In today’s Gospel (Mt 22:15-21), Jesus asks the conniving Pharisees who are trying to trip Him up in his payment of taxes, “Whose image is on the coin?… Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” Whose image do we resemble, that of Christ or that of what the world expects us to be? Each of us must answer this soul-searching question for him/herself.
We know, or we hope to resemble, Jesus by the love and concern we show to our family and neighbors. But if we are honest, frequently we give more priority to what society tells us is important, such as, the compilation of material wealth, power, or prestige. We know these things do not provide true happiness and often, in pursuit of these so-called worldly treasures, time is taken away from what we should really be focused on – deepening our relationship with God and with our family. Children, as they mature, will be most grateful for the gift of time that Mom and Dad provided through special family traditions, such as, celebrating the liturgical seasons, game/movie nights, birthday surprises, visiting relatives, family vacations, and enjoying nature walks together. These wholesome experiences and more provide a firm foundation of love, support, and acceptance that is so needed in our often-unsettling world today.
In this beautiful autumn season, enjoy a nature walk and as a family, discover how many different colored leaves you find in a walk through the neighborhood or local park. Appreciate the bright array of God’s creation together and share with one another what such beauty does for the soul. Carefree conversations pave the way for deeper discussions when needed. Let us strive more earnestly to spend time in praising God for the glory of His creation and in giving the precious gift of quality time to our families.
Saturday October 17th St. Ignatius of Antioch 4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners
Sunday October 18th 9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19 11:00 am Intentions of the Presider
Monday October 19th Ss. Jean de Brébeuf, Isaac Jogues & companions St. Paul of the Cross 6:30 am † Rose & Louis Durante
Tuesday October 20th 6:30 am Intentions of Charlie & Rosemary Samtmann
Wednesday October 21st 6:30 am † Eileen M. Frankenfield
Thursday October 22nd St. John Paul II 6:30 am † Thomas Dugan
Friday October 23rd St. John of Capistrano 6:30 am † Marie Staurowsky
Saturday October 24th St. Anthony Mary Claret 8:00 am † Anthony & Adelina Mascaluso
Changes to the Daily Mass Intentions We have rescheduled the weekend mass intentions, so that no intentions are missed. Sunday mass will be offered for the Intentions of Saint David Parishioners.
Edward Lydon 4th Anniversary Sun., Oct.25th @ 9 AM à Mon., Oct. 26th @ 8 AM
Remembering in our Prayers… … all those who are sick … Josephine Gallo, Mary Trauger, Helen Jurkiewicz, Loretta Boyle, Al Messina, Mike Dunn, John Flickinger, Edward Pulaski, Margaret DeLucas, James Behan, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.
… all those who are deceased … Mary Denno & Teresa McFadden.
We are all called by God. He has such wonderful things prepared for us and he longs to share it with us all. He has been calling out to mankind since we left his presence in the Garden. Scripture tells us of the multiple prophets who call out to the people in His name. Calling His people to live as He told us to live. He longs so much for us he even sent the dearest thing to heart to give us His message, His only Son. It is easy to see the roles of the prophets and Jesus in today’s Gospel. What is not as easy to see is the role we may play ourselves in this Gospel. Are we the people who hear God call to the banquet but just ignore it? We know what happens to those people. Are we the person who hears the call and goes through the motions, but is not truly prepared for the banquet. If we are, will we be speechless when asked why we’re not prepared? Are we the one of the people who hears the King’s call and comes ready to receive the gifts of the King? We have all three choices and the thing about a choice is that it falls on us to make it. It is through our own actions.
When my wife and I were a young married couple, we found ourselves away from the Church. We were not attending Mass and if we did it was usually a holiday or maybe a wedding. Then we found ourselves waiting for our son to be born. We felt so very blessed. When he was born we went to the Church to have him baptized. It was what we were supposed to do, right? But then the priest who was interviewing us for the baptism asked us “why?” “Why do you want this child baptized? You are not attending Church or celebrating the sacraments. You are just going through the motions.” It was an incredible revelation to my wife and me, but we wanted something for our child we knew was so true. My wife and I made a life changing decision. We came back to the Church and embraced all of its teachings. If we were going to call ourselves Catholics, we were going to live as Catholics.
The awesomeness of God is that he would never ask something of us without giving us the means or tools to do it. The Church is here to not only to sound the call of God, but to help us dress for the banquet. Pray. Embrace our faith. Embrace the sacraments. They are there so we can enjoy the eternal banquet with our one and true king. Jesus Christ.
May Jesus live in our hearts, forever! Deacon Chris
Saturday October 10th 4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners
Sunday October 11th 9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19 11:00 am Intentions of the Presider
Monday October 12th 6:30 am † Myrtle Dugan
Tuesday October 13th 6:30 am † Laura Forrest
Wednesday October 14th St. Callistus I 6:30 am † Joey Joyce
Thursday October 15thSt. Teresa of Jesus 6:30 am † Deceased members of the Link & Simpson Families
Friday October 16th St. Hedwig & St. Margaret Mary Alacoque 6:30 am † Raymond & Anna Katona
Saturday October 17th St. Ignatius of Antioch 8:00 am † Joseph Garofalo
Changes to the Daily Mass Intentions We have rescheduled the weekend mass intentions, so that no intentions are missed. Sunday mass will be offered for the Intentions of Saint David Parishioners.
Joseph Garofalo Sun., Oct. 18th @ 9AM à Sat., Oct. 17th @ 9AM
Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Josephine Gallo, Mary Trauger, Helen Jurkiewicz, Theresa McFadden, Loretta Boyle, Al Messina, Mike Dunn, John Flickinger, Edward Pulaski, Margaret DeLucas, James Behan, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.
… all those who are deceased …
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
Sick List Information
Please call the office (215-657-0252) or email jmmarlin@stdavidparish.org or mmahon@stdavidparish.org if you would like to add or remove someone’s name from the prayer list. If you are aware of someone who is no longer sick please let us know so that we can ensure that there is room for others in need of prayer. Also, reducing the list allows for those who need prayer to be more apparent.
When I was in grade school, I loved the educational field trips. I loved them not just because it got me out of school, but because it helped me to open my mind and heart in a different perspective than the classroom could do for me. For instance, I remember in 8th grade we studied Untied States history and as a field trip we went to Washington, DC. We saw a lot of museums that day, but the one thing that we saw that still resonates within me was the Vietnam Memorial. This memorial is a little under 250 feet long and has a little more than 58,000 names engraved on it. This wall had a powerful simple way to honor and help us remember those who lost their lives in that awful war.
When my class and I got to the wall we started to look at it and casually read the names on it. At first, the names didn’t mean much to me. It didn’t mean much until I saw one of my friend’s dad, who was chaperoning us the trip, looking at the wall very differently than we were. He was examining it very seriously, searching for something. When he found what he was looking for, he went over to wall, pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket, and pressed the paper against wall. Then he started to rub a marker against the paper until there was a perfect image of the name that was on the wall on the piece of paper. He did that a few times down the wall and then, all of a sudden, he started to cry. His son went over to him and asked him if he was okay. His response was the reason why he was crying. The names on the piece of paper were some of his friends that died in that war.
When I witnessed this, I think that was the first time I really understood that war is not just something we study in books, see in movies, or read casually on a wall. The people who fought had lives, friends, parents and so much more life ahead of them. When I reflect on all of this, I think of today, as this day kicks off a month of respect life. The bishops of the United States each October ask for Catholics to help reflect and understand more, the value of all life from conception to natural death, and become engaged with building a culture that cherishesevery human life. This is a call for us to pray and act on the love of life, specifically for those lives that can’t fight for themselves.
In our country, we have lost sight of the dignity of human life in so many ways and we have especially lost sight of this for unborn babies. If we are not sure of that, imagine if we made the memorial wall, like that of the Vietnam wall, for all the aborted babies since 1973. If one were constructed, there would be more that 60,000,000 names on it. This wall would go from where it in stands in DC to Baltimore and back. This just seems too big to comprehend as this fight against this Goliath seems almost impossible to defeat. This is a huge spiritual warfare because our goal is not just to pray for abortion to be illegal, but to pray that everyone can lovingly see how precious life is from conception to natural death.
How do we win this impossible fight? Many times in scripture when God’s people seemed outnumbered and all hope was lost, God rescued his people through unexpected and courageous acts. One figure that comes to mind is King David. We all know the story of David and Goliath, where before David was king, he was an unexpected warrior, a shepherd, who used an unexpected weapon, a slingshot, to defeat the biggest army in the world and its biggest warrior Goliath. This shows that all things all possible with God.
Jesus Christ, in the human race, is an unexpected warrior and his unexpected weapon is the cross. Through the cross, he has engraved each of our names into his heart. He loves each one of us unconditionally and shows that he would rather die than spend all eternity without us as his memorial wall is in the zillions. Have we come to really know this yet? If so, what does His love for us inspire us to do for others? Are we willing to do the same as he does for us, especially for the unborn?God the Father, through the Holy Spirit, wants to show us the way. He wants to trace His Son’s passion and death into our hearts. This may be painful at times to accept, but the more we come to realize how much He loves each of us, the more we will treat others with the same dignity and respect that God treat us!
Saturday October 3rd 4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners
Sunday October 4th 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time 9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19 11:00 am Intentions of the Presider
Monday October 5th 6:30 am † Laura Forrest
Tuesday October 6th St. Bruno 6:30 am † Warren Fenstermacher
Wednesday October 7th Our Lady of the Rosary 6:30 am † Margaret M. Stewart
Thursday October 8th 6:30 am † Joe Kaputa
Friday October 9th St. Denis & companions & St. John Leonardi 6:30 am † William Dehan
Saturday October 10th 8:00 am † Margaret Lawton
Changes to the Daily Mass Intentions We have rescheduled the weekend mass intentions, so that no intentions are missed. Sunday mass will be offered for the Intentions of Saint David Parishioners. None rescheduled this week.
Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Josephine Gallo, Mary Trauger, Helen Jurkiewicz, Theresa McFadden, Loretta Boyle, Al Messina, Mike Dunn, John Flickinger, Edward Pulaski, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.
… all those who are deceased … Mary Lou Zappitelli.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
Sick List Information
Please call the office (215-657-0252) or email jmmarlin@stdavidparish.org or mmahon@stdavidparish.org if you would like to add or remove someone’s name from the prayer list. If you are aware of someone who is no longer sick please let us know so that we can ensure that there is room for others in need of prayer. Also, reducing the list allows for those who need prayer to be more apparent.
Our Scriptures this Sunday lead us to reflect on the well-known maxim: “Actions speak louder than words.” Ezekiel reminds us in the first reading that there is a path of life and a path of death. He tells us that it is the choices we make that determine the road we travel. So, the invitation is, choose well. Our decisions, the words we use, and our actions reflect who we truly are, what our values are and what our character consists of.
St. Paul tells us in Philippians that Jesus did not deem equality with God as something to be grasped at, so what happens? He says Jesus did something. He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave to save us from bondage. To liberate us, He showed his love to the point of death, even death on a cross. Jesus’ actions spoke louder than his words.
Jesus asks us in the Gospel reading, which of the two sons followed their father’s instruction? What was the answer? Actions speak louder than words. We all have a picture in our minds and hearts of who we are. The powerful question Jesus is reminding us to ask ourselves is: Do our actions reflect who we think we are? As we know, our world today is full of temptations and reckless behavior. In the name of freedom, our American culture presents a myriad of choices: some lead to life in the Spirit but sadly, many choices lead to death and destruction. There comes a time in life when we must say “no” to certain people or things and “yes” to other people or things in order to maintain the dignity we expect of ourselves and the self-worth God calls us to.
So, what does this mean as parishioners of St. David parish? Reflect on the fact that it is one thing to remember our baptismal vows, it is another thing to live our baptismal vows. If you are married, it is one thing to remember your wedding vows and it is another thing to live your wedding vows. For all of us, it is one thing to say we care about the poor and defenseless, the foreigner, the unborn to the elderly and every stage of life in between and it is another thing to be truly caring for the poor and defenseless through our actions. Here in the parish, it is one thing to say we are parishioners and another thing to be actively involved parishioners through our stewardship of time, talent and treasure. In all facets of life, it is good to consider whether our actions speak to who we think we are. Why is this so important? Faith, to be faith, must be practiced for: Actions speak louder than words.
Since our actions speak to who we truly are, St. Paul encourages us today in Philippians, “Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves.” That is perhaps the best advice for anyone who wants to be happy in this life. In conclusion, the summary of this Sunday’s Gospel reading could be that powerful quote attributed to St. Francis Assisi whose feast day is next week, “Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.”
Saturday September 26thSs. Cosmas & Damian 4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners
Sunday September 27th 9:00 am For those affected by COVID-21 11:00 am Intentions of the Presider
Monday September 28thSt. Wenceslaus and Ss. Lawrence Ruiz & companions 6:30 am † Vittorio Del Bon 7th Anniversary
Tuesday September 29th Ss. Michael, Gabriel & Raphael 6:30 am † Angelina Teixeria Uveia Veiga
Wednesday September 30th St. Jerome 6:30 am † Margaret M. Stewart
Thursday October 1st St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus 6:30 am † Joseph Garofalo
Friday October 2nd Guardian Angels 6:30 am † Maureen ‘Bean’ Gibbons
Saturday October 3rd 8:00 am Monahan & Zuefle Families
Changes to the Daily Mass Intentions We have rescheduled the weekend mass intentions, so that no intentions are missed. Sunday mass will be offered for the Intentions of Saint David Parishioners.
Vittorio Del Bon Sun., Sept. 27th @ 11:30 AM to Mon., Sept. 28th @ 6:30 AM
Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Josephine Gallo, Mary Trauger, Helen Jurkiewicz, Theresa McFadden, Loretta Boyle, Al Messina, Mike Dunn, John Flickinger, Edward Pulaski, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.
… all those who are deceased … Eileen Frankenfield.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
Sick List Information
Please call the office (215-657-0252) or email jmmarlin@stdavidparish.org or mmahon@stdavidparish.org if you would like to add or remove someone’s name from the prayer list. If you are aware of someone who is no longer sick please let us know so that we can ensure that there is room for others in need of prayer. Also, reducing the list allows for those who need prayer to be more apparent.
Saturday September 19th St. Januarius 4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners
Sunday September 20th 9:00 am For those affected by COVID-20 11:00 am Intentions of the Presider
Monday September 21stSt. Matthew 6:30 am † Marie Brown
Tuesday September 22nd 6:30 am † Benny Jimenez
Wednesday September 23rdSt. Pio of Pietrelcina 6:30 am † Natalie Kolin
Thursday September 24th 6:30 am † June M. Lappe
Friday September 25th 6:30 am † Deceased Members of the Reilly Family
Saturday September 26thSs. Cosmas & Damian 8:00 am † Celso Primus
Changes to the Daily Mass Intentions We have rescheduled the weekend mass intentions, so that no intentions are missed. Sunday mass will be offered for the Intentions of Saint David Parishioners.
Marie Brown Sunday, September 20th @ 11:30 AM to Monday, September 21st @ 6:30 AM
Changes to the Daily Mass Intentions We have rescheduled the weekend mass intentions, so that no intentions are missed. Sunday mass will be offered for the Intentions of Saint David Parishioners.
Josephine Mehlbaum Sat., Sept. 12th @ 4 PM to Thurs., Sept. 17th @ 6:30 AM
Harry Weckerly, Sr. Sun., Sept. 13th @ 9 AM to Tues., Sept. 15th @ 6:30 AM
Mary Loughery Sun., Sept. 13th @ 11:30 AM to Wed., Sept. 16th @ 6:30 AM
Remembering in our Prayers… … all those who are sick … Josephine Gallo, Mary Trauger, Helen Jurkiewicz, Theresa McFadden, Loretta Boyle, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.
… all those who are deceased … Irma Hetrick, Donna Hartley, and Edward Fowler.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
Sick List Information
Please call the office (215-657-0252) or email jmmarlin@stdavidparish.org or mmahon@stdavidparish.org if you would like to add or remove someone’s name from the prayer list. If you are aware of someone who is no longer sick please let us know so that we can ensure that there is room for others in need of prayer. Also, reducing the list allows for those who need prayer to be more apparent.
On this 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, we realize in today’s readings that God wants to be found by us. He is always watching, waiting, and inviting us to come to Him with all of our joys, worries, concerns, and problems; otherwise, why would He have inspired the Prophet Isaiah to write: “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call Him while He is near.”
Jesus is within each one of us. He is not going to force Himself upon us, but He does send us invites if we are open to receiving them. How, you may ask? It would be great if Jesus would send us an email, call, or text us, or invite us to a Zoom meeting, or better yet, appear to us in a vision, but of course, these connections are most unlikely. Sometimes though, we can hear His voice through the reading of Scripture, or by listening to an inspiring homily. We may hear His voice through a deep conversation with a friend or family member, or in a song, to name just a few ways God reaches into our lives.
One important way we hear the voice of God is through catechists who instruct adults and children about the teachings of the Catholic faith and prepare them for the sacraments, either through PREP classes, religion class in Catholic School, or through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) Program. On this Catechetical Sunday, thank a teacher of the faith for his/her selfless service and dedication.
Our God is a loving, generous, and forgiving God as Isaiah reminds us. He wants to have a personal relationship with each one of us. Therefore, with God’s grace, we “strive to conduct ourselves in a way worthy of the Gospel of Christ.” For we believe that “the Lord is near to all who call upon Him.” We also are aware from today’s Gospel reading of the rich landowner, that Jesus does not measure or judge as we do. Thank God. Instead, Jesus, our generous Savior, reminds us that “the last will be first, and the first will be last.” Wow! Jesus is a God of surprises and one who fills us with hope! May God be praised!!!
P.S. Parishioners, thanks so much for your prayers for Queen of Angels School. The entire school community is thrilled to be back to school either virtually or in-person. Please continue the prayers that everyone will stay healthy and that a cure for COVID-19 will soon be discovered.
In Mary’s Immaculate Heart, I am, Sister Mary C. Chapman, IHM, Ed.D.
You have to love a Gospel where the message is so clear you really don’t need anyone to explain it to us. The Gospel we hear today is one of those Gospels. It is so clear that Jesus is calling us to forgive others and if we do not forgive there will be consequences. Our own graces of forgiveness are tied completely to our own ability to forgive. Our culture, our experiences, and our own human nature immediately contradicts our own feelings on Jesus’ teaching of forgiveness. We feel that it might be unfair because there may be people in our lives who we feel do not deserve forgiveness. “Why would I ever forgive them for what they did?” “I am a good person, but what they did is unforgivable.” These thoughts we may have may seem fair and reasonable but these thoughts are not how Jesus thinks.
Remember why Jesus came to us. He came to us to repair our relationship with His Father. His Father so loved the world He sent His Son to forgive us our sins. It is a total act of love for the forgiveness of sin. All sin. Jesus gave us the commandment to “love one another as I have loved you.” If we do not have the ability to forgive then we are not loving one another as Jesus has asked us to. Jesus gave all of Himself in the loving act of forgiving our sins. He gave His own sacred life. There was no fairness in His sacrifice. There was no guarantee we would return His love. He did it anyway. He paid for the forgiveness of us by taking on the consequences of our sins so that we would not have to.
By forgiving, we also take on the consequences of the sin against us. This is difficult to do because there is no guarantee if we forgive someone who has wronged us that the forgiveness given will be returned. There is also no guarantee that a relationship will be repaired if forgiveness is given, but by giving forgiveness we open ourselves to love. We open ourselves to love as God loves. We can stop being tortured by the injustices we might have experienced for God loves us just as much as he loves the person who may have wronged us. By giving forgiveness, we love again someone who Jesus has never stopped loving.
SATURDAY September 12thThe Most Holy Name of Mary (m) 4:00 PM VIGIL For the Intentions of the Parishioners
SUNDAY September 13th 9:00 AM For those affected by COVID-19 11:00 AM Intentions of the Presider
Monday September 14thThe Exaltation of the Holy Cross (F) 6:30 am † Lawrence J. Tobin, Jr.
Tuesday September 15thOur Lady Of Sorrows (M) 6:30 am † Harry Weckerly, Sr.
Wednesday September 16thSaints Cornelius and Cyprian (M) 6:30 am † Mary Loughery
Thursday September 17thSaint Robert Bellarmine (m) 6:30 am † Josephine Mehlbaum
Friday September 18th 6:30 am † Mary O’Neill
Saturday September 19thSaint Januarius (m) 8:00 am † Eugene Wright
Changes to the Daily Mass Intentions We have rescheduled the weekend mass intentions, so that no intentions are missed. Sunday mass will be offered for the Intentions of Saint David Parishioners.
Josephine Mehlbaum Sat., Sept. 12th @ 4 PM to Thurs., Sept. 17th @ 6:30 AM
Harry Weckerly, Sr. Sun., Sept. 13th @ 9 AM to Tues., Sept. 15th @ 6:30 AM
Mary Loughery Sun., Sept. 13th @ 11:30 AM to Wed., Sept. 16th @ 6:30 AM
Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Josephine Gallo, Mary Trauger, Helen Jurkiewicz, Theresa McFadden, Loretta Boyle, Al Messina and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.
… all those who are deceased … Robert Daley, Laura Forrest, and Bernard Ardiff.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
Sick List Information
Please call the office (215-657-0252) or email jmmarlin@stdavidparish.org or mmahon@stdavidparish.org if you would like to add or remove someone’s name from the prayer list. If you are aware of someone who is no longer sick please let us know so that we can ensure that there is room for others in need of prayer. Also, reducing the list allows for those who need prayer to be more apparent.
Have we accepted the notion of Christian love yet in our lives? Jesus gave us a very clear standard of this, the standard of the cross. First he told us what Christian love is, at the Last Supper: “No one has greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” No one forced Him. Then he showed us what Christian love is, by laying down his life on the cross. The crucifix, the central image in all of our churches, is the standard of Christian love.
True Love is so different than what we hear in the love songs on the radio or see in movies and on television. It’s so different than what we see typically happen in a Disney movie when two Characters fall in love and marry, the scene cuts and they live happily ever after. They never talk about the work that a man and a woman do in sustaining a happy marriage for 50 years. To build any loving relationship and sustain a friendship in love is not always easy. Love is about going out of ourselves and being more concerned for others than ourselves. Doing things for others, dying of our own egos for others.
Living this way is hard, even St. Therese of Lisieux in her autobiography Story of a Soul talks about wanting to obey Jesus’ commandment to love one’s enemies. She shared in that thought, but she even admitted that there were some people who annoyed her. Think of that, people can even annoy saints! There were some nuns in her community whom St. Therese did not like, but Therese set about going out of her way to treat them lovingly just as Christ would.
In our lives we all have them as well, people who rub us the wrong way, who push our buttons, and sometimes more seriously, people who are truly dangerous to our mental or physical health. What should we do when we encounter difficult people? In the Gospel today, Jesus tells us that if someone wrongs you we should go tell them they wronged you so that they reconcile. If they don’t take it seriously, have someone else go along with you and tell them. If they still don’t take it seriously tell the Church. And after all of that if they still don’t change, treat them as a tax collector or a gentile, which means we Love them.
This should be our response to the difficult people in our lives, simply to treat those people with love, regardless of our feelings. To love sometimes means telling the hard truths to someone that no one else will tell them. The truths that they really need to hear, so that they don’t damage their lives, and their futures, but it doesn’t mean going out lecture people and pointing figures. It doesn’t mean breaking down someone’s character by gossiping about them. Love means reaching out to others despite our feelings and helping them make the right decision.
In my life, and maybe in yours, I know I have been a difficult person in some people’s lives without knowing it at the time. I have always appreciated and always responded better to people who were patient with my faults and choose to point them out by building me up rather than tearing me down and keeping me down. Can we do the same for others? It is true there are just some people who will not listen to anyone no matter what it is, how it is said, or who says it, but we are still asked to love them. Let us always pray then for the difficult people in our lives and for ourselves that if today we hear His voice, we harden not our hearts.
SATURDAY September 5, 2020 4:00 PM VIGIL For the Intentions of the Parishioners
SUNDAY September 6, 2020 9:00 AM For those affected by COVID-19 11:00 AM Intentions of the Presider
Monday August 24, 2020 8:00 am † Charles M. Grosh, Jr.
Tuesday August 25, 2020 8:00 am † Joy Burns
Wednesday August 26, 2020 8:00 am † Steve Irwin
Thursday August 27, 2020 8:00 am † Ted Nealis
Friday August 28, 2020 8:00 am † Harry McGrann
Saturday August 29, 2020 8:00 am † Marguerite Troisi (17th Anniversary)
Changes to the Daily Mass Intentions Mass at St. David is said once daily during this difficult time. We have rescheduled the weekend mass intentions, so that no intentions are missed. Sunday mass will be offered for the Intentions of Saint David Parishioners.
Warren Fenstermacher Sunday, Sept. 6th @ 9 AM to Monday, Sept. 7th @ 8 AM Deceased Members of the Link & Simpson Families Sunday, Sept. 6th @ 11:30 AM to Thursday, Sept. 10th @ 6:30 AM
If you have previously scheduled masses for 2021, please call the rectory during office hours at 215-657-0252. Thank you.
Remembering in Our Prayers… … all those who are sick … Josephine Gallo, Mary Trauger, Helen Jurkiewicz, Theresa McFadden, Loretta Boyle, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.
… all those who are deceased …
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
Sick List Information
Please call the office (215-657-0252) or email jmmarlin@stdavidparish.org or mmahon@stdavidparish.org if you would like to add or remove someone’s name from the prayer list. If you are aware of someone who is no longer sick please let us know so that we can ensure that there is room for others in need of prayer. Also, reducing the list allows for those who need prayer to be more apparent.
Are we fully committed to follow Jesus and to be His disciples? Society says we are to be in charge and in control to be happy; but Jesus says we need to be obedient and follow Him, even along the Way of the Cross. Society says that we need to be rich to be happy; Jesus says that we need to be poor in spirit and detach ourselves from all our possessions. Society says that we are weak and foolish if we surrender our will to God and His Church. Jesus says that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Each of us can look into our hearts and ask ourselves: Do I choose to follow Jesus or the norms of our society or world?
Jesus made it very clear in this Sunday’s Gospel that there is a cost to discipleship. It requires sacrifice and renunciation and it is not always easy to follow Him and obey his commands. However, following the norms of society may bring superficial happiness for a time but our God is never outdone in generosity. When we do our best to love Him above all else, and to give loving service to our neighbor, He showers us with abundant spiritual gifts and lifts us up to Himself, especially during difficulties and trials. Embracing Christ and his call to discipleship will bring genuine, interior happiness and peace throughout our life and for all eternity.
The Lord Jesus knows that we are all weak human beings and need a share in His Divine Life of Grace to persevere on the path of discipleship. Prayer or conversation with God and the Sacraments are the main vehicles of God’s Grace available to us. Through Baptism we receive the grace of divine adoption and become a temple of the Holy Spirit. In Confirmation, we are “sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit” and strengthened for service to the Body of Christ. Knowing that we are all sinners, Jesus offers his forgiveness to us in the Sacrament of Penance. With super abundant love, Jesus gifts us with his own Body and Blood in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Do I pray daily, go to Confession periodically, and receive Holy Communion frequently?
The Church knows that for many of us Jesus’ call to discipleship can be daunting. Therefore, she gives us examples of ordinary people living extraordinary lives – The Saints. We can also imitate the lives of faithful discipleship many of us have witnessed firsthand in the lives of our own parents and grandparents. Their faith and trust in God, even in the midst of trials, can be the beacon that lights our way on the path of discipleship.
If you and I can resolve in our hearts: Yes, I do desire to follow Jesus’ call to discipleship and reject the norms of our society, then our loving Lord will take our hand and walk the path of discipleship with us. His grace will sustain us if we promise to pray daily, go to Confession periodically and receive his Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist frequently. If we are faithful, we can all look forward to the eternal peace and joy of the Heavenly Kingdom.
God bless you always! Sr. Kathleen Fitzpatrick, IHM
SATURDAY August 29, 2020 4:00 PM VIGIL For the Intentions of the Parishioners
SUNDAY August 30, 2020 9:00 AM For those affected by COVID-19 11:00 AM Intentions of the Presider
MONDAY August 31, 2020 8:00 AM Mary & John Kenney
TUESDAY September 1, 2020 8:00 AM Anna Sanzona
WEDNESDAY September 2, 2020 8:00 AM Joy Burns
THURSDAY September 3, 2020 8:00 AM Patricia Joyce Gahagan
FRIDAY September 4, 2020 8:00 AM Savilla O’Brien
SATURDAY September 5, 2020 8:00 AM Louis Troisi 15th Anniversary
Changes to the Daily Mass Intentions Mass at St. David is said once daily during this difficult time. We have rescheduled the weekend mass intentions, so that no intentions are missed. Sunday mass will be offered for the Intentions of Saint David Parishioners.
Harry McGrann Saturday, August 29th @ 4 PM to Friday, August 28th @ 8 AM Mary & John Kenney Sunday, August 30th @ 9 AM to Monday, August 31st @ 8 AM
If you have previously scheduled masses for 2021, please call the rectory during office hours at 215-657-0252. Thank you.
Remembering in Our Prayers… … all those who are sick … Josephine Gallo, Mary Trauger, Helen Jurkiewicz, Theresa McFadden, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.
… all those who are deceased … Patricia Gahagan & Joseph Thompson.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
Sick List Information
Please call the office (215-657-0252) or email jmmarlin@stdavidparish.org or mmahon@stdavidparish.org if you would like to add or remove someone’s name from the prayer list. If you are aware of someone who is no longer sick please let us know so that we can ensure that there is room for others in need of prayer. Also, reducing the list allows for those who need prayer to be more apparent.
The opening prayer for this 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time implores God’s help “amid the uncertainties of this world.” How true these uncertainties are today! But what is certain is that by having God as the center of our lives, seeking to know and do His will, we will one day “find our hearts fixed on that place where true happiness is found.” That place we know is heaven. We recognize that these are troublesome times, especially with the global pandemic and civil unrest, but we cannot allow ourselves to be dragged down by all the negatives. We are followers of Christ and that means we are a people of hope.
In the first reading, Shebna’s authority is taken away from him because he abused his power and used it for his own benefit instead of for the good of others. As adults we must use our God-given authority for the benefit of our families, loved ones, and neighbors. One way to use our authority is to teach our children the love of God by passing on the faith and helping them to experience the love of God through prayer and the sacramental life of the Church.
These are definitely uncertain times, but we need to remind one another that God is our constant; He is ever-faithful, loving, and merciful. It is He who gives us true peace and strengthens us to live a Christ-centered life. Continue to teach and live the faith with your children by praying grace before and after meals and by praying together before bedtime.
In my family of 13, after dinner each night, my Dad would lead us in prayer. During Advent and Lent, we would pray the rosary. We were a rambunctious gang, 11 boys and 2 girls, so we were not always 100% eager to participate in the nightly prayers. If we got distracted, dear Dad would give us one of those very fatherly stares (I think you know the kind I mean) and then we would refocus on our prayers, or at least try to.
It is strengthening to pray as a family. Reading and discussing the readings for Sunday’s Mass is a great preparation for the Liturgy. Children, because of their simplicity, often inspire me with their insights. I am sure you have given it a try in your own family and found that often the children’s understanding of the readings was inspirational and profound. Remember the slogan the Servant of God, Father Patrick Peyton, made popular, “The family that prays together, stays together.”
Below I share with you the family prayer we prayed each evening after dinner. May Saint Joseph, protector of the Holy Family, watch over and guide your family.
SATURDAY August 22, 2020 4:00 PM VIGIL For the Intentions of the Parishioners
SUNDAY August 23, 2020 9:00 AM For those affected by COVID-19 11:00 AM Intentions of the Presider
MONDAY August 24, 2020 8:00 AM Charles M. Grosh, Jr.
TUESDAY August 25, 2020 8:00 AM Joy Burns
WEDNESDAY August 26, 2020 8:00 AM Steve Irwin
THURSDAY August 27, 2020 8:00 AM Ted Nealis
FRIDAY August 28, 2020 8:00 AM Harry McGrann
SATURDAY August 29, 2020 8:00 AM Marguerite Troisi 17th Anniversary
Changes to the Daily Mass Intentions Mass at St. David is said once daily during this difficult time. We have rescheduled the weekend mass intentions, so that no intentions are missed. Sunday mass will be offered for the Intentions of Saint David Parishioners.
Charles M. Grosh, Jr. Sunday, Aug. 23rd @ 9 AM — Monday, Aug. 24th @ 8 AM
If you have previously scheduled masses for 2021, please call the rectory during office hours at 215-657-0252. Thank you.
Remembering in Our Prayers… … all those who are sick … Josephine Gallo, Mary Trauger, Helen Jurkiewicz, Theresa McFadden, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.
… all those who are deceased … Lorraine Hendricks, Mary Anne Thess & Margaret Lawnton.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
Sick List Information
Please call the office (215-657-0252) or email jmmarlin@stdavidparish.org or mmahon@stdavidparish.org if you would like to add or remove someone’s name from the prayer list. If you are aware of someone who is no longer sick please let us know so that we can ensure that there is room for others in need of prayer. Also, reducing the list allows for those who need prayer to be more apparent.
A few years ago there was extensive news coverage on a prediction that the world was going to end. It seems that someone speculated that since there were no more dates on the Inca or Aztec calendar after a certain date the world must be ending, hence the prediction. This prediction caused anxiety in a great many people including my children who were young at the time. They came to me worried that this prediction could be true. They were very surprised by my answer. I told them, “I sure hope so.” “Why Dad would you hope for that?” I explained to them that with our faith in Jesus we had nothing to worry about. If it was the end of the world, Jesus was coming to be with us again. Wouldn’t that be great? Maybe not the Father of the Year answer, but so very true. Our faith in Christ can free us from all fear. How many times do we hear Jesus Himself say, “Do not be afraid.” Faith is a powerful tool in our arsenal. Just last week faith saw Peter walking on water. It wasn’t until fear took hold of him and, as Jesus says, he lost faith that Peter began to sink. When we allow the storms of life to overpower us, we sometimes forget to just rely on our faith. We can do such great things when we allow ourselves to be led by our faith in Christ. As Jesus says, we could move mountains with faith.
We sometimes forget that our faith in Christ also allows us to overcome sin. We all sin but Christ tells us that through Him, even if we feel unworthy of forgiveness, with faith in Him all our sins can be forgiven. The woman who calls out to Jesus for her child to be cured in today’s Gospel was not even worthy to speak to Jesus in the culture of that time. That does not stop her from asking Jesus to help her. In fact, Jesus tells her that her faith in Him is why he grants her wishes for her child to be healed. It is an action on her part that grants what she wishes. How many times in our lives do we allow the sins we have committed to bear us down? We allow sin to sink us. If we only have faith in Christ, an action on our part, we can put down the burden of sin and allow Christ to forgive us. It also allows us to forgive ourselves. Once we put all our faith in Christ, we will be able to waltz sinless and fearless across the surface of the stormy waters of life.
May Jesus live in our hearts forever. Deacon Chris
SATURDAY August 15, 2020 4:00 PM VIGIL For the Intentions of the Parishioners
SUNDAY August 16, 2020 9:00 AM For those affected by COVID-19 11:00 AM Intentions of the Presider
MONDAY August 17, 2020 8:00 AM Charles Myrtetus
TUESDAY August 18, 2020 8:00 AM Ted Nealis
WEDNESDAY August 19, 2020 8:00 AM Charles G. Myrtetus
THURSDAY August 20, 2020 8:00 AM Michele Morrison
FRIDAY August 21, 2020 8:00 AM Eleanor Norwacki
SATURDAY August 22, 2020 8:00 AM John Higgins
Changes to the Daily Mass Intentions Mass at St. David is said once daily during this difficult time. We have rescheduled the weekend mass intentions, so that no intentions are missed. Sunday mass will be offered for the Intentions of Saint David Parishioners.
Michele Morrison Tuesday, August 11th @ 8 AM — Thursday, August 20th @ 8 AM Eleanor Norwacki Wednesday, August 12th @ 8 AM — Friday, August 21st @ 8 AM
Remembering in Our Prayers… … all those who are sick … Josephine Gallo, Mary Trauger, Helen Jurkiewicz, Theresa McFadden, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.
… all those who are deceased … Jean Lombardi.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
Sick List Information
Please call the office (215-657-0252) or email jmmarlin@stdavidparish.org or mmahon@stdavidparish.org if you would like to add or remove someone’s name from the prayer list. If you are aware of someone who is no longer sick please let us know so that we can ensure that there is room for others in need of prayer. Also, reducing the list allows for those who need prayer to be more apparent.
