Angelus News | July 12, 2024 | Vol. 9 No. 14

NEW WORLD OF FAITH
ARCHBISHOP JOSÉ H. GOMEZ
Making this a more spiritual summer
For most of us, summer gives us
a chance to slow down a bit, it
gives us some time to enjoy the
fellowship of family and the beauty of
God’s creation.
It’s also a time when maybe we can do
a little more spiritual reading, and try to
renew and deepen our friendship with
Jesus.
Jesus wants to be with us, he wants to
be our friend, and he wants us to have
a life that is full of love and joy that will
lead us and our loved ones to heaven.
So, we want to work on that friendship,
we want to know him and love
him more and more. And the best way I
know to do that is through the Gospels
and the Eucharist.
If you find that you have more time in
these summer months, I encourage you
to try to make a special effort to meet
Jesus in the Eucharist and in the pages
of the Gospels.
Reading a passage of the Gospels every
day is a good habit to get into, and it
really helps us to grow in our love for
Jesus, and our understanding of his
teachings.
Some people like to read a little of
the Gospels every day, others read and
reflect on the Gospel passage that is
proclaimed in each daily Mass.
However you choose to read, make
sure you read with prayer. Simply ask
Jesus to speak to your heart through the
words on the page.
Jesus speaks to us directly in the pages
of the Gospels, just as he did to the first
disciples.
We read the Gospels to know what
Jesus teaches and what he promises, to
know why he came into the world, and
how he wants us to live.
More than that, when we read the
Gospels, we learn from his example —
how he treats people, how he responds
in different situations.
When we read every day, we become
companions of Jesus, fellow travelers.
We “see” what his first followers saw,
we “hear” his words as they did; we are
“witnesses” of his miracles.
But we need to remember when we
read the Gospels, that we’re not only
looking for information. We are seeking
transformation.
By meditating on Our Lord’s life and
words in the pages of the Gospels, we
are praying to become more and more
like him.
Jesus said, “Learn from me.” Reading
the Gospels a little every day is how we
learn.
We want to think like him and act
like him. We want to have the same
compassion, the same priorities and
attitudes.
The other way that we become more
like Jesus is through the mystery of the
Eucharist.
I’m looking forward to attending the
National Eucharistic Congress along
with many of you later this month.
As I said in my last column, we are
truly witnessing a Eucharistic revival in
our time. That is a beautiful thing, and
I am praying that it continues to grow
and spread.
For each of us, the Eucharist should
be our “daily bread” for the journey of
our life. The Sunday celebration of the
Eucharist should be the heart of our
lives as Christians.
We also need to make time to just
“be” with Jesus in his presence in the
Blessed Sacrament.
For many of us, it’s not possible or
practical to make visits during the week
to a church or chapel. But you can still
make great progress in your relationship
with Jesus if you get in the habit
of coming early to Mass and spending
time quietly in your pew praying before
the tabernacle.
The beautiful mystery is that Our
Lord is truly present with us in the
tabernacle, just as he was when he was
with his first disciples.
When you are in the Lord’s presence,
just talk to him, like a child talking to
your Father.
Adore him, thank him, tell him that
you love him. Tell him what you’re
worried about. Ask him to protect the
ones you love. Ask him for the strength
to follow him more closely.
But also take time to be silent, to just
“be” with Jesus. Let him speak to your
heart.
It takes practice to learn to be silent
with Our Lord. It’s not always easy to
settle your heart and mind. The only
We need to remember when we read the Gospels,
that we’re not only looking for information.
We are seeking transformation.
way we can learn is by just doing it.
Meeting Jesus in the Eucharist, we
want to be changed to be more like
him. We want to let him shape our lives
in his image, just as he changes the
bread and the wine.
So, two simple suggestions for you to
consider in these summer days.
Pray for me and I will pray for you.
And may Holy Mary our Blessed Mother
help all of us this summer to draw
closer to her Son.
July 12, 2024 • ANGELUS • 3