A Letter of Love
The second reading today is the beginning of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians. It is a warm and loving passage of scripture. Paul, who often sounds demanding and reprimanding in his letters, is writing a letter steeped in his love for the people. His words are of encouragement and gratitude. This is a letter that would warm the heart of the discouraged, giving hope and consolation to those who feared.
At Paul’s time, letters served as the connection between the Disciples and the villages and towns where the Christian communities were taking their first tentative steps. It could be many months between the meeting of the people with the disciples. The letters served to join their hearts, give encouragement, and give direction when their faith faltered.
Today, with great humility, I will rewrite the letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians and address it to you, our community of Sacred Heart. As in Paul’s time, it has been many months since we have seen many of you, we miss you, so we write to you, our community of faith, at Sacred Heart.
From your Pastor Father Jerry, Father Mario, Karen, Brent, Dani, Rita, Carmen, Rory, Becky, Doug, and Gwen to the Church Community of the Sacred Heart in Punta Gorda, Florida.
We write to you today with hearts overflowing with love and thanksgiving for the ways you have responded to the call of God’s love in your lives. We miss you and love you and look forward to the day when we will see your faces smiling again in our Church. We look forward to sharing our love in person with tears of joys, arms open to embrace, and a kiss of peace to welcome you home.
In these months we have been apart, our hearts have ached for your presence. We know many of you are and have suffered sickness and even death. You have been surrounded in the love of God, and yet we know many of you hurt. You bear the pain of loss, loneliness, and depression. You fear the future, and your hearts pound with anxiety. We know your fear is made worse because there is no boundary in sight, and you cannot see the end of this tunnel of separation.
Take heart, dear ones, we know your pain, and we bring you before our Lord Most High daily in our prayer. We place you in His loving arms and ask Him to watch over you and all those you love. We pray that you never doubt our love for you.
We miss you. Our hearts and our Church feel vacant without you. Every day’s regular activity has slowed, and we long for the time when we will gather freely again. We miss the meetings and schedules, the music, the ministry you do for others in the community, and our Church filled to overflowing with you, our faith community.
In fidelity to the Gospel of Jesus, we know many of you continue to reach out in love to others. You help provide food and the basic necessities to those in need. You call neighbors to ensure they are doing well and asking if they need your assistance. You continue to support us with your prayer and your financial sacrifices. We are brimming with gratitude. Know your blessings are mounting in heaven, and our Good and Glorious God sees your visible and secret actions done in His Holy Name.
Brothers and Sisters, never doubt you are loved by God, that you are His Chosen. Our Gospel did not come to you in word alone. It also came in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction. Be strong in faith. Pray for us as we pray for you. God is with us; we know because He promised it would be so. And God keeps His word.
Amen. Amen we say to you. You are loved.
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In God’s Unending Love,
Gwen
