A Word from Your Pastor October 28

November begins with a wonderful reminder of the Communion of Saints.  We celebrate All Saints’ Day November 1 and All Souls’ Day November 2.  We who are the Saints in Training pray with and for those who have marched ahead of us.  The Church on the face of the Earth is known as “the Church Militant,” that is, the Church on the march or the Church fighting the battle on the earthly journey.  “The Church Triumphant” refers to the Saints in glory who continue to pray for us and urge us on to victory.  “The Church Suffering” speaks of those who have entered into the mystery of death still needing purification, “the Holy Souls” in Purgatory.

The simple truth that is expressed the fact that in Christ, the Church is One.  We are all connected to one another and we cooperate with Christ and His Holy Spirit in working out our salvation, one for all and all for one.  The Communion of Saints is a sharing of Holy Things among the Holy Ones of God, made holy by the action of God’s Spirit among us.

We are called to see our lives as a whole, Time and Eternity interpenetrating.  Looking to the glory that is in store for us, we find the courage to persevere on our own march and to pray with and for the others who are with us on the journey.

This week, all are invited to Mass for the Holy Day of Obligation,  the Solemnity of All Saints on November 1, and then again for the special celebration of All Souls’ Day, November 2, where we will remember all those who have died in the past year. 

During these days, we contemplate “the Four Last Things”: Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell.  Realizing the brevity of our lives on earth, we set our minds and hearts on the glory of Heaven, where we are destined to share Eternal Life with God, the Angels and all the Saints.  May we cooperate with the Holy Spirit to complete our journey through Faith, Hope and Love and may we pray with and for our brothers and sisters with whom we share this journey now and forever.

A Word from Your Pastor October 21

“I have a question.”  This was the beginning of a conversation with a young man I saw just outside the church.  “We do the Sign of the Cross at the beginning of Mass.  And then we do the Sign of the Cross at the end of Mass.  Does that mean that the Mass is one big prayer?”

“Exactly!” I responded.  “And you dip your hand in the Holy Water at the beginning of Mass so you can do the prayer, and then again at the end of the Mass so that you can take what you have done out to all the world.”

The insight of this young man is worth our pondering.  So often, folks fail to realize just what the Mass is and treat it as if it is a commodity.  Some who choose not to come to Mass will say, “I don’t get anything out of it.”  Prayer is about a relationship with God and His Church.  The Mass is the Prayer of Jesus Christ in union with His Body, the Church, addressing the Father, Worshiping in Spirit and in Truth.  When we enter into that Prayer, we become part of the very flow of the Faith, Hope and Love that keep the Universe in motion. 

Folks can wonder why the world’s problems are not being solved.  We have a Savior, Who has promised to fill every longing of our heart.  We are not able to find solutions because we fail to enter into the true flow of things.  St. Padre Pio said: "It is easier for the earth to exist without the sun than without the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass." 

We are now halfway through our annual October Count.  So far, the numbers are down for attendance at weekend Masses once again.  Many who could be with us are not.  The Mass, which is the source and summit of the life of the Church is undervalued.  What is the solution?  We who are present must pray that the Lord will open our eyes to see how our witness to the truth and power of the Mass can be shared more effectively.

In the months ahead, our Second Graders and Eighth Graders and others will be preparing for First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion and Confirmation.  May we all strive together to become a more effective witness to the gift of the Sacraments in our lives as Catholics.

A Word from Your Pastor October 14

The Gospel is meant to be lived.  It is not a mere collection of stories just to make us feel good.  It is not a code of laws that regulate all our actions.  It is a way of life.  It is all about acknowledging that we are loved and that God’s Love is offered to the world through us who have been chosen by God to be the bearers of the Good News in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Knowing the Faith is necessary, but it is not enough.  Loving according to human measure does not reach the heights God has intended for us.  It must be “woven together” is a manner of living that communicates the Truth.  Jesus relates to each unique individual, inviting to a personal response at the depth each one is capable of understanding.

The rich young man in the Gospel today is a reminder to us all as to how we can become slaves to our own possessions.  We accumulate what we claim as our own, and it then lays claim to us.  When our concern for things other than God leads us to fail in our responsibility to put God first, we are not living the full promise of the Gospel.

Parents have a special duty to teach their children how to live the ways of Faith.  This means that their own lives ought to be in conformity to the Gospel and that they need to do all they can to ensure that their children develop the habits that allow the Gospel to be primary in their lives as well.  When we fail as a witness to our own families, we cannot hope to succeed in bringing the world to Christ.

God understands our human limitations.  He gives us the power to fulfill His Will.  When we fail, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is there to help us to return to the Gospel way of life.  Our children need to see us pick ourselves up after we fall.  This, too, is part of the witness of the Gospel way of life.

When Jesus looks into your heart, what does He see there?  What does He ask you to do for love of Him?  Are you willing to follow?

A Word from Your Pastor October 7

The month of October invites us to contemplate many things.  It is the month of the Rosary.  It is the month that highlights Respect for Life. 

October also has many wonderful Saints that invite us to pray and to put our Faith into practice in service of others.  Just to name a few:

• St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower (October 1),
• St. Francis of Assisi (October 4),
• Pope St. John XXIII (October 11),
• St. Teresa of Avila (October 15), and
• St. Luke (October 18)

For our own Nation, the North American Martyrs, St. John de Brebeuf, St. Isaac Jogues, and their companions (October 19) are most important for the planting of the seeds of Faith in our land.  The Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels (October 2) reminds us of the personal love of our Providential God.

In our observance of the variety of themes of this month, we can see that they all point to our responsibility of living our Faith and doing whatever we can to be a witness so that others may know the Love of God.  We are loved by God.  We are chosen by God.  And, with the help of the prayers of the Saints and Angels, we will be able to cooperate with the grace of God to do great things.

You will notice that our Ushers are counting at all the Masses.  This is our annual October Count, which the Diocese of Columbus uses for planning purposes.  So, this is the month to stand up and be counted among the faithful!