+Dear Saint David Parishioners,
              Third Sunday of Advent – ALREADY! Oh my, there is still so much to do in preparation for Christmas – writing cards, buying and wrapping gifts, getting ready for gatherings – and yet in the entrance antiphon we recite, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.” We may make the words of Isaiah in today’s first reading our own by asking God to: “Strengthen the hands that are feeble (from making all those Christmas cookies), make firm the knees that are weak (from climbing up and down the ladder to decorate), say to those whose hearts are frightened (there are not enough hours in the day): Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, … He comes to save you.” (Yes, I certainly need saving from this hectic pace!). These words, not in parentheses, can calm us in these frenzied days, and give us pause to slow down and consider what is the true meaning of this beautiful season – it is JESUS, Who has come to save us!

Therefore, there is cause for rejoicing. Saint James encourages us to be patient, “because the coming of the Lord is at hand.” We may feel frantic, but placing our hope and trust in Jesus will help us to recognize the good in others, rather than complaining and judging them. When we are uncharitable, this does not bring us peace, but the opposite – we become upset within and it also creates disharmony among others – definitely not what Jesus wants for us. He wants peace and harmony to reign in and among us.

Saint John the Baptist was the great prophet who announced the coming of the Savior of the world. As he lay in prison, he began to doubt whether the One for whom he was preparing everyone was actually the Messiah. He sent some of his followers to ask Jesus. Jesus responded and cleared up John’s ponderings by having his followers state what He was doing: “Yes, I am He. The blind can now see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, etc.” Jesus explains to John’s disciples that although John is the prophet; “yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” In other words, “Here I am, the Savior is standing right in front of you!” This definitely is a reason to “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near” (Phil 4: 4-5)!

May these final days of preparation for Christmas bring you and your loved ones, great peace and joy. Christmas and New Year blessings to all!

GAUDETE!
Sister Mary

Saturday December 10th
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday December 11th
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19 & For Peace in Eastern Europe
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday December 12th Our Lady of Guadalupe
6:30 am † Maria Kovacs

Tuesday December 13th St. Lucy of Syracuse
6:30 am † Mary Leo

Wednesday December 14th St. John of the Cross
6:30 am † Rose Pasquarella

Thursday December 15th
6:30 am † Dorothy Galow

Friday December 16th
6:30 am † Deceased members of the McMahon & Reilly Family

Saturday December 17th
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, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, George Weatherford, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, Kay Kenney, Howard J. Drager, Michael Boyle Sr., Eddie Quintana, Ralph Cosgrove, Anne & Mike Butera, Robert Mehlbaum, Eleanor Soboleski, Joseph Bellisari, Philip Bell, Joyce Drexler, Maria Gulach, Sherry Burke, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased…Rosemarie Johnson, Aleta Ostrander, & Charles Wilson…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

The Power of a Child

              Back when we were a very young family, my wife would use a strategy when she wanted to get something that would stretch us financially or when she had done something she thought would make me angry.  Coming home from work, she would have the children meet me at the door jumping up and down with kisses and hugs and saying how much they love me.  I would always say, “What did Mommy do?”  One time she had taken all the wallpaper off the walls in our dining room, realizing halfway through how big a project that really was and noticing the walls were being damaged by the removal.  The kids would say, “Look at all the hard work Mommy did today!”  Wisdom is definitely a woman, because how can someone be angry in a situation with hugs coming from children? This type of power is how our Lord comes into the world to begin His Kingdom.

              Christ could have come into the world anyway He would have wished. He is, by the way, God, but He chooses to come as a vulnerable infant.  The power of His arrival at Christmas is the power of a baby.  A baby has greater power than the biggest, strongest man in the world.  Put him in a room with the baby and he will be talking and cooing with the baby in no time. An infant lying in a manger did not out muscle or outgun anyone.  The baby Jesus, lying in a manger, underwhelms in such a way as to eventually overwhelm.  This is how God chooses to meet us.

              Babies are not out to impress anyone.  They do not argue with you. They don’t compete with you.  They can’t stand up to you.  They can’t even speak. You are part of a one-sided conversation but yet we talk to babies as if they understand everything we say.  They have an innocent calming effect on us. They bring the child out of us.  Didn’t Christ say we should come to Him like children? He sets an example for us right from His entry into our world.

              Vulnerable and meek is how we should approach our Lord…giving Him the child-like heart that lives in each of us.  This is where we can find the best that is in us. Our Christmas story is a revelation of the true power of the Lord. 

May Jesus live in our hearts forever. 
Deacon Chris

Saturday December 3rd St. Francis Xavier
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday December 4th
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19 & For Peace in Eastern Europe
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday December 5th
6:30 am † Terence W. Robinson

Tuesday December 6th St. Nicholas
6:30 am † Oliver Ricciardelli

Wednesday December 7th St. Ambrose
6:30 am † Kathy Neville

Thursday December 8th Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
6:30 am † Barbara Eisenhart
9:00 am Intentions of the Parishioners
7:00 pm Intentions of the Presider

Friday December 9th St. Juan Diego
6:30 am † Norman Ramsden

Saturday December 10th
8:00 am † Anne Dehan

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, George Weatherford, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, Kay Kenney, Howard J. Drager, Michael Boyle Sr., Eddie Quintana, Ralph Cosgrove, Anne & Mike Butera, Robert Mehlbaum, Eleanor Soboleski, Joseph Bellisari, Philip Bell, Charles Wilson, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased…Lisa Lai…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Be the Light

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth. -Ephesians 5:8-9

       I remember hearing a story of a little boy who was impressed by the stars. He had many questions for his father about them. “Are the stars there all the time?” and “why don’t we see them during the day?” His father answered, “You can only see them at night. Darkness is always more beautiful when we look up at the stars rather than the corners of blackness.”

God’s desire for all of us is to go stargazing, to look for the light. And yet so many people only see darkness, especially in suffering.  In my life, I get a lot of people who tell me all of their thoughts about this. I get a lot of opinions from strangers, family, and friends who don’t go to Church anymore. They tell me everything that is wrong with the Church and everything that is wrong with God. They explain to me why God isn’t loving: because He allows so much suffering and darkness in this world.  

If we really think about this, we may have a lot of things that come to our minds. We may be frustrated with God especially in these last three years with the COVID pandemic, political unrest, war, personal struggles, and illness. We may only see darkness. We may have so many questions: Why is there so much suffering? Why is there so much darkness going on right now? What, if anything, does Advent have to do with any of this? I would suggest that Advent has everything to do with our suffering, our darkness. Advent teaches us to have the courage and humility to look up and hope in God’s promises – to search for God’s promise.

If we allow ourselves to be stargazers for the light of Christ and to learn about His love, our experience of His love will help us to move forward on the right path even if we may feel lost in life. Why? Because you and I are made in the image and likeness of God. If you and I do not understand who God is and why He sent His Son to be born that first Christmas day only to die on the Cross, then we will never ever understand who we really are. We will never really understand what we are meant for and why our suffering matters. God so loved the world that He sent His only Son. This Advent season, I ask for us to be stargazers in search of this Light in the midst of darkness.

Saturday November 26th
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday November 27th
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19 & For Peace in Eastern Europe
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday November 28th
6:30 am † Mr. and Mrs. Robert Beck

Tuesday November 29th
6:30 am † Anthony and Eileen Delzingaro

Wednesday November 30th St. Andrew the Apostle
6:30 am † Ralph Storti

Thursday December 1st
6:30 am † Jane Violet Lane

Friday December 2nd
6:30 am † Jane Violet Lane

Saturday December 3rd St. Francis Xavier
8:00 am † Paul Donahue

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, George Weatherford, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, Kay Kenney, Howard J. Drager, Michael Boyle Sr., Eddie Quintana, Ralph Cosgrove, Anne & Mike Butera, Robert Mehlbaum, Eleanor Soboleski, Joseph Bellisari, Philip Bell, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased…Sr. Maria Prudens, IHM…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

The Paradox of Christ’s Kingship

As we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King, we are transported back to the pivotal moment of human history – Christ on Calvary. Today the entire Church celebrates Christ’s universal Kingship, and this story of Jesus on the Cross is His Coronation Day. How can the Cross, a sign of utter defeat, become a sign of Christ Our King’s everlasting victory? Saint John Paul II aptly stated that, “If it is assessed according to the criteria of this world, Jesus’ Kingship can appear ‘paradoxical,’ for it does not fit into earthly logic. On the contrary, His is the power of love and service that requires the gratuitous gift of self and the consistent witness to the truth.”

The Kingdom of Christ is not about strength or success or victory, at least not in the normal human sense. We see this clearly in the Scriptures proclaimed today. In our first reading from the Second Book of Samuel, we hear that David was anointed king, not so he could dominate, but so that he could “shepherd God’s people, Israel.” When we reflect on the Crucifixion Scene in the Gospel of Luke, we see that Christ the King doesn’t rule by selfishness and greed, but by sacrifice. He doesn’t rule by bringing in His Legions of Angels to destroy the evildoers who put Him there, as He could have. He didn’t rule by sending the sinful, but contrite man beside Him away, but by mercy and forgiveness, clearly evidenced in His words: “Today, you will be with me in Paradise.”

The Good Thief, or Saint Dismas realized that there is more to the human story than we see, experience or understand here. Jesus, in His example of selfless sacrifice, held the key to a Kingdom much greater than the earth would ever know. He realized that the Kingdom began on Earth through faith, hope, obedience, and love, and that it would only truly reach its fullness in Heaven. Therefore, with a humble and contrite heart, the Good Thief said to Jesus, “Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom.” He surrendered himself and all the sins of his past, to the authority and reign of Christ the King.

In imitation of Saint Dismas, we are called to surrender our lives to Jesus and allow Him to be our King. We must learn from the man hanging next to Jesus. Saint Augustine tells us that “Others failed to recognize the Lord even as He performed miracles, but this man recognized Him as He hung upon the cross… with his heart he believed, and with his lips he confessed his sins.” In imitation of the Lord Jesus, let us embrace the paradox of the cross in our lives and recognize it as our path to Eternal Life. As we continue to celebrate Jesus Christ as King of the Universe, may we come to understand more clearly the depths of God’s mercy and extend that mercy to all. Today we ask the Lord to remember us as we remember Him until He comes again in glory!

Happy Thanksgiving and may God bless you!
Sr. Kathleen Fitzpatrick, IHM

Saturday November 19th
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday November 20th
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19 & For Peace in Eastern Europe
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday November 21st Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
6:30 am † Mary Rose Tobin

Tuesday November 22nd St. Cecilia
6:30 am † Patricia Summers

Wednesday November 23rd St. Clement I; St. Columban
6:30 am † Thomas Cox

Thursday November 24th St. Andrew Dung Lac & companions
9:00 am  Intentions of the Presider

Friday November 25th St. Catherine of Alexandria
9:00 am † Anthony Delzingaro

Saturday November 26th
8:00 am † John Kenney

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, George Weatherford, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, Kay Kenney, Howard J. Drager, Michael Boyle Sr., Eddie Quintana, Ralph Cosgrove, Anne & Mike Butera, Robert Mehlbaum, Eleanor Soboleski, Joseph Bellisari, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased… Joseph Varano & Delbert Wallace…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

+Dear Saint David Parishioners,
             In today’s Gospel, we are called to consider the essential virtue of perseverance. This is an important virtue in everyday life and most especially in the spiritual life. Perseverance challenges us not to give up, but to keep on trying even when things get tough or perhaps when we feel our prayers are not heard and/or answered.

We recently celebrated the Feast of All Saints. The saints, as we know, are the friends of God. They persevered in serving and loving God throughout their lives. We hope that, with God’s grace, we and our loved ones will develop a deep friendship with God. We have been loved into existence by a God who wants to be a part of our everyday lives. He does not force Himself upon us, but at Baptism, He has infused within us a desire for God. As Saint Augustine reminds us, “My heart is restless, O God, until it rests in You.” Wow, this is amazing! We have a God who holds each of us in the palm of His hand (Isaiah 49, 16). He is constantly inviting us to the banquet of His life in the Eucharist where we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus, our Savior. And in receiving Him, we are invited to become what we have taken in – to be more like Jesus.

What a gift is ours. What tender love and mercy are ours. In this season of Thanksgiving, we thank Jesus for the gift of Himself in our lives. How can we instill these truths into our loved ones? There are many resources, such as the Bible, the Catechism of the Church, spiritual reading books, and discussion of the readings for Mass with your family each week. Most importantly, however, is our personal witness – the way in which we love and care for the members of our families.

Providing worthwhile witness to others takes effort, courage, and perseverance. We are not alone; Jesus is closer to us than we are to ourselves. We must surrender to Him and let Him lead the way. When we trust God with our difficult situations and let Him take over, Jesus will surprise us every time. He will either inspire us with wisdom in speech, or assist us in taking a particular action, or enlighten us to make a decision that aligns with His will. Jesus encourages us to persevere in today’s Gospel, “I Myself will give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. … By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”

Happy Thanksgiving blessings to all!

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

Saturday November 12th St. Josaphat
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday November 13th
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19 & For Peace in Eastern Europe
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday November 14th
6:30 am † Anna & George Gliba

Tuesday November 15th St. Albert the Great
6:30 am † Brighton Perry

Wednesday November 16th St. Margaret of Scotland; St. Gertrude the Great
6:30 am † Holden and Gawronski Families

Thursday November 17th St. Elizabeth of Hungary
6:30 am † Sandra DeLaurentis

Friday November 18th Dedication of the Basilicas of Ss. Peter & Paul
6:30 am † Deceased members of the McMahon & Reilly Families

Saturday November 19th
8:00 am † Pat Kensey

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Delbert Wallace, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, George Weatherford, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, Kay Kenney, Howard J. Drager, Michael Boyle Sr., Eddie Quintana, Ralph Cosgrove, Anne & Mike Butera, Robert Mehlbaum, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased… Sister Genevieve Simmons, IHM; Sister Theresa Marian McCormick, IHM; Marge Rankin; Helen Gonshor; and Vince Penecale…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

       We try so very hard to place our Lord and all His teachings into categories that we can understand easily. We try to apply our worldly problem-solving abilities or deductions to a heavenly reality. What we should be doing is listening to Christ’s words. He is inviting us back to a relationship with His Father. This relationship is through Him and all the sacrifices He has made. We are reunited to God the Father by becoming one with Christ Himself. A happy and loving marriage in this world is a wonderful thing. A husband and wife giving totally of themselves to each other is a true reflection of Christ’s love for us, but a reflection is not the real thing. We may believe that nothing could be better than what we have, but Christ offers us so much more than we can even imagine: a true union with Him.

In our resurrected bodies, we will no longer have a child-like understanding of God and His love for us, similar to that of the Sadducees. The problem with the Sadducees is that they can’t imagine anything bigger or better than the small world they know. In our resurrected bodies, we will have a complete maturity of thought and body. We will become the creation we were always meant to be. We will be able to interact with God like the angels do. They unite with each other not in the limited way that bodies can unite but with their whole selves, in an intimate and joyful way, through their union with the mind of God.

A husband and wife are joined together to help each be the best person they can be. We are no longer needed as husband and wife to fulfill that role in our resurrected bodies because at that time we are united completely with Christ. The union with each other does not go away but is joined evermore with the love of Christ.

May Jesus live in our hearts forever.
Deacon Chris

Saturday November 5th
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday November 6th
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19 & For Peace in Eastern Europe
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday November 7th
6:30 am † Stephen Plum

Tuesday November 8th
6:30 am † Eleanor McAnulty

Wednesday November 9th Dedication of the Lateran Basilica
6:30 am † Stella Cox

Thursday November 10th St. Leo the Great
6:30 am † Deceased Members of the Link & Simpson Families

Friday November 11th St. Martin of Tours
6:30 am † Gail Speakman

Saturday November 12th St. Josaphat
8:00 am † The Messina & Grasso Families

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Delbert Wallace, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, George Weatherford, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, Kay Kenney, Howard J. Drager, Michael Boyle Sr., Eddie Quintana, Ralph Cosgrove, Anne & Mike Butera, Robert Mehlbaum, Marge Rankin, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Saturday October 29th  
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday October 30th
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19 & For Peace in Eastern Europe
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday October 31st
6:30 am † Catherine DiBruno

Tuesday November 1st All Saints
6:30 am † Mary Wright
9:00 am Intentions of the Parishioners
7:00 pm Intentions of the Presider

Wednesday November 2nd All Souls
6:30 am † Mr. and Mrs. John Korick Jr.

Thursday November 3rd St. Martin de Porres
6:30 am † Edward Fitzpatrick

Friday November 4th St. Charles Borromeo
6:30 am † Monahan and Zuefle Families

Saturday November 5th
8:00 am † Deceased Members of the Legion of Mary

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Delbert Wallace, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, George Weatherford, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, Kay Kenney, Howard J. Drager, Michael Boyle Sr., Eddie Quintana, Ralph Cosgrove, Anne & Mike Butera, Robert Mehlbaum, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased…Patricia Frederick & Michael Doherty…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Humility: The Path to Holiness

The depth of our relationship with God and the profundity of our spiritual life depend a great deal on how humble we are. Humility reminds us of our emptiness, our poverty, and our great need for the loving mercy of God. God is always pleased with the humble, for His “eyes are drawn to the person who has a humble and contrite spirit” (Is 66:2). A proud person is one who presents his credentials to God for approval, thinking himself to be better than others and that it all depends on his own human effort. One who possesses humility clearly sees his imperfections and sins, does not compare himself to others, and trusts that the grace and mercy of God can transform him. In this Sunday’s Gospel, due to his pride and arrogance, the Pharisee’s supposedly good deeds were turned to ash. On the contrary, because of his humility and trust, the Tax Collector received pardon for his sins and reconciliation with God.

The Pharisee was considered to be an honorable person in that society and was a strict follower of the Word and all of the Commandments. He spent more time in the temple and prayed more than any of the ordinary people. He fasted twice a week when Jewish people in those days only fasted once a year. He paid tithes on his whole income while others paid much less. The Pharisee mistakenly thought that he deserved God’s favor because of his good deeds, which he credited to his own effort. He is the person with the ultimate sense of entitlement who attributes his own moral superiority to himself. His tragic flaw was that he is totally blind to his self-made and self-earned illusion. As a result, he is unable to see that there is a shared humanity between himself and the Tax Collector. The Pharisee judges him harshly and puts himself above the latter: “I am not like the Tax Collector here.”

The Tax Collector had a profession that made him the most despised person in town. He was seen as a traitor by most, because he collaborated with the Romans, and was even viewed as a thief. His prayers however were different than the Pharisee. The Tax Collector threw his life into the hands of God’s mercy. He understood that nothing he could do in this life could ever merit anything from God. He came to an awareness that he didn’t even have a right to life itself, let alone any possessions in life. This humble man recognized and expressed sorrow for his sins, thus opening his heart to God’s loving mercy and forgiveness. Jesus says that the Tax Collector’s prayers were heard and answered.
In the eyes of Jesus, it is not self-made righteousness but empathy and compassion that truly matter. The Pharisee fails the litmus test of authentic discipleship because of his harsh judgement and lack of empathy and compassion that truly matter in God’s eyes. The Tax Collector, on the other hand, is praised because free from any sense of entitlement, he is totally open to the gratuity of God’s grace.

This parable calls each of us to make the journey from pride to humility. Humility brings us to the knowledge of our human fallibility and imperfection. It helps us to realize the insufficiency of human effort, as well as to recognize our sins and seek pardon for them. Humility makes us pliable and brings us the graces we need to allow ourselves to be molded by God into the best version of ourselves that can ever be! It is this knowledge that leads us to seek the Lord’s mercy and pray in humility of heart, like the Tax Collector in the Gospel Reading today. For it is only in being humble that we can actually be exalted, “for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

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

Saturday October 22nd  St. John Paul II
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday October 23rd
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19 & For Peace in Eastern Europe
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday October 24th St. Anthony Mary Claret
6:30 am † Anthony and Adelina Macaluso

Tuesday October 25th
6:30 am † John Fitzpatrick

Wednesday October 26th
6:30 am † Dominick Tempesta

Thursday October 27th
6:30 am † Karen Dorland

Friday October 28th St. Simon & St. Jude
6:30 am † Mary Wright

Saturday October 29th
8:00 am † Paul Donahue

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Delbert Wallace, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, George Weatherford, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, Kay Kenney, Howard J. Drager, Michael Boyle Sr., 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 hope everyone is enjoying these cool, crisp, and colorful days of autumn. In today’s entrance antiphon, we read, “Guard me as the apple of Your eye.” How apropos for those autumn apple pickers. And how endearing that each of us is the apple of God’s eye. He loves and cherishes each of us as His own beloved child.

In the opening prayer, we ask God for the graces we need to live according to His will and in sincerity of heart. We continue onto the first reading where the Israelites are engaged in war. As long as Moses had his arms raised to God in prayer, the Israelites were successful. As soon as Moses rested his arms, the enemy had “the better of the fight.” This analogy can remind us that when we are faithful to God, then we are able to resist the temptations of the devil, who tries all sorts of lies to drive us away from God.

Just as Aaron and Hur supported Moses, we too support one another through our prayers and kind acts. We must persevere in prayer like the widow and believe that God loves us without measure and will always answer our prayers according to His will, even though it may not be exactly what we had in mind. We continue praying anyway and recall St. Padre Pio’s words, “Pray always and don’t worry.”

As we heard in the responsorial psalm, we believe that “Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. … The Lord will guard you from all evil; He will guard your life. The Lord will guard your coming and your going both now and forever” (Psalm 121). In this month of the holy rosary, take time out to pray the rosary asking for the Blessed Mother’s intercession. At Queen of Angels School, during October, the students pray a decade of the rosary for everyone’s intentions. October blessings to all!

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

Saturday October 15th  St. Teresa of Jesus
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday October 16th
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19 & For Peace in Eastern Europe
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday October 17th St. Ignatius of Antioch
6:30 am † Judith Friday

Tuesday October 18th St. Luke the Evangelist
6:30 am † Mary M. Herrity

Wednesday October 19th Ss. Jean de Brébeuf, Isaac Jogues & companions
6:30 am † Intentions of Bill and Ruth McMahon

Thursday October 20th St. Paul of the Cross
6:30 am † John J. Burke

Friday October 21st
6:30 am † Deceased members of the McMahon & Reilly Family

Saturday October 22nd St. John Paul II
8:00 am † Thomas Dugan

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Delbert Wallace, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, George Weatherford, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, Kay Kenney, Howard J. Drager, Michael Boyle Sr., and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Prayer

       There once was a good man named Jacob who was struggling financially.  He would pray every day to God, and he would say, “Lord, please let me win the lottery this week so I can have a better life for my family.” Each week the lottery would come and go, and Jacob would not win.  After months of not winning the lottery, in his frustration he prayed, “Lord, I am a good and God-fearing man, and I am trying very hard to raise my family to know you.  I have asked again and again to win the lottery.  Why are you ignoring my prayers?”  At that moment Jacob heard a voice from Heaven say, “Jacob.” Jacob answered, “Is that you Lord?”  The voice answered, “Yes.” Jacob replied, “What do you ask of me Lord?” The Lord answered, “Jacob, buy a ticket.”

An old joke but yet, an excellent example of prayer and our relationship with God.  Sometimes in prayer we want God to answer us in the way we want and not the way God chooses to answer.  Sometimes God will remind us of the gifts and abilities he has already gifted us with to solve the problem or petition we have offered in prayer.  The Israelites learned this in their battle against the Amalekites.  He was with them as long as Moses arms were raised in prayer.  This not only shows us the power of prayer, but also shows that there may be action on our own part needed. It is also a great example of the power of community prayer because it took Aaron and Hur to help Moses. 

We come together in the greatest of community prayer today as we meet together here to celebrate the Eucharist. This powerful communal prayer is answered by God with the true presence of His Son with us today in that very Eucharist, the Bread of life.  The thing is, the ticket to be here today is free.  Salvation is offered by just being here.

May Jesus live in our hearts forever.
Deacon Chris

Saturday October 8th  
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday October 9th
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19 & For Peace in Eastern Europe
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday October 10th
6:30 am † Dominick Tempesta

Tuesday October 11th St. John XXIII
6:30 am † Rose Pasquarella

Wednesday October 12th
6:30 am † Edith Fritz

Thursday October 13th
6:30 am † Teresa McFadden

Friday October 14th St. Callistus I
6:30 am † Myrtle Dugan

Saturday October 15th St. Teresa of Jesus
8:00 am † Joseph Garofalo

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Delbert Wallace, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, George Weatherford, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, Kay Kenney, Howard J. Drager, Michael Boyle Sr., and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Today we are celebrating the Feast Day of Guardian Angels. Sometimes we may forget that God has sent us special guardians in this world to watch over us.  At the beginning of Chapter 18 in Matthew’s gospel, the disciples questioned Jesus about “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He responded by explaining that they must adopt a heart like that of a child, that unless they humble themselves as children do in the face of God, they will not be able to receive Christ.  Jesus says that there are “angels in heaven always looking upon the face of my heavenly father” (Mt 18:10). He means that we are all under the care of angels and by following the example of children we can come to know God better in our hearts. Saints relied on their guardian angels to help them in everything, including resisting temptation.

 Saint Pio, one of my favorite saints, had a particularly interesting relationship with his guardian angel. He was able to see his angel and talk to him. He especially saw his angel when he went through numerous trials in life. During one of these trials, he complained to his guardian angel about his difficulties and asked why didn’t his angel help him while he was persecuted. His angel responded, telling Pio to thank Jesus for those trials and that many lost souls were won because of those trials.  Saint Pio said that those words of encouragement helped him to persevere through those trials.

Our guardian angels are gifts from God to assist us in reaching our heavenly homeland.  They are here to help us from the cradle to the grave. Know that they are fighting for us. Ask for their help today. Let’s thank Jesus for assigning and them to us and pray to our angel for guiding and guarding us, and most of all leading us to receive Jesus’ Most Precious Body and Blood in the Eucharist.