God Is Merciful

Dear Parishioners,

How fitting it is that during this Jubilee Year of Mercy, we hear from the gospel of Luke (Luke 7:36–8:3). More than all the other gospels, Luke deals with mercy and is rightly called the Gospel of Mercy as we hear about the Prodigal Son, the Lost Sheep, and today’s story about the sinful woman. What her sins were we don’t know, but they must have been serious, for her repentance is of the greatest magnitude. However, I doubt it could compare with the sins of David. Today’s first reading shows David condemned by the prophet Nathan. David not only committed adultery with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba, he tried to cover it up by having Uriah killed in battle. David finally admits this doubly sinful deed, repents, and is forgiven by God. David had been so richly blessed by God in so many more ways than the sinful woman. He should have been held to a higher standard. Yet God forgives him! We do have a merciful God. Have you experienced his mercy lately in the sacrament of Penance? If not, confessions are held each Saturday at St. Jane from 3:30pm–4:30pm.

- Fr. Carl

We ought to have a charity like that of St. Augustine, who
rejoiced to see anyone very good: “At least,” he used to say,
“here is someone who will make amends to God for my want
of love.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars

Time Well Spent

Corpus Christi Procession at St. Jane Frances de Chantal, May 29, 2016 (photo by Katie Torrey)

Dear Parishioners,

Last Sunday on the Feast of Corpus Christi, we had a lovely Eucharistic Procession after the 11:30 a.m. Mass. We took the Blessed Sacrament with 22 altar servers, several first communicants, and a crowd of 75 parishioners outside to four altars and gave a benediction (blessing) to the group and the 4 directions of the compass—North, South, East, and West—singing hymns along the way. It was a beautiful occasion, and I received many compliments. Thank you, Ms. Claire, for the idea and organizing the event. Next year I hope more of you will be able participate.

This week we are back in ordinary time celebrating the 10th Sunday. Time is never ordinary; it’s a gift from God. Before God created the world, nothing existed except the Trinity. It was His expansive, all-powerful love that inspired God to create time, space, and matter (the material world). As the time of daylight hours increase, may we use God’s gift of time not only for rest and recreation but time in God’s presence through prayer, spiritual, reading, and worship. It will be time well spent.

- Fr. Carl

“At the hour of your death you will see that you have saved
more souls by your illness than by all the good works you
might have accomplished in health.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars

The Real Presence

Dear Parishioners,

A long time ago, a pious Augustinian nun named Juliana, in the diocese of Liege, had a vision. The year was 1209. This vision repeated itself many times. What she saw was the moon all in splendor except one dark spot. She finally came to realize that the moon represented all the great feasts of the Church. The dark spot represented the one feast that was missing, a feast in honor of the Blessed Sacrament. This vision was revealed to Archdeacon of Liege, Jacques Panteleon and Bishop Robert of Liege, who instituted a local feast in 1247 but not a feast of the Universal Church.

Sixteen years later, a priest named Peter of Prague was having difficulty believing in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. He was on a pilgrimage to Rome to seek a stronger faith. He spent the night in a little town called Bolsena. The next day when he celebrated Mass and said the words of consecration, the host turned into flesh and began to bleed on the corporal. Word was sent to the pope, who was in the neighboring city of Orvieto. Peter then gathered the host and the corporal and went to the pope. When they met on a bridge and the pope saw the Eucharistic miracle he said, “Now there can be no doubt about the Lord’s real presence in the Eucharist.” In August 1264, Pope Urban IV proclaimed the universal feast of Corpus Christi (the Body of Christ) we celebrate today. By the way, his name was Jacques Pantaleon, the former archdeacon of Liege. In divine providence, there are no coincidences. However great that Eucharistic miracle was, it is not as great as what it does for us. It makes us one with Jesus who comes into our soul every time we receive him in the state of grace.

- Fr. Carl

“To content His love, He must needs give himself to us
separately, one by one.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars

The Most Holy Trinity

Dear Parishioners,

“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” — That’s the way we begin and end Mass; it’s the way we begin and end our prayers; it is how blessings are given. What this means is the Trinity is at the heart and center of our faith and sacramental life and is the most important mystery of our faith. Our God is three persons in one. This reveals that God is a community of persons who live in perfect love, harmony, and unity. (Proverbs 8:22-31; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15)

The Trinity reminds us how we, who are created in the image and likeness of God, should live with all members of the human race. Of course that won’t happen until our natural families begin to live like the Holy Trinity. Let us pray that our individual domestic families and parish family may become more like the Holy Trinity living in love, harmony, and unity.

- Fr. Carl

“Those who are lead by the Holy Spirit have true ideas; that is
the reason why so many ignorant people are wiser than the
learned. The Holy Spirit is light and strength. When we are
led by a God of strength and light, we cannot go astray.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars

In All Things Charity

Dear Parishioners,

Last week we celebrated the Ascension, our Lord’s reentry into heaven to be with his Father and the Holy Spirit. This week, we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit to energize the apostles and the Church (Acts 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7; John 20:19-23). The Holy Spirit also came to give guidance and unity to the Church. In the vigil reading from the Book of Genesis (Gn 11:1-9), we see the pride of early humanity in its desire to build a tower to the sky, The Tower of Babel, and make a name for themselves. Instead they should have been trying to develop a relationship with God. As a result of their sinful pride, God confused their language so that they were no longer able to communicate with one another. Their foolish venture came to an end as the multiplication of languages led to a division among the peoples and set the stage for tribal and national conflicts, which lead to the chaos and confusion that we see in the world today.

On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was sent not only to unite the various factions of the Jews but also the Gentiles, as well. It worked for awhile in the Church, but then again division returned, and we have a divided world, country, and Church. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will help humanity to heal the wounds of strife and division, as St. Augustine said, “In essentials unity, in non-essential liberty, in the all things charity.”

- Fr. Carl

“DIRECTLY anyone feels they are losing their fervor,
they should at once make a Novena to the Holy Spirit,
asking him to give them Faith and Love.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars

Happy Mother's Day!

Dear Parishioners,

Never before have the Ascension and Mothers Day been celebrated on the same day. And while the preeminent celebration is the Ascension, how can we forget all the love, goodness, and sacrifice of countless mothers throughout the ages. Besides, in order for Jesus to accomplish his saving mission, he needed a mother to give him flesh and blood. He needed Mary! And so, too, do we.

Today the Church throughout the world celebrates the Ascension of Jesus into heaven (Acts 1:1-11; Ephesians 1:17-23; Luke 24:46-53). It’s a sign of our ultimate destination as well, and it marks the end of our Lord’s visible presence here on earth. But our Lord’s work in this world is not complete. His work will be carried on under the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the Church. As part of the Church, we are called upon to share in Jesus’ mission of living the gospel values and sharing the gospel message as best we can. To do that requires ongoing faith formation through scripture readings on a regular bases, daily prayer, inspirational DVDs, CDs, books, and periodicals, etc. One new opportunity is giving one night through a series entitled “Discovering Christ” in which a number of our parishioners are currently engaged. We hope to offer it again, perhaps in the fall in our remodeled hall. I have heard very favorable reports by many past participants.

Finally, as we are in the month of May, Our Lady’s month, I encourage you to deepen your relationship with Mary through her favorite prayer, the rosary.

Happy Mother’s Day!
Fr. Carl

“If you look for God you will find him, and in the hour of
your death he will say to you: ‘See, I am here whom you
have ever sought!’”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars

I'm So Excited!

Dear Parishioners,

Anyone who attended one of our First Communion Masses the last two weekends would have been edified by our young boys and girls. They looked so angelic in their nice outfits and well excited as they prepared to receive Jesus for the first time. I asked one little girl bubbling with enthusiasm how she felt, and she replied “I’m so excited! I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time!” Actually, it’s the way we should all feel. We should be excited every time we come to Mass to receive Jesus. The entire world cannot contain our Lord, yet he wants to be contained in us. He wants to be in our hearts as a great guest. However, the years have a way of diluting that youthful fervor, and so the Eucharist can be taken for granted. It saddens me to see some people receive Holy Communion and then walk right out the door as though they had just picked up a burger at fast-food drive-in window. No time for a proper thanksgiving for such a great gift.

Jesus says in the gospel, “Unless your become like little children, you cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (Matt 18:3) May we all recapture the attitudes of our young First Communicants.

- Fr. Carl

“One ought always to be ready to give up one’s own will
to do what God wants… ”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars