Grabbing Hold and Never Letting Go

Dear Friend,

This time of year we celebrate Catholic Schools Week across the country and in our parish. Catholic Schools Week encourages us to focus on the mission of Jesus, the Church and the Catholic school.

As the Christmas hymn Good Christians All Rejoice reminds us: 'Christ was born to save! Christ was born to save!'

Christ was born to save us, but he can only save us if we want to be saved. To be saved means that we love Him, respond to Him and live in faith every day, all the days of our lives.

If a man is drowning and another man reaches out to him, he can be saved if he grabs the rescuer's hand and he hangs on for dear life. Since the Fall of Adam, all of us are drowning in sadness, sin and death. God reached out His hand to us. He gave Christ to us. Now, those who wish to be saved from the icy cold must grab hold of Him and never let go.

To help every young Christian grab hold of Christ and never let go is the express purpose of Catholic education.

The young Christians in our midst have grabbed hold of Christ, and certainly, we must strengthen them through daily prayer, the Eucharist and sacraments, study, Gospel living and service, so that they would never dream of letting go.

God fervently hopes that not one of them will ever let go, and that not one of us will ever let go either.

Let us pray that everyone, students, parishioners, family members, friends, and enemies will clasp firmly the saving hand of God.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Mark Filips