The Faithful Apostles of Christ, those who have donated to Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland, for at least a dozen years, were invited to the annual Mass of thanksgiving at noon Aug. 20 at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. Bishop Edward Malesic celebrated the Mass for the intentions of the group, which was organized in 2018.
The bishop congratulated them for their generosity and commitment to the work of Catholic Charities.
“All of you give out of love. That is what’s at the heart of Catholic Charities and what Jesus talks about in today’s Gospel,” Bishop Malesic said. “Love is more than romance, which comes and goes. The best example of love is at the foot of the cross.”
The bishop said as Catholics, we are charged to love all with our whole being – body, mind and spirit. “The celebration of the Mass is about love,” he added, noting it commemorates Christ’s supreme sacrifice for our salvation.
“Jesus gives himself to us – body and soul. We need to give ourselves to him in return. Jesus said we must love our neighbor, even those we don’t particularly care about,” he said, adding, that includes our enemies. “We’re made in that image of love.”
Bishop Malesic asked the congregation how much of ourselves do we give to God and how much do we give to others? He said we should be inspired by Ruth in the first reading, who cared selflessly for her widowed mother-in-law Naomi and was rewarded with God’s love.
In the day’s Gospel from St. Matthew, Jesus reminds us that the greatest commandment is “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
“If we give ourselves 100% to God, we become saints,” the bishop said.
After Mass, the bishop chatted with group members and posed for photos.