GIVING BACK to GOD
Dear Parishioners,
We continue our St. Isidore Grow Where You Are Planted Capital Campaign to do a much-
needed restoration of our church exterior and to begin raising money toward the building of a new
school building for Our Lady Help of Christians Academy. Last weekend, we focused on the
importance of acknowledging God’s gifts and being grateful. This is one of our important duties as
children of God. This weekend, we want to focus on the importance of giving back to God.
This life is a contest of love between us and God. God goes first, by loving us into existence, by
giving us our life, our parents, our extended family, our country, our body and our soul. God also
goes second, by sustaining us each day, by calling us to eternal happiness with Him, by paying for
our sins though we were the ones who sinned against Him, by feeding us on His own Body and
Blood.
Since God has first loved us, says St. John (1 Jn. 4:19), let us love Him in return! We must accept
the contest of love by seeking to return love for love, by giving back to God for all that He has
done for us. “What return shall I make to the Lord for all He has given me?”, says the priest during
the Mass when he takes up the chalice.
The first and primary thing that God wants is ourselves, that we give ourselves completely over to
Him, that we love Him above all things, more than ourselves, more than our families, more than
our possessions. But for those who love God intensely, that is not enough. They are always
looking for ways to give to God. We know that God is very competitive in this contest. As soon as
we make a great gift to Him, He follows with something even greater. He never allows Himself to
be outdone in generosity. Our capital campaign is just one of many ways for us to give back to
God in this life, by contributing to the repair of His house and the furthering of Catholic education.
May God reward your generosity towards Him by leading you to eternal life.
Fr. Paul Robinson, SSPX
Prior
Chris and Janel Ballard – Chris and Genina Beattie – Jim and Marise Gerrity
Chairpersons
