As a part of our current message series on “Life with Family”, we’ve acknowledged that families come in many different shapes and sizes. They are continuously changing as seasons of life unfold. Even nuclear families change as kids get older, go off to college, and, eventually, leave the nest to start their own families.
Increasingly, we also use the term ‘family’ to describe communities that come together over a shared interest or passion. Enthusiasts describe members of their workout group, book club, or even their favorite sports team as their “brothers and sisters.” These communities support each other and come together to celebrate shared wins. Bonds develop over common experiences and mutual hardships.
If these communities can be families, how much more so is our faith community? Faith is more than just an interest or passion. It is the bedrock of our lives. It is at the heart of everything else we do. Our faith empowers us to form communities where broken lives are restored.
A family of faith transcends interests or circumstances. Anyone can share in faith regardless of background, race, or social status. This is especially true in our city of Baltimore where Mass is celebrated in innumerably different diverse languages and worship styles.
This weekend, our parish is coming together to support our larger family in faith. The Annual Appeal for Catholic Ministries supports many different ministries of the Archdiocese: Catholic Charities, Catholic education, youth ministry, college campus ministry, Hispanic ministry, prison ministry, Respect Life, and so many other important programs and services. Each of these services is beyond the scope of any single parish. They can only be provided when we come together as a larger family in faith.
Nativity is already heavily invested in the work of healing our city. But there’s more to do. Join our family of faith in supporting this year’s Appeal.
More information on the Appeal including specific uses of funds can be found at: https://www.archbalt.org/appeal/
