What comes to mind when you think about the Kingdom of God?
Greetings and blessings in the Lord! What comes to mind when you think about the Kingdom of God? For many, the Kingdom of God is beyond this world and more about eternity than the present time. But didn’t Jesus say, “The Kingdom of God is in our midst?”
The Kingdom of God is in the here and now. You and I are a part of the Kingdom and through Baptism called to help and to serve one another as the Body of Christ, the Church. That is why this year’s Christ’s Mission Appeal theme is – This is Kingdom Work. We are told in 1 Peter 4:10, “As each one has received a special gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”
Amazing things are happening within our parishes and while this is true, there are many more ministries across the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw supported by Christ’s Mission Appeal and the diocesan team that would be very difficult or impossible for one parish or individual to effectively sustain.
Some of these are very visible like the ordinations of priests and deacons, Holy Hours for Vocations, the livestreaming of daily Mass and the Great Lakes Bay Catholic magazine. But many others that may not be so apparent, including training of grief ministers throughout the Diocese, technology help and human resources assistance to parish staff, and coordination of the three-year Eucharist Revival.
While you may witness or receive benefit from some of the work enabled by Christ’s Mission Appeal, these ministries also help those you do not know. As Catholics, we are called to further the mission of Jesus Christ in our world – and to care for one another. As I travel throughout the Diocese for Holy Hours, parish visits and other special liturgies and celebrations, I see and experience the incredible generosity and gracious hospitality of the people who call the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw, “home.”
I urge you to join me in making a prayerful and generous gift to Christ’s Mission Appeal. May God continue to bless you and your families with His abundant graces.
With peace and joy in Christ,
Most Rev. Robert D. Gruss
Bishop of Saginaw