Father David’s Letter
Dear St. Mary Parish Family,
“There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.” – Acts 4:12(spoken by Peter)
Perhaps most of us as lifelong Christians take this statement for granted and as a given. “Jesus is the one and only savior of the world” most of us would admit and confess. But think for a moment about the profound implication of that statement. Jesus is the ONLY savior. There is NO OTHER name by which anyone can be saved. No other person can be a savior, in the sense of bringing eternal life. That authority and power belongs to Jesus alone. Period!
Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter made that proclamation to the leaders and elders of the people. He knew they would not accept this truth, considering they had conspired to put Jesus to death, but he needed to say it anyway. The truth needed to be told to them plainly, so they could then have the choice to accept or reject it. Most of them would reject it. Thus the prophetic fulfillment of “He is the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.” They missed the opportunity for their salvation, but Peter nevertheless merited the reward of helping to bring about their salvation because he gave them the chance to accept it.
Having the chance to accept and follow Jesus has been the driving force of the Church’s consistent missionary work. From the Apostles to our own time, Jesus’ disciples, including you and me, are called to be the voice of that proclamation. Many missionaries who brought Jesus to unknown and often far off lands would be killed in their efforts to bring various peoples to salvation in Christ. One group that comes to mind from our own country is the well-known North American Martyrs from the early 1600’s. These French Jesuit priests and laypeople labored tirelessly and courageously among many native tribes, sometimes facing excruciating pain, torture, and death, with the desire of bringing souls to Christ. They would indeed witness thousands of natives converting to Christ, but at the cost of their lives. Yet, that cost would be worth it, for the sake of those people who did accept and follow the Savior.
The truth of Jesus as Universal Savior is as critical in our time as it has ever been. Increasing secularism and religious indifference have led countless souls away from the One who can actually help them find eternal life. Many people think that Jesus isn’t the only savior, that all religions can be a path to salvation. While the Church teaches there are elements of truth in most authentic religions, there is only One who can save. Also, many people today believe that we just basically need to be “good” to get to heaven, apart from any dogmatic or religious beliefs or affiliations. The problem with this vague thinking is how do we know how to be good, and where do we learn it from? What norms do we accept for goodness that could be considered apart from the One who is Good? In the end many people practically speaking, if not actually in words, are living as if they can save themselves. That is the bottom line; make your own rules, live by your own code, do it your way, and you will get to heaven if you worked hard and did some good things in this world and were generally nice to people. But if that were the case, why would we need Jesus?
The universal message of Jesus as the One Savior of mankind is needed today more than ever, and each of us is called to herald that message, no matter the cost. Will we do it?
Happy Easter!
Fr. David
If you still feel uncomfortable to attend Mass, the weekend Mass is still available on St. Mary’s Facebook page.
Here is the link to Spiritual Communion and Chaplet of the Blessed Sacrament: https://www.virgosacrata.com/spiritual-communion.html
