Introduction to the Celebration
We can gather here because each of us has heard, in some way
or another, the divine invitation to become beloved daughters and son of the
Father. The Spirit has moved our hearts to set out to follow the Lord, and we
have started on a journey towards the Father in the way we live our lives.
However, as we gather today to celebrate this journey, we are also conscious
that we often fail to live life in accordance with this invitation. The gospel
recalls Jesus seeing a poor widow in the temple treasury and his way of looking
at this woman is a challenge to all of us who accept his invitation to follow
him.