A Radical Spirit of Faith

On the first Saturday of Easter, I was blessed to concelebrate and preach at my nephew Matthew Spizale’s wedding to Kylie Dold, April 7th at St. Mary Magdalen Church in Abbeville, Louisiana. In 35 years of celebrating marriages, I have never experienced such a vibrant Catholic community participating in the wedding ceremony. Every hymn was sung with gusto, every prayer response was spoken with clarity, every person was highly attentive to the Word and the Sacraments.

What made the difference? I believe that it has everything to do with Family Missions Company – the new, young, spirit-filled, lay missionary community attending the wedding of two of their members, Matthew and Kylie. To see so many young men and women, both singles and married couples, who have given themselves as well as their children to the service of the gospel of Jesus Christ is deeply moving and encouraging. In fact, the spirit in Family Missions Company makes me think of what the experience was of the early Church as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. I see a radical spirit of faith in FMC – that is to say, these missionaries reveal a great trust in what the Lord is doing among and through them. What it produces is one of the signs of the presence of the Holy Spirit – joy! Thank you, Family Missions Company, for renewing the Church and my own faith by your joyful, active surrender to God. God bless you all!