“Known, Loved, and Called”

Good morning.

As we begin Pride Month, we gather as people created in the image of God, each carrying a story, a hope, and a longing to be seen and loved. Pride Month is, for many, a time of celebration. For others, it is a time of reflection, remembrance, grief, healing, or courage. Wherever we find ourselves today, we come before God together.

In the opening chapter of Genesis, we read that humanity is created in God's image. Before any achievement, before any label, before any success or failure, there is this fundamental truth: every person bears the divine image and possesses inherent dignity.

Throughout Scripture, we see God drawing near to those who have been overlooked, excluded, or misunderstood. Jesus consistently crossed social boundaries. He sat with those whom others avoided. He listened to those whose voices were ignored. He reminded people that God's love is wider than our assumptions and deeper than our fears.

Pride Month invites us to consider what it means to live truthfully. Not pride in the sense of arrogance, but the courage to reject shame. The courage to say, "This is who I am." The courage to believe that one's life has worth. The courage to stand against hatred and discrimination. The courage to create communities where people do not have to hide.

The Christian life calls us to love God and love our neighbor. That command is simple to recite and often difficult to practice. Love requires listening. Love requires humility. Love requires making room for experiences different from our own. Love asks us to recognize the humanity of another person before we rush to judgment.

This month can also remind us of those who have suffered because of rejection, violence, loneliness, or exclusion. We pray for healing where wounds remain.

We pray for families seeking understanding. We pray for young people searching for acceptance. We pray for churches and communities to become places of grace, compassion, and truth.

The Apostle Paul writes that faith, hope, and love remain, and the greatest of these is love. Love does not erase differences, but it teaches us how to meet one another with dignity. Love does not demand that every question be settled before we extend kindness. Love calls us to see one another as fellow travelers in need of grace.

As we begin Pride Month, may we remember that every person we meet is someone God knows by name. Every person carries sacred worth. Every person deserves to be treated with respect, compassion, and justice.

May we be people who reflect God's love more fully.

May we have the courage to tell the truth, the wisdom to listen, and the grace to welcome.

And may the peace of God guide us through this month and beyond.

Amen.

Father Paris-Haines 2026