Archbishop Dolan's Thought for the Week

February 19, 2008

Dear Friends United in Love and Service of Jesus Christ and His Church:

Have you noticed that our Father tends to repeat Himself?

Think back a little over a month ago. It was the feast of the Baptism of Jesus. God, our Father, bellowed out from heaven, “This is my beloved Son.”

Now go back to last Sunday. Our Gospel was the episode of the Transfiguration of Jesus, as is tradition for the second Sunday of Lent.

Once again, our Father speaks up. “This is my beloved Son.” He repeats Himself!

Jesus got the message. He knew He was intensely, personally, passionately loved by His Father.

And the good news is, so are we!

Jesus, God the Son, sure got the lesson. Have we learned it?

We – you and I -- are passionately, personally loved by God our Father. We are the “apple of His eye,” His “work of art.” When He looks at us, He sees the image of His beloved Son, Jesus. He loves us so much He wants us to spend eternity with Him.

Each month, I meet with Bishop Stephen Miller, the Episcopal bishop here in Milwaukee, and Bishop Paul Stumme-Diers, the Lutheran bishop, to meditate upon and discuss the Sunday readings for the upcoming month. (We all use the same lectionary).

At our last meeting, as we prayed over last Sunday’s Gospel, Bishop Paul commented that, “We all need to know that somebody, somewhere, is crazy about us.” Could be a spouse, a good friend, a parent, a family member. How blessed you are if you can name people that are head-over-heels in love with you!

But make sure that God our Father is at the top of the list! Every time He looks at you -- which is constantly -- He whispers, “This is my beloved son, my beloved daughter, in whom I am well pleased.”

Have you ever heard of St. Josephine Bakhita? Pope Benedict XVI refers to her in his encyclical, Spe Salvi. She was a slave in Darfur, who was viciously beaten and abused by her owners. Thank God, she was “purchased” by a wonderful Catholic Italian who brought her home to Italy, and gave her freedom, love, and respect. Because of the example of that family, she embraced Catholicism. She commented, “I am definitely loved, and, whatever happens to me, I am awaited by His love. Life is good.”

Jesus got it . . .

St. Josephine Bakhita got it . . .

Do we get it? We are passionately, personally, eternally loved by our Father.

Sometimes I wonder if the basic temptation in life is to doubt this “good news,” to listen to Satan when he whispers, “You are trash. You are unlovable. God detests you. You’re better off ignoring Him, denying Him, rebelling against Him.”

I’m glad we have a Father who keeps repeating Himself, because I don’t listen to Him all the time.

Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan

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