offer the gifts of the sacraments of Baptism, Confession, Holy Communion, Confirmation, Holy Matrimony, Holy Orders and Anointing of the Sick. The Sacraments are the ordinary means which Christ gave to the Church for us to encounter Christ and to grow in holiness of life. The people who support us in offering these gifts of eternal salvation play a vital role in assisting us in offering these gifts and mysteries.
Retreats, holy hours, days of Recollection, spiritual direction, evangelization conferences, SEEK, pilgrimages and personal prayer are further means to encountering Jesus. And without question, we experience and encounter Christ in the kindness, the mercy, gentleness and guidance we receive and share with one another.
How are we affording the People of God the opportunity for growth in knowledge? Through a variety of adult education classes, particularly instructions in the Faith through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (O.C.I.A), the unmatched gift of Catholic education in our Catholic Schools, Religious Education Office opportunities and many more.
How are Christian witnesses working in service of the truth of the Gospel and the good of the human person? Through giving of ourselves to our families, schools, parishes and each other through work, through the care of children and grandchildren, through teaching, through business, through the health profession, by practicing virtue, by standing for life and by caring for the poor.
Thank you for helping us achieve the mission of our Catholic Faith by your presence, your prayer, your support, your financial contributions, your involvement in your parish and our communities, by your volunteering, by your witness of laying down your life for your loved ones. These, and a thousand other ways we please God our Father, whose Son went to work for us.
