During a visit to St. Bede the Venerable Parish in Mentor on March 13, Bishop Edward Malesic focused on faith.
He told those gathered for the 11 a.m. Mass that that theologian Karl Barth wrote volumes about the Christian faith. When a reporter asked him what the greatest theological idea was, his answer was simple: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”
God loves us. He is rich in mercy and is constantly looking for ways to reset and restore us, the bishop said. No matter how bad things get, God will send us salvation, so have faith, he added.
“Someone once said, ‘So many church members are secondhand Christians. They have inherited it from their families, borrowed it from their friends, married it, taken it over like the cut of their clothes from the fashion of their group,’” said Bishop Malesic.
“Jesus calls us to be firsthand Christians who have met him for ourselves and are willing to tell others about our profound relationship with him. That is how we bring our Church to its life and fulfill our mission. We go out and tell others what we know: that God loves us, that he has a plan for our escape. That plan requires faith and trust in God who never lets us down, so that if we believe, we might not be condemned but have life eternal. That’s the goal: that we be made saints by God,” he said.
In the first reading, God warned the people because they turned away from him, abandoned the Ten Commandments and rejected his authority. But, because he loved them, he warned them. Yet they ignored him, were captured and some were taken to Babylon as slaves. After 70 years, God inspired Cyrus to restore Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. He told the exiles in his nation to return home, which they did. For a time, they followed God’s law. However, eventually, they rejected God and his law with the cycle of sin continuing. Yet, as St. Paul noted, “Where sin increased, grace flowed all the more.”
The bishop said God’s love for us is the answer to our sinfulness, explaining he is rich in mercy and always ready to seek out the lost.
Salvation comes through faith, he said, “Faith is what lifts us up to God. Faith is the doorway that allows God’s love to enter into our lives. If we pray with faith, we will find God’s love in our hearts.” Telling God that we believe in him is the invitation he needs to change our lives, the bishop said. But our faith must be genuine, he added.
“We need to find our faith ourselves in order to become missionary disciples,” the bishop said. The goal is for us to be saints. But we don’t do it alone; we do it with God’s help. “He has the power. With God, nothing is impossible. God is the one who lifts us up and sets us free,” he said, singing, “Jesus loves me, this I know for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong. They are weak, but he is strong.” The congregation joined him in singing, “Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so.”
He thanked Father Tim Plavac, St. Bede pastor, Deacon John Burke, Deacon Ken Knight and the parishioners for their efforts to deepen their faith in Christ and to share it through word and action.
“Thanks for your leadership in our community, It looks like you are doing a great job during very difficult times,” he said.