The Pastor&#039;s Desk: September 13, 2020

Our scripture for this Twenty-Fourth Sunday is about our need for forgiving our offenders and being reconciled with them. All three readings today remind us and challenge us to continue on the path to forgiveness, mercy and reconciliation. Sirach, in the first reading, reminds his listeners that if they don’t heal and forgive and show mercy they can’t expect to receive much of that from God in return. It is unwise to nurse grudges and wise to forgive because our life span is very short and our eternal destiny is decided on how we forgive, how we get reconciled with our offenders and how we render humble and loving service to them.

Today’s Psalm speaks beautifully about God’s forgiving love: “God is kind and merciful, slow to anger and rich in compassion.” In the second reading, Paul reminds us that we have to forgive others because we belong to Christ who taught us by His own example to forgive. Since we humans are related as brothers and sisters of Jesus, we are in the family of God, so hatred and bitterness should have no place in our hearts. In the message we hear in today’s Gospel, Jesus uses the powerful teaching in the parable of the two debtors, that in the life of Jesus’ disciples there should be no limit to our forgiveness and no conditions attached to our reconciliation. We represent the greater debtor in the parable because we commit sins every day and, hence, we need God’s forgiveness every day. But we must forgive in order to be forgiven. Jesus explains this after teaching the prayer, “Our Father.” "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you.“

For most of us, this teaching is really hard. I think it may be the hardest moral teaching that Jesus ever gave us. What we truly mean every time we say the word of our common prayer, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who have trespassed against us.” Most of us need help, to learn how to forgive. When was the last time you visited the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where we receive God’s mercy and then learn from Him how to be merciful to others? If there is a situation in your life that you really have not yet forgiven, this is a God-send, a God-given opportunity for you to learn how to forgive. Let us remember St. Francis Assisi’s prayer: “It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.” Our failure to offer pardon means that we have forgotten God’s goodness or have not fully appreciated the unconditional forgiveness we have received from Him. What God expects from us is limitless forgiving and an ability to gloss over faults and to keep on loving even in the face of insults.

As we begin our Family Faith Formation Process to engage with catechesis to all our families – parents and children alike – I would strongly encourage you to take this aspect of life to grow in faith extremely seriously. Let us together desire to rediscover Jesus and explore in depth the meaning of our faith and the consequences for our lives. Also, if you did not register your child for Family Faith Formation or Sacramental Preparation, please visit our website or call the office.

The Church dedicates the month of September to Our Lady of Sorrows. This devotion recalls the Blessed Virgin Mary’s spiritual martyrdom in virtue of her perfect union with the Passion of Christ. This was her role in salvation history, and what merited her place as the Spiritual Mother of all Christians. This is symbolized by a single sword, or seven swords, piercing Mary's suffering heart, as foretold in Simeon's prophecy. Traditionally the Church meditates on the "Seven Sorrows" of our Blessed Mother: the prophecy of Simeon; the Holy Family's flight into Egypt; the loss of the Child Jesus for three days; the meeting of Mary and Jesus as he carried his cross; Jesus' crucifixion and death; Jesus' sacred body taken down from the cross; and Jesus' burial.
The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows is September 15th. (The Catholic Company)

After much prayer, thought, and consideration between the Festival Core Team and parishioners, we have made the decision to have our Annual St. Luke Festival on October 30 – November 1, 2020. Although the challenges related to the pandemic are demanding, we feel that we have a great plan to collaborate with the guidelines and directives of the CDC and the local health department to keep everyone safe and at the same time to offer an enjoyable family friendly event. As more information will come in the upcoming days and weeks, I kindly seek your support and assistance.

I wish you a blessed week!
      With prayers,
       Fr. Andy