Friday, October 30, 2015

Happy Feast Day!

Dear Parishioners,

Happy Feast Day! This greeting is often given to people on the feast of the saint after whom they have been named. For example, if your name were Patrick, people might say to you on March 17th, “Happy Feast Day.” Likewise, those named Lucy would hear that greeting on December 13th, as would a Joseph on March 19th, or a Monica on August 27th. Of course not everybody is named after a saint, so November 1st—the Feast of All Saints—is everybody’s “Feast Day.” After all, as the first reading reminds us, there is a multitude of saints in heaven (Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14). Hopefully, there is a multitude down here on earth. It’s very nice to be recognized here after your death as a saint, but it’s just as important to be an unrecognized saint when we die. That’s why we were all born into this world. When we die, it’s nice to leave behind a sense of accomplishments more so than our failures. However, as Mother Theresa said, “The only real failure in life is not to have become a saint.” Let us pray that we will cooperate with God’s grace so as to be admitted into the company of the saints.

- Fr. Carl

“Life is given us that we may learn to die well, and we
never think of it! To die well we must live well.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars