Saturday January 1st Mary, Mother of God 4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners
Sunday January 2nd 7:00 am Intentions of the Presider 9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19 11:00 am Intentions of the Presider
Monday January 3rd Most Holy Name of Jesus 6:30 am † Anthony Neri, Sr.
Tuesday January 4th 6:30 am † Mary Schluckebier
Wednesday January 5th 6:30 am † Vincent Turco
Thursday January 6th 6:30 am † Marilyn McLaughlin
Friday January 7th St. Raymond of Penafort 6:30 am † Mary M. Rosenbaum (30th Anniversary)
Saturday January 8th 8:00 am † Lenna Gaiomino
Remembering in our Prayers… … all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Robert Farrell, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, John Flickinger, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Marie Hagan, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Pat Kensey, Msgr. Michael Flood, Teresa Riegal, Elizabeth Ruth, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.
When I was growing up, my dad made a promise with my brothers and me that if we all got good grades throughout the year, he would buy us a Nintendo gaming system. We were so excited about the possibility of getting it, so all throughout the year we challenged each other and helped each other to make sure we all did well. All throughout the year we would report back to dad our grades. When we told him our grades, he would just look at us, smile, and never say anything about his promise. When the end of the year came, we all did well in school and were so excited that we rushed home to call dad at work.
When we talked to him, it was a quick conversation, and he got off the phone very abruptly. He did not sound excited and never mentioned honoring his promise to us.We were in disbelief, thought he forgot, complained, and were miserable the rest of the day. Later that night, as we were sulking in the living room together, he entered the room with his arms full. In his arms was not only the Nintendo system, but also some of the best games and accessories for it. He said he was so excited after we called that he rushed to finish his work so he could buy it for us. We were embarrassed; I was embarrassed in thinking that our dad forgot about us.
How many times in our lives do we think God forgets his promises towards us? Life sometimes has a way to do that to us… we may get angry with Him at times because life doesn’t always go the way we want it to. We may even lose our way and think God is not loving. If we stay in that mindset for too long, we will not see God as a loving Father who wants the best for us. We will not see him as a Father who loves to give his children gifts. We may not even see him as Our Father at all.
Over and over throughout the scriptures, we hear that the proper term for God is Our Father. Not a Father, but THE Father, the one from whom all fatherhood comes. The one who picks us up when we fall down in life, and the one who loves us greatly. The one Father who is not flawed, never forgets his promises to His children, and always delivers. One way to grow is to remember daily that Our Father never forgets us, and that we are all part of His family. Our Father in Heaven is always standing at the door of our hearts. His son Jesus is still present in the world today. He is present in the mysteries of the sacraments. When we receive the Eucharist, we receive Him, and He wants us to make Him present to others.
This Christmas Season, are we willing to open the door of our hearts to Him? Are we willing to open our hearts as a family of faith here at St David’s parish, to come to know Him and love Him in this life and the next? The Holy Family is Holy because they opened their hearts to Our Father. They trusted in God’s Word even when they lost their son. Mary trusted in God’s promise even when she watched her son die on the cross. My prayer for all of us this Christmas is that we open the door of our hearts even wider to faith, hope and love, and to Christ’s promises to us. When we do, we will see that Our Father’s promises are so much greater than we could have ever expected.
Sunday December 26th 7:00 am Intentions of the Presider 9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19 11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider
Monday December 27th St. John the Apostle & evangelist 8:00 am † Mary Fitzpatrick
Tuesday December 28th Holy Innocents 8:00 am † Dolores Anderson
Wednesday December 29th St. Thomas Becket 8:00 am † George McGinn
Thursday December 30th 8:00 am † Barbara Eisenhart
Friday December 31st St. Sylvester I 8:00 am † Frank Day
Saturday January 1st Mary, Mother of God 10:00 am † Joseph Herbert
Remembering in our Prayers… … all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Robert Farrell, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, John Flickinger, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Marie Hagan, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Pat Kensey, Msgr. Michael Flood, Teresa Riegal, Elizabeth Ruth, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.
As we wait in joyful hope and expectation for the celebration of the Birth of Jesus, we reflect on our Gospel in which Mary and Elizabeth were also waiting in joyful hope and expectation for the births of Jesus and John the Baptist. On this last Sunday before Christmas, our thoughts turn to Mary, as she carried Jesus, the Son of God and Savior of the world, in her womb. When Mary greeted her cousin, the Holy Spirit descended upon Elizabeth and on John the Baptist in Elizabeth’s womb. St. Louis Marie de Montfort, who is renowned for his devotion to Mary, tells us that when we possess Mary, we also are blessed with the presence of her Spouse, the Holy Spirit:
“When the Holy Spirit finds his Spouse in a soul, he flies to that soul, to communicate himself to it, to fill it with his presence, in proportion as he discovers there the presence and the fullness of his Spouse. One of the major reasons why the Holy Spirit does not now work blinding wonders of grace in our souls is that he does not find in us a sufficiently strong union with Mary, his indissoluble Spouse.” (True Devotion to Mary, part 1, chapter 1, article 2)
So, when Mary is an important part of our lives, the Holy Spirit will fill our hearts with an abundance of grace, just as the Holy Spirit fell on Elizabeth and John the Baptist when Mary spoke. Therefore, we can proclaim that the closer we are to Mary, the closer we are to her Spouse, the Holy Spirit, and the closer we are to God the Father and his Son, Jesus. Mary leads us to God and when we have Mary in our souls, the Holy spirit comes to us. Mary, in cooperation with her Spouse, the Holy Spirit, became the Mother of Jesus. It is no wonder that Elizabeth says to Mary, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” These inspired words have become part of that beautiful prayer, the ‘Hail Mary’. Mary is truly the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church and our Mother, who leads us always to her Son, Jesus. The best way to draw close to Mary, and thus to the Blessed Trinity, is to devoutly pray the ‘Holy Rosary’. As we prepare to commemorate the birth of her Divine Son, Jesus, let us spend time in prayer with Mary, that she may implant her roots in our souls and grant us wonders of grace which she alone can bestow, and pray that her Spouse, the Holy Spirit, may fill our hearts with his loving presence!
Have a Blessed Christmas! Sr. Kathleen Fitzpatrick, IHM
Saturday December 18th 4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners
Sunday December 19th 7:00 am Intentions of the Presider 9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19 11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider
Monday December 20th 6:30 am Intentions of the Brown & Casey Families
Tuesday December 21st St. Peter Canisius 6:30 am † Margaret Morrow (2nd Anniversary)
Wednesday December 22nd 6:30 am † John Dugan
Thursday December 23rd St. John of Kanty 6:30 am † Charles ‘Chubby’ Obrecht (3rd Anniversary)
Friday December 24th 8:00 am Intentions of the Presider 4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners 8:00 pm Intentions of the Presider
Saturday December 25th 7:00 am Intentions of the Presider 9:00 am Intentions of the Presider 11:00 am Intentions of the Presider
Remembering in our Prayers… … all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Robert Farrell, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, John Flickinger, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Marie Hagan, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Pat Kensey, Msgr. Michael Flood, Teresa Riegal, Emma Grace Horwedel and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.
… all those who are deceased…Sister Mary Lorraine Holzman, IHM; Sister Maureen Lawrence McDermott, IHM; Patricia Oneto…
We are now celebrating the third Sunday of Advent and our entrance antiphon shouts out: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.” What a hope-filled and joyous phrase to begin Gaudete Sunday. An announcement of 13 more days until the great and awesome day of God breaking into humanity as a little baby, to redeem our sinful souls. What a tremendous and awesome gift that should never be taken for granted.
God, Who is love, became a vulnerable and innocent baby because of the Blessed Mother, free from all stain of sin, and echoed her “Be it done unto me as you say.” Without full knowledge of what was to lie ahead, but with love and trust in God, Mary said, “Yes,” and the world has never been the same since.
Mary, our Blessed Mother, who loves us tenderly, wants us to come and know her Son whom she loves so much, and to experience a loving relationship with Him. The best of mothers, and the Blessed Mother is, invites us and urges us to encounter her Son so that each one of us experiences the deep peace for which each of us longs. As Saint Augustine so aptly wrote, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.” This means no one and nothing can fill the gap in people’s hearts except God. God is love and He loves each one of us unconditionally, whether we believe it or not, or no matter if we accept it or not, because He is love and He cannot deny Himself.
Therefore, let us make it our aim for the remainder of this season of hope, to fill our hearts with Jesus through prayer and just time sitting with Him in silence that we may welcome Him in to fill that God-gap. May the Infant Jesus, our loving Savior and Redeemer, fill you and your loved ones with His peace, joy, and love this Christmas and throughout the New Year!
Saturday December 11th St. Damasus I 4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners
Sunday December 12th 7:00 am Intentions of the Presider 9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19 11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider
Monday December 13th St. Lucy of Syracuse 6:30 am † Frank Fierraro
Tuesday December 14th St. John of the Cross 6:30 am Carmelite Order & Secular Brothers and Sisters
Wednesday December 15th 6:30 am † David McInerney
Thursday December 16th 6:30 am † Sam Swindells
Friday December 17th 6:30 am † Mary Schluckebier
Saturday December 18th 8:00 am † Harry Weckerly, Sr.
Remembering in our Prayers… … all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Robert Farrell, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, John Flickinger, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Marie Hagan, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Pat Kensey, Msgr. Michael Flood, Teresa Riegal, Emma Grace Horwedel and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.
One of my most favorite places in the world is a place called Resica Falls Scout Reservation. I would go there every summer with my Scout troop when I was a young man for our summer camp trip. I loved it so much that I went on to be a counselor and spent two entire summers there. I would go for walks by myself looking for wildlife, turning over stones and watching the little critters scramble to safety. Sometimes I would find a log or stone to sit on and listen to the sounds of the forest. Out in the wilderness, the sounds of the regular world are gone. Sitting in the rhythm of the sounds, there was tranquility which is hard to describe, but what I can describe is how easy it is to hear something that is different then the other sounds around you. You can hardly ignore it because it makes you extremely aware that something is different. A sound found in the wilderness is the same out of the ordinary sound from those around us, which John the Baptist describes as the call from the wilderness. The difference is this sound can be found in the wilderness of our hearts.
How can we find the wilderness of our hearts? One thing we can do is use the life of the Saints and martyrs as an example. When reflecting on their lives, we can see that not everything in their lives was always good, but they still found faith, hope, and love. Another place we can find faith, hope, and love is in our scripture reading today. The reading from Baruch was written while Israel was in captivity in Babylon. They found themselves defeated, taken from their homes, and unable to worship their God openly, but they were able to find these virtues while in extreme distress. Another example is found in Paul’s letter today. It is hard to believe that this wonderful encouraging letter was written by Paul while imprisoned. They all have retreated to the wilderness of their hearts where they can find our Lord waiting there to comfort, console, and at times instruct. During this time of Advent, we need to also retreat to the wilderness of our hearts. Listen to the voice in your heart that calls you to repentance and preparation for Christ. Our hearts are through where He will enter our lives. Spend some time there.
May Jesus live in our hearts forever. Deacon Chris
Saturday December 4th St. John Damascene 4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners
Sunday December 5th 7:00 am Intentions of the Presider 9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19 11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider
Monday December 6th St. Nicholas 6:30 am Intentions of Fr. Steven Kiernan
Tuesday December 7th St. Ambrose 6:30 am † Margaret Glassmire
Wednesday December 8th Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary 6:30 am † Marian Kramer 9:00 am Intentions of the Parishioner 7:00 pm † Barbara Eisenhart
Thursday December 9th St. Juan Diego 6:30 am † Mary Watkins
Friday December 10th 6:30 am † Bill McMahon
Saturday December 11th St. Damasus I 8:00 am † Bill Eagan
Remembering in our Prayers… … all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Robert Farrell, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, John Flickinger, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Marie Hagan, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Pat Kensey, Msgr. Michael Flood, Teresa Riegal, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.
Attorney John Kralik’s life was falling apart. He was unhappy, out of money, overweight, going through a second divorce, and living in a run-down apartment in Los Angeles. He wasn’t able to give his employees a Christmas bonus because his clients were behind on their bills or simply not paying them. On New Year’s Day while hiking in the hills outside LA, a notion came into his head: He would handwrite one thank-you note each day for the next year, for a total of 365 expressions of thankfulness. This self-imposed gratitude exercise led him to see things right under his nose for which he could be thankful yet hadn’t noticed. This project led to a complete turnabout in his life— and eventually to his best-selling book, A Simple Act of Gratitude: How Learning to Say Thank You Changed My Life.
On Thanksgiving, the Gospel of the 10 lepers (Lk 17:11-19) echoed this powerful message of being thankful. To be truly grateful, changes lives in this world and prepares us for the next. With that being said, it is still disappointing to hear that Jesus received only a 10 percent return of gratitude for the healing that he did. We may identify with this sadness in our own lives when we hear people are not coming to mass to praise and worship God for all the things he has done for us. It might break our hearts even more so when the people who are not coming are our friends, family, children, husbands, wives and so on.
How do we react to our broken hearts? In our sadness we may be discouraged or even point fingers, blaming others for things not happening the way we think they should. We may even blame ourselves for things not working out the way we think they should. Maybe we are just so fed up and disappointed with everything that we are angry with everyone.
If that is us, let us reflect on how Jesus reacted to something similar in the gospel. Jesus is sad! God, who is human as well as divine, shared everything with humanity except sin. Jesus had emotions and was disappointed that only one person came back. Jesus acknowledged His feelings as He asked, “where are the other nine, where are the 90%”? Again, He is not happy with the outcome, but He does not dwell on what is not. He focuses on what is. He is present to the moment of His heart and is thankful for this one person, the 10% whose heart was changed. As Jesus says, the man’s gratitude was his “salvation.”
Jesus, who is the Divine Healer, can teach us how to work through our pains, wounds, and hurts in a healthy way. He wants to teach us to be present and grateful to what is good in our lives and not to dwell too much on what is not going well in life. He wants to teach us how to move forward with a suffering heart, with Joy and Hope. So, if we are hurt and wounded, if our hearts are broken in big things or small things in life, this Advent season is a great opportunity to allow Jesus into our hearts. Ask Him to come into your heart. Then ask for the grace of patience and to be open to those opportunities for healing when they present themselves. When we do this and recognize God as the one who heals us, then we are like John the Attorney or the Samaritan in the gospel on our way to salvation.
Saturday November 27th 4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners
Sunday November 28th 7:00 am Intentions of the Presider 9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19 11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider
Monday November 29th 6:30 am † Mr. & Mrs. Beck
Tuesday November 30th St. Andrew the Apostle 6:30 am † Brian Lumpkin
Wednesday December 1st 6:30 am † Joseph Sheerin
Thursday December 2nd 6:30 am † Margaret Everson
Friday December 3rd St. Francis Xavier 6:30 am † Special Intention
Saturday December 4th St. John Damascene 8:00 am † Richard C. Noel
Remembering in our Prayers… … all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Robert Farrell, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, John Flickinger, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Marie Hagan, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Pat Kensey, Msgr. Michael Flood, Teresa Riegal, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.
… all those who are deceased…Joseph Fitzgerald and Elvira Esposito…
Today as we celebrate the feast of Jesus Christ as our Victorious King, let us reflect on His Kingdom and its significance for our lives. The Kingdom of God is His rule over us, announced in the Gospels and present in the Eucharist. We can experience it in part now and we will experience it fully in Heaven. His Kingdom is mysteriously present in the Church, and it will come in its fullness at the end of time. How can we be faithful members of God’s Kingdom throughout our earthly journey and thus for all eternity?
God’s Kingdom is present where there is truth, justice, goodness, and genuine love for God and others. Imagine what an amazing world this would be if everyone were free from sin and lived with God as the center of their lives. However, we can never make the Kingdom of God a reality in the world unless first, it is a reality in our own lives. For as Jesus revealed in the Gospel: “The Kingdom of God is within you”.
We can bring about the Kingdom of God within us by frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Praying or communicating with God dwelling within our souls, and giving God “prime time” each day is also of the utmost importance. Our Merciful God asks that we do our best to follow the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes, and to practice the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. As the Season of Advent quickly approaches, let us resolve to respond to the needs of the poor and the lonely in our midst, through prayer and the selfless sharing of our time, treasure and talent.
The Kingdom of God is based on love and forgiveness. For us to find it within our souls, we must first love and forgive ourselves and then reach out in love and forgiveness of others. In the Second Reading, Saint John tells us that Christians who truly follow the Lord are a “kingdom of priests”. It is our duty to help the Lord build up His Kingdom in this world. In order to do this, we must renounce the worthless things the world offers, forget our pride, become docile and obedient to God, and serve the true King, who is Jesus Christ.
When Christ returns as King, He will do so in majesty and as our judge. He will reward those who followed Him faithfully. Those who have ignored or denied Him, He will also deny before the Father (Mt. 10:33). Jesus has promised that His Kingdom will be triumphant. This is our hope, and it is what we, and the Church celebrate on this great feast.
Long live Christ the King! Sr. Kathleen Fitzpatrick, IHM
Saturday November 20th 4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners
Sunday November 21st Christ The King 7:00 am Intentions of the Presider 9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19 11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider
Monday November 22nd St. Cecilia 6:30 am † Mary Rose Tobin
Tuesday November 23rd St. Clement I; St. Columban 6:30 am † Thomas Cox
Wednesday November 24th St. Andrew Dung Lac & companions 6:30 am † Mr. James P. Dougherty—60th Anniversary
Thursday November 25th St. Catherine of Alexandria 9:00 am † Margaret Everson
Friday November 26th 9:00 am † Phyllis M. Talese and Steven Minucci
Saturday November 27th 8:00 am † John Kenney
Remembering in our Prayers… … all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Robert Farrell, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, John Flickinger, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Marie Hagan, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Pat Kensey, Msgr. Michael Flood, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.
Today we begin Discover Catholic Schools Week at 9 a.m. Mass with our Saint David Parishioners. How appropriate that we begin this week with the Eucharistic Liturgy because this is the foundation of Catholic Schools. Jesus is our Center and the Blessed Mother is our model. In most Catholic schools, you will find a plaque that reads: Let it be known to all who enter here that Christ is the reason for this school, the unseen, but ever-present Teacher in its classes, the Model of its faculty, the Inspiration of its students.
Queen of Angels Regional Catholic School (QOA) offers an excellent academic program through the Office of Catholic Education of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Financial aid is available to qualifying families. If you are interested in having your child/ren attend QOA, visit our website at www.qoaschool.org.
Following the 9 a.m. Mass today, we are hosting an Open House in which you can experience for yourself why we believe that QOA is the place to be. We are blessed with dedicated, qualified, faith-filled teachers who give over 100% for the benefit of their students. Father Windle, Father Janton, the Board of Limited Jurisdiction and our Home and School support and encourage the hard work of our faculty and staff. Finally, we love our terrific students and provide them with an A+ faith-based and enriching academic foundation that will serve them throughout their lives.
Parishioners, we are most grateful for your continued prayers and support. We could not do it without you! You are remembered each day in our morning prayers. Please stop over after the 9 a.m. Mass to see all the upgrades that have been made to our school. In this season of Thanksgiving, the QOA school community thanks you, wonderful Parishioners, for all you are and do for QOA! May God bless you and your loved ones in a special way.
Saturday November 13th 4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners
Sunday November 14th 7:00 am Intentions of the Presider 9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19 11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider 5:30 pm Intentions of the Presider
Monday November 15th St. Albert the Great 6:30 am † Lorraine M. Hendricks
Tuesday November 16th St. Margaret of Scotland; St. Gertrude the Great 6:30 am † Dean Jensen
Wednesday November 17th St. Elizabeth of Hungary 6:30 am † Sandra DeLaurentis
Thursday November 18th Dedication of the Basilicas of Ss. Peter & Paul 6:30 am † Mary E. Mergen
Friday November 19th 6:30 am † Peter Flood
Saturday November 20th 8:00 am † Monahan and Zuefle Families
Remembering in our Prayers… … all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Robert Farrell, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, John Flickinger, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Marie Hagan, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Pat Kensey, Msgr. Michael Flood, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.
When I was a young man, I started my first real job at the new UPS Hub in Horsham as a loader of trunks and a package sorter. I could not count anymore on my parents’ car to get there every day and I could not afford to buy my own car. I ended up buying a motorcycle from a friend of mine. I drove that motorcycle everywhere and in any kind of weather. It gave me a type of freedom I had not had before. If you are familiar with motorcycles, you know that a gas tank on a motorcycle has a reserve tank. There is a switch you flip if you run out of gas using the main tank, allowing you to run on the reserve to get to gas station to fuel up. Now this may be a good idea for most people, but in my head, I thought, I don’t need gas, I have a reserve. “E” stands for enough. I can’t tell you the number of times I ran out of gas with that motorcycle. I ended up pushing it many times and also had my mom bring fuel to me multiple times. I was always counting on my reserve but having a reserve ended up not getting me to my destination.
Just last week we heard Christ tell us to love His Father with all our heart, with all our minds, and with all our strength. Notice Jesus did not say, “… put a little bit of thought, a little bit of heart and a little bit of strength and that is how to love God.” He uses the word “all”. This means you have nothing left because you have given everything. Our journey with Christ back to His Father we must be all in. Nothing left in reserve to reach our destination. This is so difficult for us to do. As Americans we always want a back up plan. A fail safe. When it comes to our relationship with God, we can’t count on a reserve. What we must do is follow Jesus’ love commandment and go all in. This takes true faith and total trust in God. This means giving up control.
The widow woman from the first reading today was living a difficult life with her son, barely surviving day to day. Elijah’s request to her was surely a death sentence but with total trust in God, she gave Elijah all she had. She did not give Elijah just a portion of what she had; she gave it all. She kept nothing in reserve. She was rewarded greatly for this. We need to follow this women’s example and be all in with our love for God and each other trusting in God we will get to our destination…Our reunion with our Heavenly Father.
May Jesus live in our hearts forever. Deacon Chris
Saturday November 6th 4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners
Sunday November 7th 7:00 am Intentions of the Presider 9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19 11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider
Monday November 8th 6:30 am † Richard Gusherowski
Tuesday November 9th Dedication of the Lateran Basilica 6:30 am † Stella Cox
Wednesday November 10th St. Leo the Great 6:30 am † David McInerney
Thursday November 11th St. Martin of Tours 6:30 am † Michael J. Mergen – 50th Anniversary
Friday November 12th St. Josaphat 6:30 am † Eleanor McAnulty
Saturday November 13th 8:00 am † Deceased members of the Link & Simpson Families
Remembering in our Prayers… … all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Teresa Riegal, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Robert Farrell, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, John Flickinger, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Marie Hagan, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Pat Kensey, Msgr. Michael Flood, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.
Christ gave us the first commandment to love God with “all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The next is to “love your neighbor as yourself.” The Gospel today is a reflection of what Immaculée Ilibagiza will share during her presentation in December. In order to love fully, we need to forgive and open our hearts to be able to give and receive it. It can be easy to say that you love someone when everything is going well and right in the world. What do you do though when the storms roll in and the waves begin crashing overhead? What do you do when you feel unbearable pain because someone has deeply offended you or hurt you? We need to orient our hearts to love and forgiveness in order to grow in deeper relationship with God. He has called us to love as He loves, deeply and unconditionally. Jesus died on the cross and forgave. We are called to do the same, to bear the pain and still pour out our love.
We must be open to Christ’s love and forgiveness. How else are we supposed to ensure that our hearts are fixed on the Lord than by forgiving those who have may have hurt us? On Wednesday, December 15th, at St. David Church, Immaculée Ilibagiza will share her inspiring triumph over hatred during the Rwandan genocide of the 1990s. Locked in a tiny, cramped bathroom for 91 days with seven other women, she hid from neighbors and former classmates she had once considered friends, who were determined to eradicate her race.
Immaculée clung to the rosary beads given to her by her devout Catholic father as he commanded her to flee to a neighbor’s house for safety. All Immaculée did, day after day, hour after hour, was pray, especially Our Lady’s Rosary. How could she forgive those she had once considered neighbors and friends that now ran rampant slaughtering innocent villagers, people the savage murderers once called friends, family? Through intense prayer and her fight for the will to live, Immaculée was graced with God’s gift of love to forgive and felt an incredible sense of peace overcome her and settle on her heart.
By listening to Immaculée’s powerful presentation, the hope is that she may inspire forgiveness in your heart for past hurts that you may struggle with to let go. Her experience is an intense encounter that may seem impossible to some, but how often do you struggle with forgiving pain that has been inflicted by a coworker, a friend, or even a family member? How often do you struggle with forgiving yourself?
Forgiveness does not mean we have to forget the hurt we have endured, but without forgiveness, we are unable to connect our hearts fully to the Father’s. Immaculée recognized this through her prayer of the Rosary as she remembered how Christ carried our burdens and forgave our sins on His cross over two thousand years ago. If Christ can forgive all those who have turned their backs on him, if Immaculée can forgive the murderers of her friends and family, can you examine your heart and forgive those who have wronged you?
Saturday October 30th 4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners
Sunday October 31st 7:00 am Intentions of the Presider 9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19 11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider
Monday November 1st All Saints 6:30 am † Dorothy Galow
Tuesday November 2nd All Souls 6:30 am † Frances G. Ostien
Wednesday November 3rd St. Martin de Porres 6:30 am † Edward Fitzpatrick
Thursday November 4th St. Charles Borromeo 6:30 am † Harry O’Brien
Friday November 5th 6:30 am † Brian Lumpkin
Saturday November 6th 8:00 am † Albert Anderson
Remembering in our Prayers… … all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Teresa Riegal, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Robert Farrell, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, John Flickinger, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Marie Hagan, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Marisa Buccini, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.
… all those who are deceased… Stephen McCarthy, Ralph Storti, Kevin Burke, & Barbara Wade.
What is Bartimaeus willing to do? The blind beggar Bartimaeus hears that Jesus of Nazareth is walking by him and cries out, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.” The crowd is honored that Jesus was visiting their town of Jericho and didn’t want the cries of a poor, blind beggar to spoil Jesus’ impression of them. Therefore, they tell him to be quiet and stop embarrassing them. Bartimaeus is not discouraged and calls out even louder, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.” Jesus responds, “Call him.” Bartimaeus, being the most courageous person there, threw aside his cloak, sprang up and came to Jesus. Many Scripture Scholars think that the throwing aside of his cloak is symbolic of his desire to be completely transparent to the Lord. Bartimaeus wanted Jesus to see everything about him. He did not want to hide anything from Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you? Jesus asks. “Master, I want to see.” Jesus responds, “Go, your faith has saved you.” Immediately, Bartimaeus receives his sight and follows Jesus on the way to Jerusalem.
How are we like Bartimaeus? We may have physical infirmities that we want Jesus to heal. However, we may feel like we have spiritual blindness, rather than physical ailments, that keeps us from growing in our relationship with God, family members and others. Anyone who struggles with addiction or family problems knows what it means to call out to Jesus for help. Sometimes our pride can get in the way of an encounter with Jesus. Like Bartimaeus, we need to be persistent in prayer, and not give up hope or listen to the culture around us which expects us to be quiet, help ourselves or even tries to convince us that vice is virtue. When we call out to Jesus for spiritual healing, are we willing to throw aside our cloaks and be completely transparent before Him? The ego does not like to be completely transparent to Jesus or to anyone else. If we desire to receive the Lord’s gift of spiritual healing, we must allow Jesus to be the Savior and Divine Physician of every aspect of our lives, especially in the areas we are not proud of. Jesus gave us the Sacrament of Reconciliation, as a way for people to throw aside the cloak, and allow Jesus’ reign in every corner of our souls. Finally, after Bartimaeus received his sight, he chose not to go back to his former way of life.
Once Jesus answers his prayers, Bartimaeus follows Jesus on the way. He embraces a new life of following Jesus. Similarly, when Jesus offers us spiritual or physical healing, grace and spiritual sight, we are called to move away from our former way of doing things and joyfully follow Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life. What are the areas of spiritual blindness that I need to present to the Lordfor healing? Can we finally hear the encouraging words of the Gospel in our hearts, “Take courage, get up, Jesus is calling you”? Can we be completely transparent to the Lord, allowing his grace into every aspect of our lives, especially the areas we are not proud of? Whatever difficulties or sufferings we are experiencing, look at Jesus on the Cross and ponder what He was willing to suffer for us. That is how much He loves us. How much do we love Him?How much do we trust Him? As we reflect on the crosses we carry, and the witness of Bartimaeus, the most important question becomes, if we are sitting on the side of the road right now and Jesus is passing by us, what are we willing to do to get his attention?
May God love and bless you! Sr. Kathleen Fitzpatrick, IHM
