Dear Christ the King Parish,
Pope Leo XIV’s first words to the universal Church last year were: peace be with you all! I am not the pope (far from it, in fact) but I, too, would like to greet you—peace be with you all!
As I reflected on how I feel preparing to enter into this new role as Director of Evangelization & Youth Ministry, I found it difficult to name the feeling. I am excited; after graduating from Notre Dame and spending much-needed time at home and abroad, this is my next big step. I believe that following the will of God means giving him my “yes” to the next right thing, and this is my next right thing. I am nervous; I have always been a person who cares about the quality of my work, and I want to do good work here. And I am hopeful—for what the Lord will bring out of this next adventure. What new things will happen? In what ways will I grow, and change, and learn? How will we grow, and change, and learn together?
When I hold these emotions together, hopeful anticipation and an earnest desire to work hard and love well, I realize that peace is a joyful and honest greeting after all, because it is what I feel in my heart and what I want to give. This is my called and chosen mission field, and you are now my called and chosen people. Peace be with you!
In the liturgy of the word for this Sunday, God himself is the one who gives his children “good ground for hope.” This hope is what sustains us: hope that we, though mortal, sinful, and small, are promised eternal life with him through the forgiveness of our sins and the resurrection of our bodies. In this hope, the Spirit of God animates us and aids us; in this hope, the Son of Man sows good seed in us.
Good seed can only grow on good ground: while God always offers us the gift of himself, we must be receptive to his grace that transforms our lives. We must tend the soil of our souls to be soft and honest, to receive God’s grace that falls like rain and bear his fruit, to be part of a harvest full of plenty at the end of time. To make our garden grow, we have to be willing and able to open ourselves up to the possibility of newness: new life, new spirit, new blessing.
In the same way, I am opening myself up to this new possibility: to be a servant of the Bridegroom King here, at Christ the King. With a joyful and humble heart, I invite you to open yourself up to this new possibility, too! I am excited to see the fruit that will come from the seeds of love, faith, hope, and light our Gardener sows in us together. It is a dream come true to testify to Jesus for my job—and I would love to dream with you, too.
Let’s be good seed on good ground together.
Not for the last time—peace be with you!
Sofia Benigno
Director of Evangelization & Youth Ministry
Dear Christ the King Parish,
Pope Leo XIV’s first words to the universal Church last year were: peace be with you all! I am not the pope (far from it, in fact) but I, too, would like to greet you—peace be with you all!
As I reflected on how I feel preparing to enter into this new role as Director of Evangelization & Youth Ministry, I found it difficult to name the feeling. I am excited; after graduating from Notre Dame and spending much-needed time at home and abroad, this is my next big step. I believe that following the will of God means giving him my “yes” to the next right thing, and this is my next right thing. I am nervous; I have always been a person who cares about the quality of my work, and I want to do good work here. And I am hopeful—for what the Lord will bring out of this next adventure. What new things will happen? In what ways will I grow, and change, and learn? How will we grow, and change, and learn together?
When I hold these emotions together, hopeful anticipation and an earnest desire to work hard and love well, I realize that peace is a joyful and honest greeting after all, because it is what I feel in my heart and what I want to give. This is my called and chosen mission field, and you are now my called and chosen people. Peace be with you!
In the liturgy of the word for this Sunday, God himself is the one who gives his children “good ground for hope.” This hope is what sustains us: hope that we, though mortal, sinful, and small, are promised eternal life with him through the forgiveness of our sins and the resurrection of our bodies. In this hope, the Spirit of God animates us and aids us; in this hope, the Son of Man sows good seed in us.
Good seed can only grow on good ground: while God always offers us the gift of himself, we must be receptive to his grace that transforms our lives. We must tend the soil of our souls to be soft and honest, to receive God’s grace that falls like rain and bear his fruit, to be part of a harvest full of plenty at the end of time. To make our garden grow, we have to be willing and able to open ourselves up to the possibility of newness: new life, new spirit, new blessing.
In the same way, I am opening myself up to this new possibility: to be a servant of the Bridegroom King here, at Christ the King. With a joyful and humble heart, I invite you to open yourself up to this new possibility, too! I am excited to see the fruit that will come from the seeds of love, faith, hope, and light our Gardener sows in us together. It is a dream come true to testify to Jesus for my job—and I would love to dream with you, too.
Let’s be good seed on good ground together.
Not for the last time—peace be with you!
Sofia Benigno
Director of Evangelization & Youth Ministry
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