Father's Reflection 12.25.22

Rescued: Part 4

What a joy the journey through this season of Advent has been with Fr. John Riccardo and his work, Rescued. His final part, “man’s response,” was truly masterful.

Ask yourself these questions. Given how big the cosmos really is (46 billion lightyears from one side to the other) what does that say about the awesome power of the one who is responsible for all of it? Have you ever stopped to consider that at every moment of every day, He is thinking about you? Because if He ever ceased to think about you, you would cease to be – as He is the one “in whom and for whom and through whom we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).”

It is easy to worship and to concentrate on all the wrong things most of the time (sports, money, pleasure, “me”) while totally overlooking much bigger and more important ideas (creation, redemption, God Himself). We owe our lives to someone else (creation is a gift freely given which none of us did a thing to deserve in advance). We owe our salvation to another (a gift freely given, that we did nothing to deserve or earn in advance either). And in the words of Fr. Riccardo, “it all demands a generous response on our part.” And that is a wrap on Rescued this Advent season.

As we look to transition into the Christmas Solemnity and the New Year, let us all ponder how we can offer more praise, more gratitude, more worship, and more of ourselves to the one who loves us the most. The one who gave of His Son, Jesus, for the salvation of the world. Merry Christmas everyone!