INTRO:
So,
In 1982
I was APPOINTED to my first assignment as an associate pastor to HOLY NAME PARISH
In 1987
I was appointed to my second assignment at Saint Christopher in ROCKY RIVER
In 1992
I was appointed to Saint Mary in Chardon as an associate pastor
In 1996
I was appointed as PASTOR of Saint Ann in Cleveland Heights
In 2010
I was appointed to Saint Augustine’s in Barberton
And finally
In 2011
I was appointed as PASTOR here!

So, if you were counting… I was appointed 6 times, but that really is incorrect! I will tell you about that in a minute….

Presidents and leaders of countries… appoint men and women as cabinet members, office staff workers, etc.…

It seems PEOPLE GET APPOINTED to do this or that!

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…at our baptism.

That’s why I was appointed more than 6 times. I was appointed 7 times!!! And 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!!!

We can try something…

Ideally, I would want all of you to take out your iPhone and on that iPhone….begin a text to any one of your contacts or to all of them…

The text should go like this:

“I am at church with a really awesome priest” LOL

“He’s telling us that we should be courageous and tell you that I really love Jesus Christ. I do. Jesus Christ means a lot to me! How about you?”

Wait for the response… It could be very interesting. It could open up for you a new avenue of communication. It could bring someone else to church (because there is this awesome priest!! HA HA LOL)

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.