V Encuentro Proceedings and Conclusions

46 | Proceedings and Conclusions of the V National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry SUMMARY OF HOMILIES AND KEYNOTE Friday Morning Prayer Homily – Most Rev. Michael Olson, Bishop of Fort Worth Bishop Olson presented Christ as the source of our encouragement, especially in the midst of suffering. According to Saint Paul, it is our obligation to encourage one another with authentic compassion. The First and Last Word has been spoken by God the Father, the Word made flesh, and through the action of the Holy Spirit, compassion is offered to us as grace. The Gospel of Matthew is filled with examples of God’s promise to be with us—from the announcement of the angel of the Lord to Joseph (Mt 1:23) to Jesus’ promise to be with his disciples until the end (Mt 28:20). Matthew the Apostle, himself, suffered discouragement and received encouragement through Christ’s call to follow. This invitation culminates with Matthew’s participation at Christ’s table. It is only in Matthew’s Gospel that the word church ( ekklesia ) is used when Jesus gives the keys of authority to Simon Peter and in the nurturing of disciples. “True encouragement comes to us in the fullness of the Gospel, that sin and death do not have the last word. True encouragement is that the last Word has been spoken by God the Father.” “The entire Church centered upon Christ is to offer accountability on these matters that affect our life of communion. It is an accountability that is just and merciful.” Keynote: By Word and Deed – Joseph Cardinal Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Newark Cardinal Tobin described the challenges of a multicultural Church through the lens of the mira- cle at Pentecost. For Cardinal Tobin, this miracle provides two facets for understanding our situ- ation today. First and foremost is the multiplicity of languages as thousands of people heard the Good News in their own language. The second facet, which is subtler than the first, is the unity that transcends culture. The same people who heard the Good News in different languages did not lose their identity in order to follow Jesus. Rather, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit forged a united community out of their diversity. This relationship with the Holy Spirit reveals a crucial question: Where is God opening a door? The sixteenth chapter of Acts illustrates the sensitivity needed in order to listen to the Spirit. Even in the midst of failure, such discouraging events can still be the work of the Spirit teaching us to go in another direction, just as Saint Paul discovered in his own limitations that God was opening a door for him. Irrespective of difficult circumstances, the Church cannot hide from her mission: to proclaim the Gospel to every creature and to bring everyone to the light of Christ. In Matthew chapter 10, Jesus implies that when it comes to missionary service, initiative must come first while resources will soon follow. Getting Involved