VictoriaAdvocate.com • Saturday, March 20, 2021 FAITHA4

JIMGRAFF

LIFE AT ITS BEST

BREAD CRUMBS

VERSE OF THE DAY

SATURDAY SERMON

The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment.— Proverbs 10:21

Source: verseoftheday.com

ANDREWSCHROER

BREAD CRUMBS

MIKE HURTSATURDAY SERMON

Do you ever read something in the Bible that you can 100% re-late to? For me, one of those pas-sages is Romans 7:21-25. In this passage we see Paul struggling with sin. While I don’t know the details of what Paul was fighting against, I can relate to the battle. You probably can, too.

“So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretch-ed man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord,” Romans 7:21-25.

At first glance, this passage seems to be full of bad news. There is a war. It is waging in your heart, mind and life. To survive and to win the war, you need a rescuer. Yes, this seems like a passage

that is full of bad news, but it is full of good news. Need a little good news? Here it is: Perfec-tion is impossible, but victory is possible. Everybody take a deep breath and stop faking it. You are not perfect. I’m not perfect. None of us are perfect. Even for the most committed Christ-follower,

The struggle is real

SEE STRUGGLE, A5

In the 2007 Disney Movie “Meet the Robinsons,” a Tyran-nosaurus Rex which had been brought from the past by the evil villain, Bowler Hat Guy, angri-ly chased the young, aspiring inventor Wilbur Robinson. It trapped the boy in a corner, but no matter what it tried, it could not grab him.

“What’s going on?” Bowler Hat Guy yelled at the dinosaur. “Why aren’t you seizing the boy?”

“I have a big head and little

arms,” panned the cartoon dino-saur. “I’m just not sure how well this plan was thought through.”

An adult T-Rex could grow to be over 40 feet tall. With a mas-sive head and car-crushing jaws,

it was an apex predator. Its tiny arms, however, meant that some

prey would always be just out of its reach.

Our God doesn’t have that problem.

The Prophet Isaiah reminds us, “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save,” Isaiah 59:1. Sometimes we forget that. Sometimes we see all the pains and problems and pandemics that surround us and we worry. We fret. We feel like there is no

The long arms of God’s love

SEE LOVE, A5

In 1917, a convention was called in Petrograd, Russia. That city today is Saint Petersburg. It’s the second-larg-est city in Russia. This convention was

for the gathering of orthodox priests from all over Russia.

And gathered they did. More than 100 million people came together to worship in the name of Jesus most Sundays in the grand edifices across Russia. So much so, that they nicknamed Russia, “Holy Russia.”

The first two days of this particular convention in Petrograd, the priest discussed the liturgy of their faith. Or-thodox services are filled with liturgy rooted in God’s word. They agreed on any adjustment that needed to be made to the wording. The priest also discussed the color of their vestments worn for different seasons and occa-sions. Colors, icons and pictures are a significant part of orthodox Christian-ity. They wanted to be unified in their service as priests.

However, while these priests were meeting, another group of radicals were meeting just six blocks away. They were known as the Bolsheviks.

They were preparing to call their fellow citizens to a different form of government that would dismiss God’s name and ways from public life.

They succeeded in their mission in 1918. And they continued in that mission successfully in many other nations of the world during the last century.

That’s a sobering story and one we should take to heart. We’ve seen darkness invade our nation, but God’s promise is that his light can overcome.

Paul tells us, “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Wake up means to emerge from a state where we are present but not present.

God needs His church to be fully present. He needs us to stand against what brings bondage and stand for what brings blessing to our world. Paul gives us three ways to do that.

Live carefully“Be very careful, then, how you live,”

Ephesians 5:15.God’s people are called, not just to

learn his values and truth but to live them. What are we allowing our hearts to love and our eyes to look at? Are we filling our spirit with his presence or doubt, fear, worry or pleasure? God has given us wonderful churches not to entertain but to equip us to be light to our world.

Live wisely“... not as unwise but as wise,” Ephe-

sians 5:15.Wisdom is the application of knowl-

edge. Proverbs says when we get God’s wisdom, we love life. The most important thing we do is find and follow God’s wisdom, and then model and help others find it too, so they experience the abundant life God has.

Live purposefully“Therefore do not be foolish, but

understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead be filled with the Spirit,” Ephesians 5:17-18.

Living under the influence of the Holy Spirit enables us to live out our personal purpose, and leads to a destiny greater than what we’d imagine. He gives us his plan and the power to carry it out.

Let’s be at our best as his church and help each other shine on.

Jim Graff is the senior pastor of Faith Family Church in Victoria. Visit myffc.com.

LIFE AT ITS BEST

God’s light can overcome

BY ELENA ANITA WATTSEWATTS@VICAD.COM

Two priests have been se-lected to fill the large shoes left by the Most Rev. Gary Janak who was recently ap-

pointed an auxiliary bishop for the Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio.

“Both of them are in their early 50s, and developmental-ly, at good ages for increased responsibility,” said the Most Rev. Brendan Cahill, bishop for the Catholic Diocese of Victoria. “Both have done well at what was asked of them in their par-ishes.”

Cahill appointed the Very Rev. Kirby Hlavaty, pastor of As-sumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Ganado, the new rector of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Victory (OLV) in Victoria effec-

tive May 3. He also will serve as the new executive director of the Emmaus Center.

The Very Rev. Matthew Hue-hlefeld, pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Yoakum and its mission, St. Ann’s in Hoch-heim, and judicial vicar of the Diocese of Victoria, was appoint-ed chancellor. His new role will begin April 6.

“I’m excited but also appre-hensive or hesitant. It’s not of-ten you follow a bishop. Pastors usually replace other pastors,” Hlavaty said. “It’s a little daunt-ing. Bishop Gary Janak has done such a tremendous job in the diocese. Obviously, he was recognized at both the parish and diocese levels and even by Rome by his elevation to bishop. Those are big shoes to fill.”

Hlavaty is returning to OLV af-

ter more than 20 years. His first assignment after his ordination in 1999 was as associate pastor for the cathedral. He spent three years there.

Hlavaty appreciates the diver-sity of the OLV parish, its huge religious education program and the vibrant OLV Catho-lic School associated with the church. He also appreciates the congregation’s outreach efforts.

“They have great outreach to the community through St. Vincent de Paul,” he said. “The actively dynamic parish doesn’t forget the poor.”

Hlavaty also will oversee the Emmaus Center where he has worked as a spiritual director for about five years. The center offers two tracks — licensed

FAITH

POSITIONS FILLED

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOThe Very Rev. Kirby Hlavaty was named rector of Our Lady of Victory Cathedral in Victoria.

ADVOCATE FILE PHOTOThe Very Rev. Matthew Huehlefeld was named chancellor in addition to his other duties with the Catholic Diocese of Victoria.

EMREE WEAVER/EWEAVER@VICAD.COMStained-glass windows cast light patterns inside the chapel at the Catholic Diocese of Victoria chancery office.

THE VERY REV. KIRBY HLAVATYAfter his initiation at Our Lady of Victory Cathedral, he moved to Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Hallettsville, St. Michael’s and Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic churches in Cuero, and Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Shiner before he assumed his current role at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Ganado, where he has spent almost five years.

THE VERY REV. MATTHEW HUEHLEFELDHuehlefeld was ordained in 1996 and served Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church in Port Lavaca and St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Bloomington before assuming his current duties at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Yoakum.

2 priests appointed to fill positions in Catholic diocese

SEE DIOCESE, A5