Sixth Sunday of Easter (B)

INTRO: So, the diocese refers to me being assigned here as PASTOR as BEING APPOINTED!

INTERESTED GOSPEL word today ….. APPOINTED!!!!

Presidents and leaders of countries… appoint men and women as cabinet members, office staff workers, etc.… Obviously, the diocese APPOINTS PRIESTS!

It seems PEOPLE GET APPOINTED to do this or that!

I figured, I would try this… to APPOINT PEOPLE, so the other day, at a school Mass, I asked for some children volunteers to come forward and stand here in front of the altar.

I asked them to “bow their heads”…and they did!!

And then I raised my hands, palms down, and
APPOINTED THEM…
to go forth and bear fruit and love one another!

AS APPOINTED boys and girls they then had this instruction from me:

Go out into this church community, find a teacher or student or parent at the Mass,

1. Introduce yourself by giving your name
2. Shake their hand
3. Tell them you LOVE JESUS CHRIST.

It worked!

BUT….Believe me, when any of you would go and tell someone, could be your spouse or someone off the street that you love JESUS CHRIST….most people look at you strangely as if you are a bit kooky!!!

BUT, isn’t that a bit WRONG…??? We should be able to express to someone else that we love GOD and Jesus and not feel awkward or looked at as STRANGE!!!!!

There should not be anything wrong in doing that… because we ALL HAVE BEEN APPOINTED to spread the good news about God… from being baptized.

You too were appointed at your BAPTISM to be able to get someone else in love with JESUS CHRIST!!! So WE ARE ALL APPOINTED PEOPLE!!!

CONCLUSION:

We are appointed to be MISSIONARY DISCIPLES. It is the new definition of what it means to be CATHOLIC. To go out into the world, appointed, to bear fruit that will remain.

Let others know what you think about JESUS and that love you do have for JESUS CHRIST will bear fruit that will remain.