Welcome Address - May 28, 2009

We Remember … We Celebrate … We Believe

Roger Napier and Shelley Stoeckl

Welcome to our 2009 Closing Celebration - We Remember, We Celebrate, We Believe. Thank you for coming to pray and celebrate with us.

Since our journey started four years ago with the Catholic Biblical Studies program, we have grown in our faith and as servants of God's messages.

Our four-year journey progressed day by day, month by month, year by year. We learned to 'peel the onion", layer by layer, opening the new layers of the stories and chapters. We learned and came to understand the mysteries of the Bible and the important part God plays in our lives and in the history of Israel.

We see blessings in biblical times and future times through what messages are written and the words God is speaking to us.

We read, we studied, we discussed, and our knowledge and our faith grew week by week. From Moses and the Exodus to the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, to the laments of Jeremiah and Job, to the wisdom of Solomon, through the Proverbs and the Psalms, we have had quite a journey.

Along the way, as we experienced the peeling away of all of these multiple layers, our faith in God blossomed and brought forth many blessings. And the fire still kindles … the mystery still unfolds.

When our journey started four years ago, like Samuel, we had heard the call and answered, "Here I am, Lord." We had no idea that the next four years would hold such a wealth of knowledge, understanding, enlightenment and bountiful blessings. Those blessings came with vigor, strength and success that brought us all peace in our own individual ways.

We embraced the Word of God as we left our comfort zones to follow God into the unknown. Yes, we listened, we read, we discussed, sometimes we even argued, then we read some more… and on occasion, we 'retrieved'. We use the fruits of our labors in many ways in our daily lives, in ministries to others, and we have become blessings to one another.

In God's dictionary, we are sure that if you look up the word 'blessing' you will find three very distinct pictures:

One is of Mary Denne, for the blessing she is to all of us as she answers our endless phone calls, emails, inquiries, book orders … and all those questions!

The second picture is of Fr. Paul Steller, for the blessing he is to us as we journey with him through the Gospels, as he enriches us with his passion for the Lord and with his poignant homilies.

The third picture is of Barbara Shanahan, who is truly a chosen one, who is doing exactly what God intended her to do, and who has touched and blessed us all with her knowledge, her caring and her love for the Bible and the Catholic Biblical Studies Program.

We thank you for the blessing that you are to all of us and to this program. Our hearts will remain full and we will remain forever blessed for this part of our faith journey and for all that the three of you have taught us.

When in Israel last year, we all marveled at how we would see a little green shoot growing out of an ancient dried stone wall. Those little green shoots are a lot like the word of God. They really don't need much room or much nourishment to grow - and grow they do.

Jesus said: "I am the light of the world."

Isaiah said: 60:19-20 "No longer shall the sun be your light by day, nor the brightness of the moon shine upon you at night; the Lord shall be your light forever, your God shall be your glory. No longer shall your sun go down or your moon withdraw, for the Lord will be your light forever."

That light will shine brightly… and warmly… before us and within us … forever. And what a blessing that is!

We will always remember the importance of knowing what the scriptures mean to us as individuals in our day to day lives. We will forever celebrate the bountiful blessings that we have received through this program and from one another. And we believe that our journey has not at all ended, but has really only just begun.

Isaiah was so right when he said: "The word of our God stands forever!"

Yes, the fire still kindles … and the mystery still unfolds. We remember, we celebrate, we believe!