There is a Longing

Tomorrow is the first of October & with it comes a wonderful bouquet of saints to celebrate within the month! In the first week alone we have the following: October 1st: St. Therese of Lisieux - The Little Flower, a Carmelite nun beloved by many October 2nd: Feast of the Guardian Angels - A day to celebrate & be thankful for your guardian angel who watches over you October 4th: St. Francis of Assisi - founder of the Franciscan Order & patron of the poor October 5th: Saint Faustina - chosen by God to share the message of His Divine Mercy There is no way I could do justice in summarizing their lives. If you are unfamiliar with them, I encourage you to explore the wealth of information online & in the many books & videos about them. In addition to all the saints this month, the whole month is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary. This would be a great time to begin praying the rosary daily of you don't already!  May God bless you abundantly!

Matthew 20:1-16a At first glance, this parable seems quite unfair – everyone receiving the same amount of pay whether they worked all day long or just an hour. However, what would we think if the parable read as follows: There is a group of men & women who’ve been faithful Christians all their lives, treating others as they want to be treated, performing charitable acts of kindness & mercy, sharing their faith with others, & worshiping God in all they’ve done. At their deaths, God welcomed them into Heaven with open arms. There is another group who’ve been faithful off & on throughout their lives. Just prior to their deaths, they were in the on again portion & had been living true Christian lives. God welcomed them into Heaven with open arms. A third group lived selfish lives, never thinking of others. They were stingy with their income & resources, turning their backs on those who were truly in need. On their deathbeds, they had a healing experience & came ...

On September 28, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of St. Fr. Domingo Ibanez de Erquicia. He was born in Spain in 1589. He joined the Dominican Order in 1605 & six years later, went to the Philippines as a missionary & Professor of Theology at the Colegio de Santo Tomas. He later spent ten years in Japan during the most violent persecutions. Heroically, his dedication to his priestly vocation was displayed in the care of Christians being persecuted. He comforted them & administered the sacraments. In July of 1633, he was captured by the authorities who had been pursuing him. He refused to renounce his faith, choosing martyrdom instead. He died on August 14, 1633. Pope John Paul II canonized him on October 18, 1987. St. Fr. Domingo Ibanez de Erquicia, Pray for Us!

Matthew 18:21-35 Continuing His lesson regarding those who've sinned against us, Jesus explains the importance of forgiveness. Seventy times seven symbolizes an infinite loop of forgiveness. It’s not a "one & done" action, nor is it just for the sinner. It is also for the one who's been hurt. The longer we harbor the pain from the inflicting action against us, the more anger, resentment, & suffering builds within us. Often the pain keeps returning & we need to choose forgiveness, even on a daily basis. Fr. John Riccardo (a well-known priest from Detroit) once spoke of a woman who stopped praying The Our Father. The line "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us" was difficult because she couldn't forgive a wrong done to her. How could she ask God to forgive her if she couldn't forgive someone else? Only when she realized that she couldn't do it alone & needed God's help in forgiving did she begin ...

“Eating and drinking don’t make friendships – such friendship even robbers and murderers have. But if we are friends, if we truly care for one another, let us help one another spiritually. . . Let us hinder those things that lead our friends away to hell.” (St. John Chrysostom)

Matthew 18:15-20 When you have a grievance with another person, what is your first instinct in resolving the issue? Some people don’t like conflict, so they turn instead to others not involved to share their complaints, get opinions, or to simply seek sympathy & validation for their feelings. In today’s social media world, many head straight to Facebook, Twitter, etc. to complain or to indirectly reach the person with whom they are upset. Jesus encourages His followers, including us, to first seek reconciliation directly with the one who has offended us. Often disagreements are simply a matter of misunderstanding or miscommunication that can easily be resolved one on one. Sometimes, however, we need to bring another party into the discussion, a neutral person with a fresh perspective on the issue at hand. There will be times when there is still a refusal to listen which requires going even further & bringing in the church community.  Jesus says that if none of those wo...

"The Mass is the greatest drama in the world, because in a way more real than any play or movie, it makes the story of our salvation come alive in front of us." (Mike Aquilina)

Matthew 16:21-27 Rock - Paper - Scissors In last week’s Gospel, we heard Jesus blessing Simon for his recognition of Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. He was given the name Peter, which translates as “Rock”, the one on which the Church on earth would be built. This Rock crushed the “Scissors” - those naysayers who denied Christ’s identity or mistook Him for someone else. This week, that “Rock” has been covered & smothered by “Paper” in Jesus’ rebuke. After all that he has witnessed, after his proclamation of who Jesus is, Peter denied that Jesus would endure a great sacrifice for His people. Jesus even went so far as to call him Satan & an obstacle to His plan of salvation. “You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” We all should live in a way that exemplifies our path to salvation. We must not follow earthly idols, forfeiting our lives to gain the world. Our eyes should be focused on the eternal reward which Jesus has won for us. Yes, He was kil...

St. Rosalia, whose feast day is September 4th, was born of noble birth in Palermo, Sicily in 1130. Her parents were Sinibald, Lord of Roses, & Quisquina.  She was a pious youth & turned to God over earthly things. When she left home, she was led to a cave by angels & it was there she lived the rest of her life, hidden away from the world. After her death in 1166, the following was found written on the wall of her cave,  "I, Rosalia, daughter of Sinibald, Lord of Roses, and Quisquina, have taken the resolution to live in this cave for the love of my Lord, Jesus Christ." In 1624, during a plague in Palermo, it is reported that she appeared to a plague victim & that this woman was healed of her illness. Rosalia is also said to have appeared to a hunter & that she led him to her cave. There he found her bones & brought them back to the city. After three rounds of procession through Palermo the plague ceased. This led to her patronage of plague victims, inc...