+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.

Saturday October 1st St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday October 2nd
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 3rd
6:30 am † James Tobin

Tuesday October 4th St. Francis of Assisi
6:30 am † John Moulder — 3rd Anniversary

Wednesday October 5th
6:30 am † Carmela T. Spina

Thursday October 6th St. Bruno
6:30 am † Patricia Heesen

Friday October 7th Our Lady of the Rosary
6:30 am † Patricia Heesen

Saturday October 8th
8:00 am † William 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, 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… Nina Ferraro…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

The Great Reversal

       In today’s parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, the rich man is enjoying life with fine food, expensive clothes and a beautiful home. Outside his gate is poor, sick Lazarus, hungry and covered with sores. On one level the story is simple – surely the rich man could have offered Lazarus a crust of bread. But at a deeper level, this story isn’t just about the rich helping the poor. It’s much more than that. In the second half of the story, both men die and their roles are reversed. The rich man is shocked to find himself suffering in Hell and Lazarus is delighted to find himself in Heaven, with Abraham.

Jesus was not condemning the rich man for having money and many material goods but rather for being enslaved by them and thus blinded to the suffering of others around him. The fact that the rich man demands that Lazarus serve him by ‘dipping the tip of his finger in water and cooling his tongue’ indicates he is a proud man who considers himself a valuable member of the community who thinks he deserves to be saved. However, in the final judgement, the question the rich man and each of us must answer is: How have you responded to the commandment of love? Simply avoiding evil is not enough. We are expected to bear abundant fruits of love, kindness, mercy, and generosity towards our brothers and sisters in need.

Notice also that in this parable, only the poor man is given a name. It’s Lazarus, and the word Lazarus means “one who God helps.” To have a name is to be valuable and for God to give you a name means that you are really special in His eyes. This indicates that Lazarus loved God and trusted that even though he suffered here on earth, a Heavenly reward awaited him. The rich man was not given a name. A person without a name is a person without a vision, without a purpose, who lacks faith in God and seeks only selfish comfort and pleasure in this life.

Jesus exhorts us: “Stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Mt. 25: 13). That’s when we discover that the tables have been turned. That’s when those who had it all are left with nothing, while those with nothing are given the keys to the Kingdom (Lk. 6: 20-26). This is what’s known as The Great Reversal and it horrifies the rich man in today’s parable. His problem is that the rules of this world don’t apply in Heaven. In God’s Kingdom, the lowly are lifted, the hungry are filled, the high and mighty are torn down and the proud are scattered (Lk. 1: 51-54).

Are you prepared for The Great Reversal? If not, there’s no time to waste.

Take a look around: Who is Lazarus waiting at your gate? Who are the poor you’ll see today? They might not be materially poor, but they could be poor in friendship, poor in health, poor in hope, poor in joy…

Reach out to them. Welcome them in.

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

Saturday September 24th
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday September 25th
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 September 26th Ss. Cosmas & Damian
6:30 am † Marie Brown

Tuesday September 27th St. Vincent de Paul
6:30 am † Robert Beck Jr.

Wednesday September 28th St. Wenceslaus; Ss. Lawrence Ruiz & Companions
6:30 am † Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence J. Tobin

Thursday September 29th Ss. Michael, Gabriel, & Raphael
6:30 am † Andrew Slivjak

Friday September 30th St. Jerome
6:30 am † Claire Mansfield

Saturday October 1st St. Thérèse of the Child 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, Nina Ferraro, 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, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased… Sister Mary Shaun Conroy, IHM; Sister Mary Louise E. Gallagher, IHM…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

+Dear Saint David Parishioners,

        In last week’s Gospel, we had the parable of the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son, and this week – the parable of the dishonest steward. What message is Jesus trying to tell us? Perhaps we can reflect on all the times we have been lost in life, and, when we turned back to our merciful God through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and were found and brought back into the circle of His love. We never have to worry about losing our way because our merciful and loving God is always on the lookout for us, inviting us back. He knows we are not perfect, but He loves us anyway, just as a loving parent does.

In today’s Gospel, is Jesus really praising the dishonesty of the steward? Probably not, but He is teaching us a lesson on ordering our lives properly. If we have material possessions, power, addictions, or other selfish tendencies as our top priorities in life, it will undoubtedly result in trouble. When we allow anything to shift out of balance or priorities become out of sync, we will most likely lose our inner peace. The dishonest steward was crafty, but at what cost? When we order our lives by putting God first, our love for family and others second, and tending to our personal needs third, we will experience the peace, love, and joy of Jesus.

Striving for a well-ordered, balanced life is not easy; it is a lifetime journey. There will be bumps, twists, and sufferings throughout our lives, but we must trust that Jesus is with us every step of the way. Jesus reminds us, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” He has given us the path; let us surrender ourselves to His care and allow Him to lead us and our loved ones to a meaningful and peaceful life.

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

Saturday September 17th St. Robert Bellarmine
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday September 18th
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 September 19th St. Januarius
6:30 am † Louis Troisi—17th Anniversary

Tuesday September 20th St. Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang & companions
6:30 am † Harry Bell

Wednesday September 21st St. Matthew
6:30 am † Barbara Sullivan

Thursday September 22nd
6:30 am † John J. Burke

Friday September 23rd St. Pio of Pietrelcina
6:30 am † Michael Lynagh

Saturday September 24th
8:00 am † Alfred Messina

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, 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, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased…Paul O’Connell…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Real Treasures

There is a tradition at the Malvern Retreat House on the last day of the Men’s Retreat. The men come together before Mass and share their thoughts and feelings of the weekend.  Sometimes the men will share something from their past and how their relationship with God is growing or how much it has changed since they brought God into their lives.  The stories they share can be very moving. One story I heard at the end of one weekend has stuck with me to this very day.

An elderly man stood up and gingerly walked up to the front where the microphone was.   I did not know this man, but I had seen him at Malvern many times over the years. He always had a big smile on his face and you could tell that he genuinely loved being at Malvern. He always had a warm greeting if you passed him in the halls or on the trails.  He introduced himself and how he has been married to his wife for 60 some years.  He and his wife had been graced with one daughter who they truly looked at as a gift from God.  They raised her in the faith and got her through high school and college.  When she finished college, she moved out on her own and started her life as an adult.  They were so very proud of her.  This is where the story gets sad.  While living on her own, a man broke into her apartment and murdered her.  The man and his wife were devastated.  They had just lost the love and light of their life.  What is different about this story is how they handled their grief.

The man who had committed this horrible crime was arrested.  The man and his wife attended every day of the criminal’s trial, who was found guilty.  They never gave a statement to the press and were silent during the whole process.  It was after the man was sentenced that they finally spoke.  They went to the prison where the man was being held and they told him that they had forgiven him.  They felt something as wonderful and beautiful as their daughter could not carry such a horrible burden to them as revenge or punishment.  He told us that he misses his daughter, but knew in the bottom of his heart that to forgive would bring her closer to him.

We all have a sense of what is right and what is wrong…who deserves punishment and who deserves reward.  What we need to remember is that we are all children of God.  Also, we are all sinners.  God looks at us all in our sinfulness and still calls us His treasure.  His treasure is made up of many coins.  If just one of those coins is lost, God’s treasure is incomplete. He sent His Son to look for those coins.  We are those coins Christ has found and is still looking for.  Once we are found, we need to aid Christ in searching for the other coins and join the Lord in the celebration as each coin is found.

May Jesus live in our hearts forever.
Deacon Chris

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

Sunday September 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 September 12th Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary
6:30 am † Francis & Eileen Frankenfield

Tuesday September 13th St. John Chrysostom
6:30 am † Marguerite Troisi—19th Anniversary

Wednesday September 14th Triumph of the Holy Cross
6:30 am † Sandra Slacum

Thursday September 15th Our Lady of Sorrows
6:30 am † Alfred Messina

Friday September 16th St. Cornelius
6:30 am † Deceased members of the McMahon and Reilly Families

Saturday September 17th St. Robert Bellarmine
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, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, 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, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased… Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Rufe…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Christ asks us through His message in today’s Gospel, “Which master do we serve: the Ego or God?” Jesus always praises the faithful servant who served his master in a theo-drama. I like what Bishop Barron says about the theo-drama. It is written and directed by God on the great stage that is the created universe and according to the prototype that is Christ. We are invited to “act”–to find and play our role in God’s theater, but there is a real temptation to participate in the ego-drama instead. As Bishop Barron points out, the problem is that the vast majority of us think that we are the directors, writers, and above all, stars of our own “ego-dramas,” with other people functioning as either supporting actors or villains.  

The ego-drama is played throughout history. We see this with King David, one of the greatest Kings of all time. He started on the right track following God’s will. He defeated Goliath and united Israel, but then his passions got the best of him. He wanted someone else’s wife, Bathsheba, and he knew by God’s law that he could not have her as long as Uriah, his friend, was still alive. King David also knew that murder was wrong. To get what he wanted, he ordered Uriah to go to the front lines of the war so that his enemies would kill his friend. King David thought that he could trick God. As the old saying goes, he didn’t throw the snowballs, but he sure did make them. God doesn’t miss anything and punished David for his wrongdoing. 

This same drama was played out with King Henry VIII. He no longer wanted to be married to his wife Catherine and wanted another woman to be his wife. He consulted with his advisors that represented the Catholic Church and they told him, no, that it was unlawful to divorce his wife. King Henry VIII did not like the word “no” to his passions. He then used his power and influence to manipulate God’s law to create a new religion, killing anyone who stood in his way. The Catholic Church in England was never the same.

Even this past week, we see the ego-drama versus the theo-drama in the story of Herodias and John the Baptist. On Monday, we celebrated the feast day of the Martyrdom of St John the Baptist. In the Gospel of Mark chapter 6, we hear Herodias was so invested in her ego-drama that she used her manipulation tactics to get John the Baptist’s head on a platter. She manipulates her daughter, Herod, and ultimately Israel to try and stop the Good News of God. She didn’t like John the Baptist’s message and saw him as an obstacle to her anticipated achievements. Like the enemy of our soul, Herodias stopped at nothing to prevent the movement of Herod’s heart towards God’s truth and life. She was vigilant, always looking for opportunities to further her ambition, which caused the death of John the Baptist.

Dramas are part of our lives. We see it in sports, in movies, in books, in the Bible, and we see it within ourselves. We cannot escape it. Which dramas are we participating in? The ego-drama or the theo-drama? King David, a sinner like us all, goes back and forth on which master he wanted to serve, his ego or God. Fortunately, King David repented of his wrongdoing and we today have the Sacraments and confession to repent of times we have followed the wrong master. 

God does not give up on us. He never tires of inviting us back when we fall. One of God’s greatest gifts is that he is always faithful to his promises. No matter how far we think we have fallen from him, He still has a role for us to play to help advance his new creation. To find the role that God has designed for us is a great adventure in itself, even if our part looks small. Sometimes in a lengthy novel, a character who has seemed minor emerges as the hinge around which the entire narrative turns. When we de-center the ego and live in an exciting and unpredictable relationship with God, we realize very clearly that our lives are not about us. That is a liberating discovery.