A Reflection from Our Pastor
My dear brothers and sisters. It is good to be here today. We celebrate the feast of our patron saint, San Luis Rey de Francia, and at the same time, the Rite of Installation of me, your server, as pastor of this parish by Bishop Felipe. Thank you, Your Excellency, for being with us today. That is why we rejoice tonight, but above all, we are grateful for God’s love, which has brought us to this day.
The Rite of Installation of a new pastor reminds us of an essential part of being a disciple: Disciples do not choose their path; they follow Christ wherever He leads them. I didn’t show up here at Mission San Luis Rey a month ago and claim the title of pastor. No, I was sent. I was commissioned, first by my Provincial Minister and then confirmed and approved by our Bishop Robert. A priest is sent and entrusted with the pastoral responsibilities of a parish, and it is during the rite of installation that the handing over of a small part of Christ’s Kingdom, the parish, to that priest takes place.
But this is not something that will happen to me only. We have been entrusted with a small part of the Kingdom of Jesus. For some of you, that is building the reign of God in your family, at work, or among the people you are friends with. For all of us, Christ has given us the responsibility and dignity of caring for and protecting His Kingdom in our hearts.
One of the ways we do this happens every Sunday when we profess our faith by praying the Creed. This evening, in a special way, all of us, together with me as the new pastor, will recite the Creed, professing individually and together as a community our common faith in Christ. By that profession, Bishop Felipe will officially ask me to assume the responsibilities of this parish with the heart of Christ. But every time we profess the Creed, every time we pray those words that billions of Christians have prayed over the centuries, each of us renews our commitment to God.
So maybe today is a good time to ask ourselves if God reigns over our hearts. Is God the Lord of our lives? And those He has entrusted to our care? If I were brought before a court and accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict me? If Jesus is truly “Christ” and “the Son of the Living God,” as we profess in the Creed, then He must be the only king of our lives.
My dear friends, our patron saint, San Luis Rey is for all of us a model of someone who allowed God to reign in his life and his decisions. He was a kind husband, father of eleven children, and friend of the poor. Contemporary witnesses confirm that his life was rooted in a devout life and daily participation in the Eucharist. As a son, husband, father, and ruler, his life was a combination of prayer and simplicity. His strong faith and good works were like the two arms with which he held on firmly to God. His love for God moved him to protect society’s weakest and most vulnerable. He often visited the sick and cared for them himself.
Our parish mission statement says, “In the Spirit of St. Francis, and as Catholics in a community of many cultures, we live the gospel of Jesus Christ. Strengthened by the Word and Sacraments, we welcome all into God’s inclusive love. We serve the poor, care for creation, and build a just and compassionate world.” In other words, like San Luis Rey, we prioritize our relationship with God and invite others to join us. In the first reading, Isaiah exhorts the Israelites and calls us out of a routine relationship with God. He invites us “to loose the bonds of wickedness… to give freedom to the broken, … to share your bread with the hungry; … then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and the glory of the Lord will follow you.” Jesus only amplifies this in this invitation to Christian love, a love like Christ’s: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind… (and) you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
What would our world, parish, ministries, and families look like if we loved like this? St. Louis the King offers us parental advice on how to do so. I would like to repeat to myself and to each one of you who are here today some of the words that he wrote to his son before he died: “Dearest son, I first instruct you that you must love God with all your heart and with all your strength because without this no one can be saved. Beware of all things that are displeasing to God. If God sends you any adversity, accept it with grace, giving thanks to Our Lord, and think that it has happened to you for your good… if God sends you prosperity, thank Him often, for it is for His goodness and not your merit… Have a compassionate heart for the unfortunate, the poor, and the tormented, and help and comfort them as best you can.”
These words and others that I have not mentioned remain a call to all of us to authentic discipleship. As a community of many cultures but one parish family, Mission San Luis Rey Parish has already begun to follow Christ as disciples and stewards. Now our Lord comes to us again today, inviting us to commit ourselves fully to following Him. Jesus asks me, as your new pastor, for trust, courage, and prayer to continue God’s mission in this parish. But I cannot do this alone; I need all your commitment and cooperation.
I pray that all of you will work with me, Fr. Joe, and Fr. More in seeking to be intentional disciples of the Lord and generous stewards of the gifts entrusted to us for the growth of the Church in our journey together. Therefore, dear parishioners of Mission San Luis Rey, I invite you to strive for holiness and to work and pray with me. Let us walk together, we are all sisters and brothers, we are one family, one parish. Let us ask God through the intercession of St. Louis the King that we may all support, help, and pray for one another and, above all, love one another as Jesus calls us to love one another. May God grant us this grace. Amen.
Fr. Lalo Jara, OFM Pastor, Mission San Luis Rey Parish
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