"Love In A Land of Plenty"

I suspect that, except for a few bishops who might be reading this column, not too many of us will have the opportunity to actually meet Pope Benedict XVI when he visits the United States this month. Yet, we members of the Catholic Extension Family have a special reason to anticipate that the Pope is going to be speaking especially to us.

I have no advance copies of his homilies or speeches, but I can't help but think that one of his overriding themes will be the mission of the Church in America.

And who is more attuned to hear what the Pope says about mission than all of us who are part of Catholic Extension and who share a keen desire to foster and give witness to the Gospel in every corner of our country?

Church as family

In Benedict XVI's first encyclical, "God is Love," he focused on the threefold mission and responsibility of the Church: "to proclaim the Word of God, to celebrate the sacraments, and to exercise the ministry of charity."

"The Church is God's family in the world," says the Pope, "and in this family no one ought to go without the necessities of life."

Those of you who provide financial and prayerful support to the work of Catholic Extension are particularly alert to these words. You have partnered your life with missioners throughout America to ensure that everyone who is hungry for the Word of God and for the Eucharist is richly fed, and that all have a place of honor at the family table.

You have helped to set the Lord's Table in some of the humblest communities of our country. At every one of those Eucharistic celebrations, the passionate love that God has for every human heart is being revealed ever anew in the words of Christ: "This is My Body given for you; this is My Blood poured out for you."

Spoken to our hearts at every liturgy, these words remind us that at every moment of our life's journey we are being loved by God into life - truly into fullness of life. This is the fundamental fact of our being. It is simultaneously an invitation to participate in God's life-giving love for others.

Living in God's grace

Paraphrasing John's epistle: God is love, and when we are in love - involved in becoming life-giving love for each other and for the world - we are in God.

I somehow sense that you as a member of the Catholic Extension Family have a special understanding of this beautiful reflection on Divine Love that Pope Benedict offers us in his first encyclical.

I see that understanding manifest every day. You continue to generously respond to those most in need in our land and you constantly reach out to be the helping hand to our home missioners. Your participation in the work of Catholic Extension is a powerful expression of your participation in God's love for the Church and for the whole human family.

And in this family, as Pope Benedict reminds us, no one ought to go without!

Please consider making a gift to the Mission Church in America. I ask you as part of the Catholic Extension family to respond generously to this effort and make your safe and secure donation now. Thank you.

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