Forgiveness

Dear Parishioners,

I hope you all had a relaxing Labor Day Weekend. This week, many schools will open with different types of settings: remote, classroom, and combinations of the two. Last week, St. Jane Frances Preschool opened for ages two through four. The three and four-year-old classes are almost full, but there are a few openings left. If you hear of anyone looking for in-school classes, please have them call the school.

Last week, the scriptures talked about love of neighbor and that particular form of love known as fraternal correction. To correct anyone is difficult and challenging, but to do it in a loving way is even harder. Nevertheless, we must try, for “we are our brother’s/sister’s keeper.” And it is one of the 7 spiritual works of mercy—“warn the sinner.”

This week, we are encouraged to grow even more in our love of neighbor by forgiving their offenses against us. After all, in the Our Father, don’t we pray “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us?” Since God has been generous to us, we must do the same and be generous to others. Besides, Jesus said at the end of the Lord’s Prayer, “If you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive you.” (MT 6:15)

Fr. Carl

The Language Of God

Dear Parishioners,

Love is the fulfillment of the law, declares our second reading today from the Book of Romans (13:8–10). This is a powerful text of great theological meaning. Indeed, love is the language of God. We believe that the Holy Spirit emanates from the love of God the Father and Christ his son. Love is that mysterious phenomenon that brings us together. It is that thing that attracts us to each other. The word is used to describe the highest form of adoration or value. We love what we hold dearest. 

Now of course I am speaking of authentic love, the kind of love that demonstrates a real caring for the other. Love is the life blood of a marriage. It is that glue that holds things together. It says that I hold you, my spouse, in great esteem and promise to love you as myself even in bad times. This is how God feels about us, He loves us. We are his creation and his children. His love wills for us to live. His love wills for us to be good. His love wills for us to respond to him and others with love. It is this love that causes the man to buy the pearl of great price. It is this love that causes the woman to give her last two coins to the Temple. This love planted in our hearts by God calls us to join this church. It causes us to open our hearts and give food to strangers, to give our time to those in need, and to pray for others who need prayer. 

This mysterious gift from God makes the world go round I think. It is the real gift we give our families, our children, and our spouses. It causes us to kneel before the presence of God when we come to church, to give each other the sign of peace, and to open our hands with a great “Amen” when we receive the Eucharist. Thank you Lord for this most magnificent gift of your being and presence. Help me to share it with others.

Blessings,
Deacon Steve

Second Chances

Dear Parishioners,

In last week’s gospel (MT 16:13-20), Peter was praised by Jesus for recognizing who He really was, “the Son of the living God.” Of course, Peter didn’t figure that all out by himself. It had been revealed to him by Jesus’ heavenly Father. Nevertheless, Peter was the willing instrument testifying to the Apostles and the world the true identity of the Christ. This week when he finds out our Lord’s mission (MT 16:21-27), Peter becomes an obstacle, a stumbling block to Jesus who rightly puts him in his place, rebuking him as a satan, a deceiver. So in the span of just a few lines in the gospel, Peter goes from good and strong to weak and wimpy. But don’t you and I sometimes do the same? We are living our faith in grace and peace, and then some temptation comes along, and we fall. However, Jesus doesn’t leave Peter in his fallen state. Six days later, he takes Peter along with James and John up the mountain to witness his Transfiguration as a sign of the final outcome to his Passion and Death (MT 17:1-8).

This all serves as a reminder to us that when we trip and fall into sin, we need not lose heart, for Jesus wants to lift us back up into his good graces as he did St. Peter.

Fr. Carl

Get Involved. It’s Rewarding!

 Dear Parishioners,

My wife and I had our 45th wedding anniversary recently. We don’t get each other gifts, but we usually go out to dinner for a nice meal. Well this year with the Covid epidemic, we ordered out and ate at home. It is a time to reflect and reminisce. One of things that came to mind was the many wonderful communities we have been a part of. 

We joined a Marriage Encounter group early on in our marriage that provided us with a wonderful group of couples to meet with, to spend time with, and to develop relationships. They taught us so much about marriage and the ins and outs of communication, sacrifice, and healing that are a part of marriage. These skills and abilities strengthen and sustain us as a couple. 

Another community that was instrumental in our growth as persons, as a couple, and a family was that of the several parish communities of which we have been a part. The opportunities for growth and relationship building that come through the ministries of the church, through the opportunities for service, have been wonderful and greatly fulfilling. We have never lived around family, so we have relied on our church as a place for community and a place to belong. We have had work for sure, but the parishes we have been a part of have given us the greatest foundation and space to find out who we are and who we are in the eyes of God. Our relationships with the several priests we have encountered on our spiritual journey have been powerful and given such a warm and strong sense of the role that God plays in our lives. 

Finally, our connection to the deacon community in Indiana is a cherished experience that formed us both not only as deacon and deacon’s wife but as people of the Word, Sacrament, and Community. God has shown a great light on our lives, a light of love, a light of joy, a light of community. I can only wish that you, as well, find such a place where you can thrive and grow in faith, service, and love. 

Blessings,
Deacon Steve

Vaccines and The Rosary

Dear Parishioners,

In the late 1800s, a university student in France was riding a train and sitting across the car from an elderly gentleman who was holding a rosary. When the man began to doze off, he dropped the rosary. The young man picked it up and handed it back to him. But he couldn’t help asking the gentleman if he still believed such things as praying the rosary. When the gentleman said that he still did, the young student said that his university professors thought it to be an old-fashioned superstition and went on to talk about the more modern and enlightened view of the world. He said that intelligent people thought the rosary was nonsense.

As the older gentleman got up to leave the train, the young man offered to send him materials to bring him up to date. The older man kindly accepted and gave the student his business card. As the train pulled away, the young man read the card aloud, “Louis Pasteur, Director of the French Institute of Scientific Research, Paris.” This was the scientist who developed the process of pasteurization to increase the shelf life of milk, wine, cheese, etc; the man who discovered a vaccine for rabies, anthrax, and cholera of chickens; and the man who was known as a devout Catholic from Brittany (a province on the northwest coast of France known for its faith). On one occasion, he was told admiringly, “You have great faith like a Breton peasant man.” Pasteur replied, “If I had great faith, it would be like that of a Breton peasant woman!” It would seem that this great scientist also had the greatest of all virtues—humility, which led him to prayer and worship. As we pray the rosary for the discovery of a vaccine to combat the Covid-19 virus, it might be wise to say some prayers to Louis Pasteur, who developed not just one but three lifesaving vaccines.

Fr. Carl

Be Not Afraid!

Dear Parishioners,

I have always had a boat. My father had a fishing boat when we lived in New Jersey. We would go crabbing. I had a small sailboat after high school that I transported on the roof of my car. As an adult, I had a small fishing boat that I took to small lakes and ponds in Indiana. I have a small sail boat now that I take out on the Bay, although I am doing that less and less. But last year while on the Bay, a storm kicked up. I remember seeing the clouds and starting to head for port, but it caught us, and we were tossed around quite a bit. Now, I didn’t see Jesus walking toward us as in our reading today (Matthew 14:22-33). But I may have sent off a little prayer for help! Matthew provides us with a wonderful example of Christ’s love and salvation.

Our life these days seems to be a battle at times with a good deal of tossing waves and fierce headwind. Christ offered the disciples, “Be not afraid!” Let us put our faith in God’s goodness and salvation. He cares for us and wants to see us prosper. And he comes to us like for Elijah, in a small voice at times, a whisper. Maybe his whisper is in the small kindness that someone shows us, a small caring gesture that someone demonstrates, or an offer of help in time of need. These times require that we help each other. As God loves us, we are to love one another. So let us rest on our faith, knowing that it will be our guide in these tumultuous times. It will be the boat that gets us back to shore. It will be the light that shines when things are dark. It will be the voice that speaks to us, providing comfort and consolation. Thank you Lord for your presence in our lives!

Blessings,
Deacon Steve

This Too Will Pass

Dear Parishioners,

With the ebb and flow of the Covid 19 virus, our country has been like a giant yo-yo, down and up, and down and up. As the severity of the virus became more widely known and infections and deaths multiplied, businesses, recreation, churches, restaurants, and social gatherings were forced to shut down. Non-essential activities were closed, and we were down. But then the virus seemed to abate, and life began to return somewhat to normal. And we were up again. Now with an upsurge in the virus, we seem to be going down again and so, too, is our morale.

We need a little good news and encouragement which we find in today’s scriptures (Is 55:1-3; Rom 8:35, 37-39; Rom 8:35, 37-39). In the psalm response, we are told “The hand of the Lord feeds us, he answers all our needs.” The gospel describes Jesus showing people pity, curing the sick, and providing food for 5,000 men not counting women and children. Finally, St. Paul tells us that we will never be separated from the love of Christ neither by death nor life. In other words, no matter what difficulties or tragedies come our way, Jesus will be there to see us through into his everlasting covenant, eternal life. We need only to remain faithful. In the meantime, let us stick to the precautions prescribed by the medical community, pray, read the bible, attend Mass, and be patient. For this too will pass.

Fr. Carl