Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • April 12, 2024 7 228-539-9800 www.RiemannFamily.com Gulfport Pass Christian West Jackson County Biloxi Long Beach Hancock County Each of us through our Baptism are anointed in Him as “kings [and queens], priests, and prophets,” -- heirs of heaven and followers of Jesus Christ, and we are called to share the love of Christ with those we encounter. We are all called to bring glad tidings of the salvation offered through Jesus Christ to those who do not know Him, and we are called to share the joy we have found. This is not meant only for ordained clergy, but it is part of who we all are as disciples of Christ. When we bring others to Christ, especially when it leads them to Baptism, they will be anointed with the Oil of Catechumens, to bring them healing, to bring them peace, to bring them forgiveness, and to prepare them for the Easter Water, which will touch them and heal them of all their sins. Wow! It is really the gift of the oil of gladness that He gives us. The Lord calls us to be people who are joyful in the love of Jesus Christ! Our anointing is a call to the missionary joy that the Lord calls us to, strengthened by the Sacraments. The Lord Jesus calls us into ministry, He calls us to serve, and be open to the grace with which He wants to fill us up. Each of us receives that grace, all of us. It is the kind of anointing that touches the deepest part of us -- it is the indelible anointing of our hearts, our spirits, it is the anointing of the love of Jesus Christ in our lives. It enters into us so deeply that it is in our bones. He calls us to receive His joy, the kind of joy that can never be taken away -- never -- no matter what is going on. Part of the joy that we are given by Christ is connects us all. It is with each other as a community of believers that we really find where we belong. When we come together to worship, it makes a difference. We experienced at the begin- ning of the Covid pandemic what it was like to be sepa- rated from each other, from our parish families, from our priests, from celebrating Mass together as a com- munity. It helped us realize who we are, together, as a Church -- God loving us into being together and sharing in the blessing of being one in His love, sharing in the blessing of comfort with us together as Church, and especially hearing the call of that missionary joy which calls us to evangelize, to not just simply sit with what God has given us, but to share it with the world, to share it with our families, to live it with our community. My brothers and sisters in Christ, guard the joy the Lord has given you! Guard it in prayer, guard it in fidel- ity, guard it in obedience to the Lord. I am not just say- ing listen to your bishop now; I am saying listen to the Lord. And, I am asking you to please pray for our priests, support them, and help them to be able to listen to God in their lives, so that they may share what they hear with you, and you may share what you hear with them. We share in the love of Christ so that we may all together truly celebrate Jesus alive in our midst and the spirit of gladness that has been given to us! May the Lord keep us all in His charity and lead all of us, shepherds and flock, to eternal life. Amen. (The Chrism Mass, prayers from the Renewal of Priestly Promises, Roman Missal) SEE BISHOP’S COLUMN IN SPANISH, PAGE 4 Bishop’s Column From page 3 The Starfish Story -- There But For the Grace of God Go I Ministry ORIGINAL STORY BY: LOREN EISLEY One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked,” What are you doing?” The boy replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.” “Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!” After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said, “I made a difference for that one.” My brothers and sisters of the Diocese of Biloxi, my name is Ricky Molsbee and over the past year and a half I have tried to make a meager difference in peo- ple’s lives like this story. Our ministry, There But For the Grace of God Go I , hands out bags of food and clothes and toiletries to homeless and people in need on the sides of the road on the Gulf Coast and beyond. I can’t tell you how easy it is to think that you can’t make a change by doing the simplest acts of kindness, but you can. Every time we hand out bags or clothing to those in need you make a difference. Last year this ministry just grew from myself with parishioners from Holy Family donating to me to hand out to those in need. This year eight others from around the diocese have now joined to hand out to those in need. SEE STARFISH STORY, PAGE 9