January 24, 2025

Do you ever wonder why fellowship is so important for people of faith? 

There is an old story about an old priest and young priest sitting together in front of a fireplace. The young priest asked the old priest, his mentor, the same question. 

The old priest got up and got a poker for the fireplace. Taking a small piece of wood that had been burning, he placed it by itself. It didn’t take long for this small piece of wood to go cold without the fuel from the rest of the wood. 

“Faith is like this ember,” the old priest said. “As people of faith, we must commune with each other in order to keep our spirituality alive. Without each other, our faith grows cold.” 

Fellowship is an important part of living our Catholic faith. We are not meant to go through life alone! Relationships are one of the most important things in our lives. And it’s our relationships with other Christians that are especially important. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. This is a special distinction that goes beyond friendship. The bonds that believers develop is a level of closeness that is more than a typical friendship. It’s biblical fellowship. 

There is comfort in knowing we aren’t meant to navigate life alone. Jesus made it clear that we need the love and support of other Christians in all seasons of life. That is how we keep our faith alive. 

This is also why Sunday Mass at Mercy Home is such a vital part of the Chicagoland community of faith, especially in these modern times when more people report feeling disconnected from others than ever before. Through our broadcast, those who are ailing or homebound are able to share in worship with one another right in their own living rooms. Every week, we make up a group of tens of thousands. How blessed we are and what an amazing source of prayer and spiritual comfort we can provide for one another! 

So, as you share in our worship this month, I pray you think about the thousands of others who are with you in song and prayer. Their spiritual support is a blessing in your life, just as yours is a blessing in theirs. May God bless you this month!