If you live in the Easton area, you probably know about the ministry of My Brother's Keeper. Still, you may not know how this ministry - which brings food, furniture, and hope to thousands of people in the area - was started, in prayer, by a local couple who were just living ordinary lives, until they had two extraordinary experiences...
The first experience came at a Cursillo Christian renewal retreat sponsored by the Holy Cross Fathers in Easton. At this retreat, the couple's faith was rekindled, and they came away with a burning desire to serve others in God’s name.
The second experience came on March 21, 1988, when Jim and Terry were flipping channels and settled on the Sunday night movie God Bless the Child. Watching this powerful portrayal of a mother and daughter struggling desperately with homelessness, Jim and Terry Orcutt knew that God was calling them to act.
Following a most serious conversation, Jim and Terry held hands before a cross and prayed, asking God to help those who are lost and hurting. That's how My Brother's Keeper began. Since then, over 4,000 volunteers have joined them in efforts to bring the love and hope of Jesus to the people they serve.
I was inspired when Jim shared this story and told me how they spent five years preparing his successor so that the ministry would continue without them.
In today’s first reading, we read how David prepared his son Solomon to lead Israel. In the gospel, Jesus prepared His disciples to carry on His ministry.
For any organization or mission to survive and flourish, leaders must be prepared. David tells his son and successor to "keep the mandate of the Lord, your God, following his ways and observing his statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees as they are written in the law of Moses."
Because Solomon failed to follow his father’s advice, his kingdom was divided.
When the apostles stayed faithful to Jesus’ instructions, the Church flourished and today is the single most effective force for good in the world.
The Mission of the Twelve in Luke, gives us a clear example on relying on the Lord and following His word. This involves a decision to trust in God despite our human fears and anxieties.
He summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases,
and he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal [the sick].
He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic.
Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.
And as for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.”
Then they set out and went from village to village proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.
Like ministries, kingdoms, and churches, each family is responsible for preparing the next generation for the challenges they will face. Let’s teach them to "keep the mandates of the Lord," follow the instructions of Jesus, and respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Father Pinto's inspirational homily was recorded live this morning during Mass at the Father Peyton Center. Please view the video on our Facebook page. (You don't need a Facebook account to view.)
Father Pinto Paul C.S.C., ordained a priest in the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1999, worked with tribal populations in northeast India as a missionary for ten years. In 2010 he came to the US for further studies. While working as a campus minister at Stonehill College, he assisted pastors in local parishes, led seminars and workshops for teachers and students in the US and earned a master’s degree in Educational Administration from Boston College and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Lesley University, Cambridge. He is currently working as the International Director of the Boston-based Holy Cross Family Ministries with missions in 18 countries.
.jpg "Father Pinto Paul, C.S.C.")