‘God walks with us and loves us’
BELMONT — After 13 years as pastor of Queen of the Apostles Church in Belmont, Father Frank Cancro retired July 20.
Father Cancro, a priest for nearly 40 years, reflected on his time at the parish and put together a list of three things that he wanted to emphasize to parishioners during his last Masses July 19: “The things I believe are the hardest to lay claim to.
Three important things that people of faith should always be reminded of,” he said in his homily. “The first is: Do not be afraid.”
That is the phrase Jesus says most frequently in the New Testament, he explained. Fear is at the heart of a lot of our human activity. Fear can control some of the aspects of our life and living.
“We don’t take steps forward in our call in life because we’re afraid of what it might mean for us and what others might think about it,” he said. “If we trust God enough, we can trust ourselves enough not to be afraid.”
The second important truth to reflect on and remember is that as disciples of Jesus, we are people on the move, he said.
“We are pilgrims on a journey – always about something dynamic and active. We are promised that we are never alone. Our pilgrimage is always companioned by the presence of God. God walks with us.”
The third important element that we need to recall and celebrate is that God loves you, he told parishioners.
“In almost 40 years of priesthood, that has been the hardest lesson to teach people. Because we think somehow that God’s love is qualified in one way or another for us,” he said. “There is nothing that we can ever do that will ever keep God from loving us. Even when we have chosen not to love God, purposefully, God still loves us.”
— Catholic News Herald