January 25, 2017
Dear friends,
Greetings on this Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle!
On this patronal feast day of the Paulist Fathers, we give thanks to God for the gifts He has bestowed upon us, enabling us, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, to preach the Gospel and care for God’s people.
This is also a day to ask: “Now what?”
Each generation of Paulist Fathers has sought to discern the signs of the times and address the needs of society with zeal and effectiveness. In this first month of 2017, the challenge is obvious: division, anger and misunderstanding within our society.
I think that God is saying to the Paulist Fathers, the Paulist Associates, our parishioners, our collaborators and supporters, that our original Paulist mission, “The Conversion of America!,” is needed more than ever.
We must be bridge builders who seek to transform the hate and distrust among us into unity and peace. This will not be done with shallow platitudes, merely saying “everything will be alright.” We must truly listen with the heart of Jesus to the concerns and fears of everyone we serve and then shed the light of the Gospel where it is needed most. In the process, we must allow ourselves to be transformed as well, and not presume God doesn’t have something new to tell us. In following this path, we give witness to the way of Christ, away from partisanship, towards communion with God and our brothers and sisters.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Very Rev. Eric Andrews, C.S.P.