This week’s memory verse: For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
Ephesians 3:14-15
Pray the week: Lord Jesus, Grant that I may strengthen my brothers and sisters. Guide and guard my particular family and protect and encourage Your Body on earth, the Holy Church. Amen.
And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.
Once again, we take a break from Ordinary Time to focus on this special Solemnity only celebrated in our Holy Church, the Solemnity of the Christian Family.
While taking this break we, in a very special way, continue to study and commit ourselves to the work of following, witnessing to, and sharing Jesus as His family. That is the essence of family, to be together as one in Jesus.
It may seem strange in our day; families are often separated by time, distance, and priorities.
In this separation, we tend to get caught up in the minutia. Certainly, some things are important like work and school, but when it comes down to it, there are plenty of opportunities to come together and strengthen the family.
We see this when the happy and tragic moments confront us. Someone is in the hospital, a baby or wedding shower, the wedding or christening, a funeral. A flood comes and we need to help our family. At these times you will surely find someone saying: We ought to get together more often, let’s have a reunion, let’s stay in contact. But then… missed opportunities. Strengthening each other requires more than occasional time together.
We heard that people were amazed at Jesus’ understanding and answers. In the various gospels we hear this theme repeated:
Matthew 7:28: …the crowds were astonished. Matthew 22:33: …they were astonished at His teaching. Mark 1:22: The people were astonished at His teaching, because He taught as one who had authority. Mark 11:18: …they looked for a way to kill Him. For they were afraid of Him, because the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching.
This astonishment or amazement is rendered existanto in Greek. People were changed in encountering Jesus, they saw things in a new and previously unheard-of ways.
The same existanto is used for those times people met the first Christians. Those encounters changed their lives and relationships.
Things are different because we, the Christian family, get together to strengthen each other in Christ. Jesus understands our need and gives us this place and each other as strong family, both at home and in the wider Body of Christ, so to live differently because of Him and amaze those we meet.
Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,
Welcome to October! We see a wonderful theme for this month carried on from our celebration of Brotherly Love in September. It is this, a theme of deep focus on sacrificial love. Peter reminds us of our Christian duty to sacrificial love in 1 Peter 1:22 as quoted above: love one another earnestly. How do we grow in love?
October is the month of the Holy Rosary. We must ensure, of course, that we keep the rosary in perspective as a methodology for concentrated prayer and not as some sort of magical mystery thing. The rosary takes us on a tour of the glorious, joyful, and sorrowful moments (called mysteries in the rosary) in the life of Jesus. What we see in each moment of His life and that of Mary is their living out the sacrificial love that marks the gospel way of life. They give of themselves totally to do as God the Father asks. By their example and our focusing on that example, we discover new ways to share our love. We pause to recollect how we might imitate Jesus and follow His call to love as the Father asks.
Also in October we celebrate the Christian Family in a special way. The family, as designed by God, is the seed bed for developing a life that conforms to St. Peter’s guidance – foremost by obedience to the truth. The family relationship, the smaller model for the wider Church, is the place we learn true self-sacrifice, whether it is giving up our time or treasure to serve another member or in giving up our dreams to bring the aspirations of the other to fruition. Further, the truth of God and our obedience to it is also self-sacrifice founded in love. No, we must not meander through life just doing whatever we please if we call ourselves Christian. We set aside our urges to do as we please in order to follow Jesus’ way of life and the Father’s call to us.
To love one another earnestly means we place our whole selves in the service of love. We privy ourselves by obedience to God’s truth and with sincerity follow Jesus, imitate Mary, love on our families, and take a back seat to the other.
Fall is here and we are busy. The blessing of pets will occur at Holy Masses on Sunday, October 1st. We celebrate the month of the Holy Rosary with regular prayer on Fridays at 3pm and we honor the Christian Family with a special Solemnity on October 8th. We cover the unfortunate occurrences (debacle) in the Polish Catholic Church in the Republic of Poland. Read up on the PNUA transition to the PNA.
We look forward to the months ahead replete with activities including our Seniorate Thanksgiving celebration. Fr. Jim will offer online catechism classes starting October 11th. That and so much more to read up on.
Check it out in our October 2023 Newsletter.
This week’s memory verse: Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O Lord.
Psalm 36:6
Pray the week: Lord Jesus, Grant that I may reflect Your generosity in my forgiveness, thanksgiving for second chances, and in my constant work for Your kingdom. Amen.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did.
Welcome as we continue our journey of study and commit ourselves to the work of following, witnessing to, and sharing Jesus.
The Sunday gospel for the past two weeks have Jesus’ teaching us about His Heavenly Father’s way of doing things. All of them and today’s gospel center on God’s great generosity.
Two weeks’ ago, Peter engages Jesus in an accounting discussion, how many times must I forgive? Peter was keeping count of his goodness. Jesus corrects Peter by instructing him on the way His Father’s kingdom works. Forgiveness is to be unlimited.
Last week we heard Jesus’ parable of the landowner and the workers. Regardless of when the workers showed up, they were paid the same, the full day’s wage. What mattered was the last thing the person did. God is equally generous to all who do His work.
Today, Jesus speaks of second chances. Jesus reminds His listeners of their loss if they refused the second chances they were offered. This was a loss based in stubbornness and that could still be redeemed if they would only change their perspective to God’s perspective.
In each example we encounter God’s generosity: unlimited forgiveness; generosity to all, whether they are old school faithful or newcomers; and opportunities to change and soften our hearts toward His Father’s will.
God’s generosity is available to all and is not a process of accounting or scorekeeping, but rather a heart and attitude of perfect love.
If we need an example of God’s infinite generosity just look around, look to the example of the pets we love.
For those who adopt and care for pets we see in them a reflection for the kind of love God promises and calls us to practice. Our pets look at us with unconditional love and call us to sacrificial love and service. For those who adopt from shelters and foster pets, you reflect that second chance aspect of God’s generosity.
St. Francis saw in the beauty and magnificence of nature and in each creature a reflection of God’s generosity – He Who provides nothing but good generosity for us. May we who are the crown of God’s creation always reflect His generosity.
This week’s memory verse: “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
Luke 6:38
Pray the week: Lord Jesus, Grant that I may not count the good I do as I model Your gospel way. Help me in seeing all as brothers and sisters worthy of my love, whether first or last. Amen.
“’What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’”
Welcome as we continue our journey of study and commit ourselves to the work of following, witnessing to, and sharing Jesus.
Last Sunday we talked about celebration, and the many reasons we, who follow, witness to, and share Jesus have for celebrating.
We learned last week of the amazing generosity of God’s forgiveness. After Peter’s question related to accounting for forgiveness Jesus replies that forgiveness for those who follow Him is not a thing to be counted. Rather, our forgiveness must remain uncountable. We are not in Jesus’ gospel life as scorekeepers. The limitless forgiveness of our good and loving God is to be the forgiveness we are known by.
Our reconciliation and salvation, our redemption all come from the uncountable gift of God’s only Son, and His self-giving to save us.
Imitating God’s uncountable forgiveness we can look at ourselves and each other differently, as freed people.
This Sunday we are once again reminded of God’s generosity.
Jesus’ well-known parable of the landowner and the workers covers several points again related to counting, and there is more to it than what is at face value.
The first workers are looking at the generosity of the landowner and admire it. Wow, this guy is so generous I can’t wait to see what I get. After all, these latecomers are not as good and deserving as I am. They lazed around all day, they’re bums. I’m a hard worker. They felt them less worthy than themselves (counting and judgment). When they get the same, they grumbled.
The early workers are grumbling not just because of the wage, but because of the generous redemption practiced by the landowner. All work was redeemed without counting the score or the before.
St. Paul reminds us to conduct [our]selves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ. That, brothers and sisters, means that we must refrain from counting what others have or have not done, from looking at someone’s past, and from judgmentalism.
Some figure they are at the front of the line for God’s blessing based on history alone. Jesus tells us it is not so. Our generosity modeled on the Father’s in the now (the last thing) is what matters.
This week’s memory verse: This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24
Pray the week: Lord Jesus, Grant that I may always see in You and Your Holy Church reason for celebration. Ever increase my joy at the salvation You have offered me. Amen.
Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan.
Welcome on this Back To Church Sunday.
For those who are new here or newer, we keep this national day of welcome each year to provide an opportunity for those who may be exploring church for the first time or the first time in a long time.
For others of us, church is a regular thing. We are here almost all-the-time. Yet sometimes even among us who are frequent church goers – well we need a chance to reconnect, to re-establish in our lives those things that make church so very special.
The National Back To Church team surveys participating congregations each year to arrive at the next year’s theme. There have been some really great themes, but this one – well it is extra special. This year’s Back To Church theme is CELEBRATION!
You see, whether we are here for the first time, the first time in a long time, or for the millionth time we need to find in this experience of Jesus reason to celebrate.
Now, I must plainly admit, in my life getting up and going to church always seemed like a chore. I can hear my mom now, Get ready! Let’s go! We’re going to be late. Sometimes we face weather or just common driving challenges in getting to church. Then there’s the parking and walking. It could be a turn-off. Sometimes we don’t quite understand the pastor (I hope that’s not true…). It can be many things.
If our focus is on those things, perhaps we have lost touch with with the many things we have to celebrate in Jesus?
Peter asks Jesus about forgiveness: “how often must I forgive?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.”
That is not an answer that relies on counting things, for we rely too much on keeping account of. Jesus’ answer means an uncountable number of times, an entire life filled with and marked by forgiveness, the forgiveness of a good and loving God.
That, brothers and sisters, is what we celebrate, that as Christians we have been forgiven everything, every time, an uncountable number of times. We are reconciled to God and saved forever. We celebrate because God gave Himself totally to save us. Because we can look at ourselves and each other differently, as freed people. Because Jesus instituted this – church – where regardless of former relationships we are family and care for each other – living Jesus’ way forever.
This week’s memory verse: “Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt.”
Exodus 22:21
Pray the week: Lord Jesus, Grant that my eyes may not be blinded by political agendas nor by prejudice but that I be attentive to Your commandment of love for all. Amen.