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

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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.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

What Are We Willing To Do?

           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 Lord for 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

Saturday October 23rd St. John of Capistrano
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday October 24th
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider

Monday October 25th
6:30 am † Anthony & Adelina Macaluso

Tuesday October 26th
6:30 am † John Fitzpatrick

Wednesday October 27th
6:30 am † Anthony & Adelina Macaluso

Thursday October 28th St. Simon & St. Jude
6:30 am † Kyle Cassidy

Friday October 29th
6:30 am † Bill Hallman

Saturday October 30th
8:00 am † Richard C. Noel

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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, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

⁺Dear Saint David Parishioners,

         I write this reflection on the anniversary of my dear Aunt Margaret’s death (10/10/94), Sister Joseph Anne Chapman, IHM, who was principal at Saint David School over 40 years ago. I remember visiting her here as a young college student. She loved her time at Saint David Parish. I think she pulled some strings in heaven to have me missioned here so that I too could experience what a great parish and school we have.

        What makes this parish and regional school so special? I believe it is the deep faith in God that people pass on to the next generation through the parish PREP program and Queen of Angels Regional Catholic School. We know it is a financial sacrifice to send a child to a Catholic school, but where else can a student experience a faith-based education 180 days of the year? The Catholic faith is not just a subject to be taught in our school, it is a way of life, lived day in and day out through daily prayer, by acts of kindness toward one another and the school community, and through service to others by means of various service projects. We say, and I do believe that, “QOA is the place to be!”

        Just as Jesus reminds all of us in today’s Gospel, we, as Parishioners, Parents, PREP and QOA Students, are called to serve one another in love. May we with God’s grace “hold fast to our confession” … so that we may “confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help” (Hebrews 4:14-16). Thanks, Aunt Marg, for helping me to experience the goodness and faith of the Saint David Parish Community and Queen of Angels School.

In Mary’s Immaculate Heart, I am,
Sister Mary

Queen of Angels Mission Statement: Recited at morning prayer each day.

Queen of Angels is a Christ-centered school with the Blessed Mother as our model. Today with God’s grace we will work to the best of our ability and treat one another with kindness and respect. We thrive as a school community when we put our faith into action through service to others. Mary, Queen of Angels, pray for us.

Saturday October 16th St. Hedwig; St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday October 17th
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider

Monday October 18th St. Luke the Evangelist
6:30 am † Mary H. Garrett

Tuesday October 19th
St. Paul of the Cross; Ss. Jean de Brébeuf, Isaac Jogues & companions
6:30 am † Betty Fein

Wednesday October 20th
6:30 am † Teresa McFadden

Thursday October 21st
6:30 am † Lorraine M. Hendricks

Friday October 22nd St. John Paul II
6:30 am † Thomas Dugan

Saturday October 23rd St. John of Capistrano
8:00 am † Phyllis M. Talese

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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, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

How do we get to Heaven?

      One of my favorite books of all time was written by Wilson Rawls called “Where the Red Fern Grows.” It is about a young boy who dreams of owning coonhounds to become a champion raccoon hunter. I loved this book so much that as soon as I was old enough to buy my own coonhound, I did. This book, though, is so much more than just about buying a dog. It reveals many other things like hard work, dedication, and the importance of family, love, and sacrifice. In one part of the book, the young boy, Billy, needs to catch a raccoon to aid in training his dogs. His grandfather explains to him how to catch one while revealing a life lesson to Billy. He tells his grandson to drill a hole in a log, big enough for a raccoon to get his paw into. Then drive nails on an angle to the hole so that the sharp part of the nail protrudes into the hole. Then place something shiny into the hole. A raccoon will come along and, because they are so inquisitive, it will reach into the hole to grab the shiny object. He will be unable to get his paw out once he grasps the object because his closed paw will be stopped by the nails. He is now trapped. The raccoon will not let go even though letting go will save his life. I think Wilson Rawls must have been thinking of our Gospel today as he was writing this part of his book.

The rich man from today’s story wants to do just enough to get into Heaven. He has and will continue to obey God’s laws; yet, he cannot let go of the earthly wealth he has acquired, his riches. Jesus wants him to be all in. The only way to get to Heaven is to let go of earthly possessions. Our true and complete happiness can only be found in Heaven. Evidence of this is that the young man went away sad even though he still had all his riches.
       I am not saying that we are not meant to be happy on earth, but true happiness is found when we let go and follow Jesus to His Heavenly Kingdom. We see this throughout Scripture, from Abraham leaving his home to Peter leaving his nets. We also see this witness to happiness in the lives of all the saints, whose title of “Saint” itself tells us that they are in Heaven.
The young man’s first mistake was that he wanted to “inherit” Heaven. To inherit something means to just to be given something with no action on your part. For the rich man to receive the gifts offered by God, he needed to let go of the shiny things of this world, pull his hand out and live.

We need to do the same.

May Jesus live in our hearts forever.
Deacon Chris

Saturday October 9^th St. Denis & companions, St. John Leonardi
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday October 10^th
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider

Monday October 11^th St. John XXIII
6:30 am Don and Linda Nichols 41^st Wedding Anniversary

Tuesday October 12^th
6:30 am † David McInerney

Wednesday October 13^th
6:30 am † Myrtle Dugan

Thursday October 14^th St. Callistus I
6:30 am † Joseph Garofalo

Friday October 15^th St. Teresa of Jesus
6:30 am † Joseph Gerardi -10th Anniversary

Saturday October 16^th St. Hedwig, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
8:00 am † John Moulder – 2nd Anniversary

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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, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased… Joseph Melcher and Nancy Walsh

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

This Advent season St. David Parish welcomes Immaculée Ilibagiza to share her miraculous story on finding forgiveness through God’s mercy.

Immaculée Ilibagiza was born and raised in a small village in Rwanda, Africa. She enjoyed a peaceful childhood with her loving parents and three brothers. In the Spring of 1994, civil war erupted among the Rwandan tribes.

To protect his only daughter from rape and murder, Immaculée’s father told her to run to a local pastor’s house for protection. The pastor quickly sheltered Immaculée and seven other women in a hidden 3 x 4-foot bathroom. For the next 91 days, Immaculée and the other women huddled silently in this small room, while the genocide of her people raged outside the home and throughout the country.

While in hiding, anger and resentment were destroying Immaculée’s mind, body and spirit. It was then that Immaculée turned to prayer. Prior to going to the pastor’s home, Immaculée’s father, a devout Catholic, gave her a set of rosary beads. She began to pray the rosary as a way of drowning out the anger inside her, and the evil outside the house. It was that turning point towards God and away from hate that saved Immaculée.

After the genocide, Immaculée came face-to-face with the man who killed her mother and one of her brothers. After enduring months of physical, mental and spiritual suffering, Immaculée was still able to offer the unthinkable, telling the man, “I forgive you.”

Today, Immaculée is regarded as one of world’s leading speakers on faith, hope and forgiveness. She has shared this universal message with world leaders, school children, multinational corporations, churches, and at events and conferences around the world.

Several years ago, I started feeling that God was calling me to a different role in the Church. I wasn’t sure what that was just yet, but I decided to be open to whatever he had in mind for me. As time progressed, I felt a call to the Permanent Diaconate, and after discerning this feeling with my wife Kathy, I applied to be accepted into the formation program.

Now, 3 years into my formation, I have been called to the Ministry of the Word. This is one of the three ministries that form the pillars of the Diaconate (Ministry of the Word, Ministry of the Altar, Ministry of Charity) and an important step on my way to, God willing, ordination as a Permanent Deacon. On September 18, I was instituted as a Lector for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

The Church recognizes a diversity of offices in the celebration of the Mass and this is shown outwardly by the diversity of vestments. The common vestment for ordained and instituted ministers is the alb (white garment) and cincture (a rope tied around the waist). Over the alb, the celebrating priest wears a stole around his neck, hanging down in front, and over this he wears a colorful chasuble that indicates the character of the mysteries of faith that are being celebrated. The deacon wears a stole over his alb, diagonal from his left shoulder to his right side, and a dalmatic that matches the liturgical color scheme of the priest’s chasuble.

As a candidate for ordination as a permanent deacon and as instituted lector, I am asked to take the important step of becoming comfortable with being vested in alb and cincture, and taking my place in the sanctuary throughout the Mass. I am excited (and a bit nervous) to take this step in my formation and to be able to share it with the entire congregation.

I am very blessed to be able to join the ranks of lectors, and pray that I may proclaim the Word of God well. I humbly ask for your prayers through the rest of my formation, and that if it is God’s will, I may be ordained in 2025. Be assured of my prayers for you all.

Kris Van Hees

Saturday October 2nd Guardian Angels
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday October 3rd
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider

Monday October 4th St. Francis of Assisi
6:30 am † John & James Tobin

Tuesday October 5th
6:30 am † Nicholas Soccodato

Wednesday October 6th St. Bruno
6:30 am † Mary Swanick

Thursday October 7th Our Lady of the Rosary
6:30 am † Daniele DeSantis

Friday October 8th
6:30 am † Christopher Fessey

Saturday October 9th St. Denis & companions; St. John Leonardi
8:00 am † John Suchanic

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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, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

You are Mine

        At the end of each of our earthly lives, we will either hear Jesus say “You are mine” or hear Satan say “You are mine.” There is a constant battle going on in our lives between good and evil. Through His cross, Jesus has won the battle, but it is up to us now to accept His grace and live as those redeemed by Jesus. There are certainly manifestations of grace and manifestations of evil all around us, but we can take the side of Jesus in the battle for our lives by overcoming sin and temptation.
        How do we overcome sin and temptation? If something is leading us into temptation and sin then we avoid that. Perhaps, for some people, alcohol is an occasion of sin because it leads one to commit sin. For others, it could be an internet site, magazine, or other forms of media which present various sins as glamorous. This could gradually break down our defenses to the point where we convince ourselves that certain sins are okay. Jesus is asking us to reflect on our lives to see if anything is leading us in the wrong direction and take steps to remedy it.
        Apart from avoiding the occasions of sin, we can also strengthen ourselves against evil in many ways. We can pray to overcome sin. The greatest prayer is the Mass. St. Pope John Paul II said, “Every Eucharistic Celebration is stronger than all the evil in the universe. It means real, concrete accomplishment of redemption and even deeper reconciliation of sinful man with God in prospect of a better world.”
        Reading Sacred Scripture is also a great remedy because there we encounter God’s words to us, His love letter to us. Our Blessed Mother has repeatedly told us in her apparitions that praying the Rosary is a powerful weapon against Satan. When we pray the Rosary, we let Mary take us to her Son, Jesus. Holy Water is a powerful sacramental that helps protect us from evil. Every time we bless ourselves with Holy Water, we are imploring our Triune God to protect us from evil.
        There is a battle going on in the lives of each of us, a battle between good and evil. Through His cross Jesus has won the battle, but it is up to us now to accept His grace and live as those redeemed by Jesus. Jesus is asking us to reflect on our lives to see if anything is leading us in the wrong direction, and if so, to take steps to remedy occasions of sin and live in the grace of Jesus so that we may hear Him say to us at the end, “You are mine.”

May God love and bless you!                                                                               
Sr. Kathleen Fitzpatrick, IHM                             

Saturday September 25th
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday September 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 September 27th St. Vincent de Paul
6:30 am † Lawrence J. Tobin

Tuesday September 28th St. Wenceslaus; Ss. Lawrence Ruiz & companions
6:30 am † Tommy Lasorta

Wednesday September 29th Ss. Michael, Gabriel, & Raphael
6:30 am † The Kotoun & Steinmeyer families

Thursday September 30th St. Jerome
6:30 am † Traute McGarry

Friday October 1st St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus
6:30 am † Joseph Garofalo

Saturday October 2nd Guardian Angels
8:00 am † Deceased members of the Gusherowski family

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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, Mike Dunn, Robert Farrell, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, John Flickinger, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, James Hoctor, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Marie Hagan, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased, remembering Alfred Messina, Patricia Stayt, Adele Tiburzio, and Joan Lesher.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

⁺Dear Saint David Parishioners,

            It is human nature that sometimes when someone who has our best interest at heart points out a fault that we need to correct, we may get defensive and/or critical. Saint James points out in his letter today the tough truth that selfishness and pride are rooted from within. No one makes us have feelings of envy, hatred, or obnoxiousness. It comes from within – ouch!

         Jesus knew the ins and outs of being human, yet He did not sin. He prepared His apostles for what was to come – His Crucifixion and Resurrection. This was difficult for the apostles to hear, and they didn’t ask Jesus for any explanations, but continued on their journey. When they reached their Capernaum destination, Jesus asked the apostles, “What were you arguing about on the way?” No one spoke up, most likely because they realized that Jesus would not have approved of their petty conversation of who among them was the greatest. He taught them in a variety of ways and provided examples that the greatest is the one who is willing to be the servant of all. Jesus didn’t chastise them, rather, He used an actual child this time to try and get His point across. Jesus said, “Whoever receives one child such as this in My name, receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but the One who sent Me.”

       What is so special about children that Jesus wants us to imitate them? Obviously, it is not to be childish, but childlike, which means to be honest, trusting, loving, curious, accepting, and compassionate, to name just a few of the virtues of young children. I see how special children are to their parents each day as their child/children are dropped off and picked up at school. The looks of love of parents and children as they kiss and hug goodbye and the squeals of pure joy when they get picked up at the end of the day is beautiful to witness. Just as young children give their complete trust to their parents, Jesus wants us to be dependent upon Him, surrendering all our cares and concerns to Him, and trusting that His love and guidance is with us every step of life’s journey.

      Therefore, this week, let us take an honest look at ourselves, not in condemnation, but in truth, since none of us are perfect, and ask Jesus to give us the graces we need to become more like Him – the Servant of all. Then and only then, may we experience some of the freedom, simplicity, and carefreeness that the childlike enjoy! Give yourself permission to let go and relish in the spontaneity of the young, no matter your age. If you are not sure how, ask or observe a child and you’ll soon discover how thrilling it is to be childlike.

In Mary’s Immaculate Heart, I am,
Sister Mary

Saturday September 18th
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday September 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 September 20th St. Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang, & Companions
6:30 am † George Hill

Tuesday September 21st St. Matthew
6:30 am † James McAnulty

Wednesday September 22nd
6:30 am † Ernest and Mary Kroupa

Thursday September 23rd St. Pio of Petrelcina
6:30 am † Helen Duffy & Helen Janke

Friday September 24th
6:30 am † Katherine Ippi

Saturday September 25th
8:00 am † Louis Troisi—16th Anniversary

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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, Mike Dunn, Robert Farrell, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, John Flickinger, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, James Hoctor, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Marie Hagan, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Alfred Messina, Ray Wilson, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Where can we see Jesus?

The past few years of our lives have been extremely challenging.  From a controversial election, to the battle with COVID, to the most recent events happening in Afghanistan, we can’t seem to catch a break these days. On top of all that we have the destruction caused by the horrible wildfires out west and the aftermath of Hurricane Ida.  When we turn on the news, we continue to be bombarded and almost encouraged to be overwhelmed by the racial unrest, rise in crime, growing inflation, and a multitude of other worries.  Sometimes we find ourselves saying, “Where are you God?” The answer to this question can be found through the same grace Peter is given today.  The grace to recognize Christ.  If we look, we can easily find Him. 

 Jesus can be found in our health care workers.  These people go to work each day with all the uncertainty of COVID and take care of our loved ones who are ill.  Jesus can be found in the mothers and fathers who have had to create a classroom at home for their children and still have all the responsibilities of their jobs.  Jesus can be found in the fire fighters who risk their own lives to protect not only us, but also our homes and properties.  Jesus can be found in our police officers who still go to work every day putting their lives on the line even though they may be unpopular in the communities they serve.  Jesus can be found in our teachers who had to find a new way to bring education to our children.  Jesus can be found in our soldiers past, present, and future.  To lay down one’s life so others can live is the very essence of Christ. 

I know I have left some excellent examples of Christ around us, and just in the short list I have given, I think a point is made.  Jesus is around us more and with us during troubling times and good times.  He is always there when we need Him most and He will always be here at Church in His body, us, in His Word and in the Holy Eucharist. 

May Jesus live in our hearts forever. 
Deacon Chris

Saturday September 11th
4:00 pm † 20th Anniversary of the Victims of 9/11

Sunday September 12th
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Parishioners

Monday September 13th St. John Chrysostom
6:30 am † James M. Heilman Sr.

Tuesday September 14th Triumph of the Holy Cross
6:30 am † Natalie Kolin

Wednesday September 15th Our Lady of Sorrows
6:30 am † Richard Miller

Thursday September 16th St. Cornelius
6:30 am † Dean Jensen

Friday September 17th St. Robert Bellarmine
6:30 am † Marie Brown

Saturday September 18th
8:00 am † Francis and Louise Lindgren

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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, Mike Dunn, Robert Farrell, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, John Flickinger, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, James Hoctor, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Marie Hagan, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

“And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him.”

What do we want Jesus to do for us right now? Some might say they want a miracle from him. Others might want him to feed the poor, like when He took five fish and a couple loaves to feed five thousand men. Some others might want Him to heal people who have diseases like He did for the deaf man today. A lot might say we need Him to clean out the Church like He did when He cleaned out the temple. We all have something that we want Him to do for us, but how many of us want Him to die for our sins?

During Jesus’ time on earth when people learned of the miracles that He was performing, they went to Him so that maybe He could fix their problems. Jesus did not fix everything, at least not in the way they wanted. That is not why He came to world. Instead, He became the most vulnerable for us. God surrender to death by being nailed to a piece of wood, that is the most powerful thing that Jesus ever did for us. He allowed death to swallow Him up and because of that act of self-giving love, He gave all of us the opportunity for everlasting life with Him!

This week spend some time thinking about and reflecting on what we want from Jesus and then ask Him to show us how His cross is much more loving. Why? Because even if Jesus did all the miracles we wanted him to do, death would still be the end of life!! The big deal about Jesus is that He took on the punishment that we deserved, so that death on earth would not be the end of life!

His miracles, His teaching, His way of life on earth always pointed to The Cross. His death and resurrection were the greatest moments in human history, and we are called to follow Him. If we are called to follow him, then we have to learn to make it the greatest moment in our lives. We have to strive to be willing to do the same thing He did for others, because God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Can we do our part and take up our crosses and lovingly follow Him?

Saturday September 4th
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday September 5th
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider

Monday September 6th
8:00 am † John Neary

Tuesday September 7th
6:30 am † Lorraine M. Hendricks

Wednesday September 8th
Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary
6:30 am † Stephen Sabo

Thursday September 9th
St. Peter Claver
6:30 am † Paul Gombeda III

Friday September 10th
6:30 am † Deceased members of Reilly & McMahon Family

Saturday September 11th
8:00 am † Harry Weckerly, Sr.

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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, Mike Dunn, Robert Farrell, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, John Flickinger, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, James Hoctor, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Marie Hagan, Ed Bergan and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Faith Through Love

        In our Scripture Readings this Sunday, Jesus reminds us that the greatest way to live out our faith is through love. The obligations of our faith provide us opportunities to love, honor and praise the Lord. They are meant to aid us in deepening our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We are called to love God with our whole heart and not to simply go through the motions by “honoring God with our lips.”

        St. James reminds us in our second reading how to do just that, as he proclaims, “All good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” He is reminding us that each day is an opportunity to respond to God’s infinite love for us with love and gratitude in return. If we approach our relationship with Jesus with this in mind, then we begin to realize that the gift of the Mass is an opportunity to worship God, the sacraments are ways to draw us closer to Him, and His commandments are opportunities to love Him more faithfully. When we embrace each moment with this in mind, then we begin to see just how many blessings God has given us.

        Looking at life through the lens of gratitude helps us to see each moment as a gift with endless opportunities to respond in love. It begins by rising each day with a prayer of thanksgiving, offering our daily tasks as a prayer to the Lord, seeking ways to share our gifts and talents with others, saying a prayer of thanksgiving before meals, sharing a word of affirmation, or taking time to reflect on how much God loves us and how we can best love Him in return. This is how we ought to live our lives – by recognizing them as a gift and an opportunity to love God in response to how He has loved us.

        Let us look into our hearts and ask ourselves why we live our faith the way we do. Let us strive to pray earnestly, attend Mass with love and devotion, serve others out of love for God and recognize just how blessed we are. It is in these simple moments that we love extraordinarily and honor God wholeheartedly.

May God love and bless you!
Sr. Kathleen Fitzpatrick, IHM