Jesus Christ is the Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever

by Fr. Don Kline, V.F.  |  08/24/2025  |  Letter from the Pastor

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Pope St. John Paul II often spoke of the New Evangelization. There is a need to re- evangelize and reintroduce the Catholic faith to the world. Our Lord offers everything the heart desires through Him, with Him and in Him. Our Lord came to offer mercy and to gather the lost and forsaken. And by our baptism, we too participate in Christ's salvific mission. In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, He reminds His disciples, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father." Matthew 5:14-16

Our Lord desires for His disciples to follow Him and to lead others to Himself by pointing to Christ the Light of the World who alone can shatter the darkness of sin and death. Our Lord desires for everyone to fall deeper in love with Him. Sadly, many have fallen prey to the lure of the enemy who seeks to divide, isolate, and lead God's children away from all that is true, good, and beautiful. Words like sin, grace, redemption, cross, resurrection, eternal life, and salvation don't mean much to many people. If hope is to be found, then Christ must be proclaimed as conqueror of sin and death. Christ is risen from the dead.

"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." Matthew 28: 19-20

Our Lord's great commission to His disciples is to go and make disciples. Christ's mission is our mission and the mission of the Church. Before His death and resurrection, He promised to remain with us. Our Lord promised to remain with us always and gave us Himself at the Last Supper. At Holy Mass, disciples can receive His very Body and Blood. The one perfect sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross is the greatest expression of love into which we are called to participate. As Christ gave Himself on the Cross for our salvation, we respond by proclaiming the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and to invite people to place themselves under His Lordship. "God greatly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippian 2:9-11

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord." Luke 4:18-19

As part of the Jubilee Year of Hope, Bishop Dolan has launched the Synod of Young Adults in the Diocese of Phoenix. Young adults ages 18-39 from across the diocese are invited to come and share their ideas and concerns about the Church and society. The Synod of Young Adults involves listening sessions at parishes, Newman Centers, and other locations throughout the diocese from mid-August to the end of November.

All young adults are welcome. Bishop Dolan wants to hear from you. This is an opportunity for all young adults to engage with the broader Church, share their voices, and shape the direction of the Catholic faith in today's world. The Synod of Young Adults flows from Year One of the 7-year Diocesan Pastoral Plan, TILMA, and has a three-fold purpose:

• To foster a culture of evangelization that will engage young adults on relevant issues, and then work with them to engage others in the years ahead;
• To respond in a practical and impactful way to two of the ten "hopes" that Pope Francis has articulated for this Jubilee Year, namely:
• Hope for Openness to Life and Responsible Parenthood
• Hope for Youth and Young Adults

To begin a more deliberative process of evangelization in parishes - starting with young people, including those who have left the Church and those who might consider themselves "on the margins" or "nones." According to Pew Research Center "nones do not ascribe to a particular church or religious group and are much less likely to attend church services but not all are atheists. Only 17% of nones identify as atheist, while 20% describe themselves as agnostic. The majority of nones, 63%, simply identify themselves as "nothing in particular."

In a desire to reach out to those who do not know of God's love and have little to no relationship for Our Savior Jesus Christ, our parish is offer a listening session that will begin with Holy Mass at 8:30am on September 6th.

The listening session will continue from 9:30am to 12:00pm in St. Bernadette Hall. All young adults are welcome. Our bishop wants to hear from you! This is an exciting opportunity for all young adults to engage with the broader Church, share their voices, and engage in the Catholic faith in today's world. Visit the website: https://tilma.dphx.org/calendar-of-events/

God Bless,

Fr. Don Kline