 My name is Monsignor Frank Bagnano. I'm pastor of Christ the King Parish in Des Moines, Iowa, and very honored to be asked to be the principal celebrant today with all my brother priests. It's great to have all of us together to celebrate this holy mass with everyone here. We've just heard the word of God, and so let's take a moment. It's written by the Holy Spirit through human authors. And human authors are gone, but not the Holy Spirit who wrote all this. So let's take a moment and ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten our minds and hearts as we reflect upon the scriptures. Let us pray. The gospel talks about the many signs and wonders Jesus did in some of these towns. Actually, it's not recorded except right here. He must have done hundreds of marvelous works for people, not only these towns, but other towns. But the point of the scripture is that it's like a mirror. The Bible's like a mirror of our own lives that he continues to do that, to do his signs and wonders among us. The unfortunate thing was that these people, many of them, some probably did, but most of them weren't open. They were too busy. Capernaum was supposed to be a very wealthy town as I understand it. They had a lot to do. And yeah, Jesus did a few nice things, some miraculous things, okay, but I don't have time right now, maybe some other time. They were too occupied. What they lacked was faith. Faith. Faith is often translated in the scriptures, it's described in the scriptures. It's a commitment of trust. Commitment of trust, a personal commitment of trust. It's not just simply believing articles of faith, which is part of it. But as a result of the articles of faith, I have to decide, am I going to trust him? Do I trust what he's going to do? It's not just a one-time deal, it creates a relationship. When I make my commitment of trust, something wonderful happens. I become alive because I have this growing relationship with Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit. God is my father. I'm growing a relationship of trust, a committal, a committal, a commitment of trust. That's one of the great definitions in the scriptures of what it means by having faith. And what's more is that, I don't, St. Francis of the Sales wrote a beautiful treatise called The Treatise on Divine Love. I don't know if you ever heard of it or not. Easy to read. It's a wonderful treatise. He dissects the love of God, what it is. And one of his description is that, for each one of us, it's like a stream coming gently down a mountainside to you or to me. A beautiful stream he's had in mind all of eternity. And that stream is a stream of his love. He's reaching out. He's saying, can we have a relationship? Will you trust me? Will you believe in me? And DeSales says that we respond in different ways. Some people are wide open. Oh, come on, come on, I want all that grace. I want that life, come on. Yes, I have only one answer, yes. Other people, I'm not too sure. Maybe later, maybe a little bit. And some people just say, no, I don't think so. I appreciate the offer, but no. So DeSales says that he is enticing us, that he is trying to invite us to this relationship. And now here's the good news, that we still, we have the signs. He says he works signs and wonders in their midst. You know what? He hasn't stopped doing it. We know the great signs and wonders he gives us which require faith and trust, the sacraments. The greatest of which is the Holy Eucharist. And what's he doing? He's saying, look, I love you so much. I'm gonna give you my body and blood. Take and drink it. Take and eat my body. I give you myself. I'm making a commitment to you. And because it's a covenant, goes two ways. Okay, me too. Deal me in, Lord. Deal me in. I'm making a commitment to you too. I'm doing it. And when we sing that great amen, I'm there. That's a commitment. And then when I receive him in the Eucharist, now comes the power to trust his providence. Now I know he's working it. He is working it. Right after Mass, as I'm driving away in my car, in the kitchen, outside on the lawn, down at the shopping mall, he's working it with his providence. It's, the stream is coming. It may be a joy, it may be a little miracle, maybe a prayer I've been praying for a long time got answered. Lord, thank you, I trust you. He's working it. Maybe it's a disappointment, but it's in his providence. It's coming. I trust you. I don't want this, but I trust you. I want it if you want it. I trust your providence. So the moral of the story is he's still working him, still doing his miracles. Yep, the biggest one right here. And through the other sacraments, but he never stops. The hundreds of miracles he's doing in our lives. And it's up to us, my response, do I trust him? Am I making a commitment of trust? Yes, I trust you, Lord. Boy, when I say that, the stream just pours into my life. So we praise and thank the Lord for that. For all the ways that he is reaching out. He just can't keep himself back. He just can't resist us. He keeps reaching out and hoping that you and I will make that commitment of trust.