Supreme Chaplain's Monthly Challenge

January 2019

After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove.  And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." (Gospel for Jan. 13, Lk. 3:21-22)

Think about it. Do you really see yourself as a beloved son in whom your Heavenly Father is well pleased? To be honest, most men, including this archbishop, go through seasons when we don’t seem to sense that our father is well-pleased. Maybe we see ourselves as self-made men who don’t owe our father anything. Maybe we did not experience love from our dad, and the very idea of being beloved is ludicrous. Maybe instead of Jesus’ actual words, we hear, “This is my wayward son, in whom I am much disappointed.” Yet we know that we are baptized into Christ and share in his identity as the beloved son. Being beloved sons is the bedrock of our identity. The plain fact is that your heavenly Father is well-pleased with you.

Challenge by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori:

This month I challenge you to hear the Heavenly Father saying these words—“you are my beloved son”—personally to you, and reflect on your identity in him. I recommend that you do so, if possible, in Adoration. Secondly I challenge you to spend time with someone who loves you unconditionally.  Ask them why? Their answer should give you a small glimpse of God’s unconditional love for you.