Being a Christian is more than attending Mass

Dear Holy Trinity Church Family,

It is always wonderful to see you participating in the various pastoral activities offered by our parish. Attending Mass, receiving the Sacrament of Confession, having our children baptized, preparing our children through various faith formation programs, and participating in OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) are all expressions of our commitment to the Lord and our faith in Him. Yet, is this enough for us to be truly called Christians?

We must conduct a sincere examination of conscience to discover—or rediscover—our calling to the Christian life, which consists of following Jesus Christ not only within the Church but also outside its walls. In the Gospel of Saint Matthew, the Lord Jesus tells us:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’ Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock” (Matthew 7:21–24).

This raises an important question: Where does our commitment to the Lord truly lie? Christ calls us to follow Him by taking up our own crosses (cf. Matthew 16:24). Are we taking up our crosses and following the Lord? Are we the same people inside the Church as we are outside its walls?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), in paragraph 1324, states: “The Eucharist is ‘the source and summit of the Christian life’ (LG 11). The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it.” It continues: “For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch” (PO 5).

This means that every time we celebrate the sacraments—especially the Eucharist—we unite ourselves with Christ and enter into communion with Him. This communion should transform our lives and lead us to bear authentic witness to our faith, publicly demonstrating that we are disciples of Christ. Such a witness allows us to stand confidently before the Lord, trusting in His promise to acknowledge those who acknowledge Him before others. As Jesus tells His disciples in the Gospel of Saint Luke: “I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God” (Luke 12:8).

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, let us allow ourselves to be transformed by Christ. Being a disciple of Christ is not merely a matter of attending Mass; it is about allowing the Lord Jesus to change our lives. We come to Mass not only to receive God’s love but also to learn how to share it. May every Eucharistic celebration send us out into the world with renewed hearts, ready to make Christ present through our words and actions.

Remember, The Parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build!
God bless you, and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always.

Fr. Jorge Ramirez

Holy Trinity Church… 165 Evangelizing!