Today (August 13) se commemorate the second anniversary of the death of Archbishop Henryk Hoser, the first Apostolic Visitor with a special role for the parish of Medjugorje.
“As a thank you to the Lord for his life and activity here in Medjugorje, we remember him in this Eucharist,” said parish priest Fr. Zvonimir Pavičić, at the beginning of the Holy Mass for Msgr. Hoser. The memorial mass for his predecessor was celebrated by the current Apostolic Visitor with a special role for the parish of Medjugorje, Archbishop Aldo Cavalli, who was concelebrated by the parish priest of Medjugorje, Fr. Zenon Hanas and 64 other priests.
“I believe in the communion of saints”, Archbishop Cavalli said at the beginning of his homily, and then explained what the communion of saints is.
“Those who died are saints, because they are united with the Holy One, Jesus, the genuine and only saint. In the celebration of Holy Mass, we become saints by uniting ourselves with Jesus, the genuine and only saint.
We and them, in the Eucharist, are united in the one Lord, Jesus. This is the communion of saints.
That is why today we unite in Jesus with Bishop Hoser, my predecessor, who lives in the Lord Jesus. Here we pray for him and he prays for us. We are in the communion in Jesus, the communion of saints,” said Archbishop Cavalli, and in his homily he also spoke about the Holy Mass readings, especially referring to today’s Gospel fragment in which Jesus stretched out his hand towards Peter who was sinking in the lake, seized him and said to him: “Man of a little faith, why did you doubt?” and explained that faith means having security.
Faith means having the certainty that the Lord Jesus always saves me because he loves me. Faith means having the certainty that Jesus never leaves me. Faith means having the assurance that the Lord sees my life in perspective. Faith means having the certainty that Jesus has filled me with gifts and talents. Faith means having the certainty that Jesus wants me to develop the gifts and talents He has given me. Faith means the certainty that the community in which I live is His Church, which He loves and which I must love”, said Archbishop Cavalli and once again asked: “Man of a little faith, why did you doubt?”. Concluding his homily, Archbishop Cavalli said that St. Paul summed it all up in three sentences: “Salvation is obtained by grace. Forgiveness of sins is only through faith in Jesus. God’s judgment is according to the deeds we do.”
