What an exciting time that this is for the Diocese of Knoxville and thus for the the local Church such as ourself.
We are in the midst of a diocese which is flourishing. We can see this through the many priests of our diocese, to the people who are served through the mobile clinic, to those assisted by Catholic Charities, to those educated within Catholic schools such as our own.
As we know the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus will soon be dedicated on March 3rd. This new Cathedral will stand as the mother Church for our diocese. GK Chesterton remarked concerning a cathedral: “A Christian cathedral was more than an aspiration, it was a proclamation. It was not addressed only to the ultimate reality above us all; it was also addressed, in a very definite and very detailed way, to us also; that is, to the ordinary, emotional and exasperated race of men.”
Thus the cathedral serves as a teaching reality of our faith which is to cause our heart and soul to be brought into relationship with God. From the verse of our Responsorial Psalm: “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” An encounter with Christ should cause a response to take place on our behalf.
As a church we cannot hear this voice and not respond unto it. The Diocese of Knoxville is flourishing because so many have opened their heart to hearing the voice of God and thus have responded to this voice. Thus next Sunday we will undergo the annual bishop’s appeal which calls us to assist the Diocese of Knoxville with its many needs. We are called to support our local parish, but we must also see the importance of supporting the diocese in its efforts of spreading the Good News of the Gospel message.
In our Gospel Jesus rebukes the man with an unclean spirit. He commands Him to be quiet. May we to be quiet and allow ourself to hear God’s voice and to respond to this voice. We do this when we see someone who is in need and give them assistance. We do this when we acknowledge the needs of our parish community and assist with its financial needs. We do this when we see the needs of our diocese which is flourishing through its ministries which are abundant and assist in those efforts.
