Brother Knights,
As we prepare to celebrate the Nativity of our Lord, I’d like to take a moment to thank all of you for your service to the council, the parish, your families, and the community at large.
Let’s briefly focus on one of the the principles of our Order, that of Fraternity. In the broad sense, I have seen how, through quiet personal example, Knights have encouraged each other to live the faith more boldly. On a more personal note, each of you in your own unique way has inspired me over the years to be a better Catholic, a better husband, and a better father. Without our shared faith, we’re nothing more than a charitable organization. Not that “just” being a charitable organization is bad, mind you, but the point is that it is through our shared faith in Jesus Christ and the Church he established, we can do the greatest of good for our fellow man… and for each other.
As we all know, our busy season is about to be upon us. Hoagies For Heaven will be starting in January with assembly and delivery the weekend of February 6-8. Ash Wednesday is February 18th with the fish fry kicking off February 20th. Then after a brief breather we’ll have Measure Up, and calls for the 4th Degree to provide honor guards for First Holy Communion and Sacrament of Confirmation Masses in May. The Bridgettine sisters will probably be calling for some help with the garden, too. Before we know it, we’ll have the parish festival and all of the parish anniversary celebrations this year.
With each of these events we have the opportunity to not just serve the parish and community, but also bond together in Fraternity. In the simple act of serving, we quietly inspire each other to be the Catholic men our families, our parish, and our community needs us to be. Serving together in these activities strengthens the bonds of Fraternity that are so crucial to spiritually strengthening us.
As the Jubilee Year of Hope draws to a close, let us be reminded that “the object of hope is a future good, difficult but possible to obtain” as St. Thomas Aquinas tells us. Being a perfect Catholic gentleman, whatever your state in life—husband, father, single, widowed, divorced—is difficult to obtain… but it is not impossible. Being a perfect Council of activities and active volunteers is difficult to obtain… but it is not impossible. Together, through the principle of Fraternity, I have hope that we can help each other on the path of becoming perfect Catholic gentlemen, and at the same time fulfill all that is asked of our Council.
May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ fill each of you and your families this Christmas season.
Vivat Jesu!