All Saints Day and All Souls Day Masses

St Jude Catholic Church in Pearl, Mississippi invites you to celebrate these feast days with us in the beginning of the month of November: 

November 1 - All Saints Day - Holy Day of Obligation 

Noon 

6:00 pm 

November 2 - All Souls Day 

10:00 am

Blessings to all of you.  

Cafe con leche - Coffee with milk

When I go on the Camino of Santiago in Spain, I always love the coffee breaks at the little restaurants and coffee shops along the way.  Cafe con leche is the Spanish term for coffee with milk - steamed milk with a couple of shots of expresso.  It is a nice treat and very much reminds me of Spain and Europe.  On our pilgrimage in October, I loved the little coffee breaks we took.  

The Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal - Paris, France

On Saturday, October 27, 2018, our pilgrimage group visited the chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in the heart of Paris.  It was a wonderful, prayerful visit. 

4 de noviembre de 2018 – Trigésimo Primer Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario – Marcos 12,28-34

       En el  Evangelio de hoy, un escriba se acercó de Jesús y le preguntó sobre el primero de todos los mandamientos.  En la superficie de esta pregunta, pensamos que hay diez mandamientos para responder, pero en las tradiciones de los judíos, hay 613 leyes de Dios en las escrituras sagradas.  Entonces, esta pregunta y la respuesta son muy diferentes que nuestra imagen inicial.  En los mentes de los fariseos y los escribas, en su observancia de la ley de Dios, ellos presentan a Jesús una pregunta muy interesante. Este escriba pregunta a Jesús después de escuchar una conversación entre Jesús y los fariseos y los herodianos.  Ellos tienen muchas preguntas, pero con estas preguntas, ellos quieren poner una trampa. En esta pregunta en el Evangelio, yo reflexionaba sobre las preguntas que preguntamos en nuestro camino de fe.

      A veces, tenemos miedo de nuestras preguntas.  A veces, penamos que nuestras preguntas son tontas, o tenemos miedo de avergonzar nosotros mismos.  Frecuentemente, los discípulos tienen duda en los Evangelios en las preguntas ellos tienen – tal vez, tienen miedo de las respuestas que Jesús pueden dar.  Y los fariseos y los escribas tienen muchas preguntas, pero utilizan estas pregunta para poner Jesús a los márgenes. En nuestra sociedad, muchas personas utilizan sus preguntas como armas para hacer daño a los demás.  En nuestra fe, necesitamos dejar la tensión de utilizar las preguntas con intenciones malas. Muchas veces, tenemos muchas preguntas, pero las respuestas que buscamos no son fáciles y no son sencillas para entender. Cuando fui a Canadá y a Ecuador como misionero, yo tenía muchas preguntas, pero en mi trabajo, en la pobreza y la corrupción y la violencia que miraba como misionero cada día, yo regresé a los Estados Unidos con mas preguntas y sin muchas respuestas.

      En nuestro mundo moderno, muchas personas miran las preguntas como una debilidad. Muchas personas piensan que cada pregunta tendrá una respuesta preciso y clara.  Pero, en nuestra fe católica, no tenemos vergüenza para decir que no tenemos todas las respuestas, que en nuestro camino de fe, vamos a encontrar un sentido de misterio y las características de Dios que no podemos comprender en su plenitud. 

       Nuestro camino de fe no es recto – tiene los giros y las curvas. A veces, en nuestro camino de fe, en nuestra búsqueda como creyentes, en nuestras preguntas, podemos tener dudas, y podemos preguntar la profundidad de nuestra fe. En verdad, en nuestras preguntas, podemos tener un crisis de fe. Pero, en nuestras preguntas, en la lucha con nuestras dudas y nuestra incredulidad, podemos fortalecer nuestra fe. Una fe inquisitiva es mejor de una fe perezoso y autocomplaciente.  Una vez, mi profesor en el seminario me preguntó – “Lincoln – ¿que tipo de sacerdote quiere ser?” Yo reflexionaba sobre esta pregunta, y me daba cuenta que no puedo hacer todo como sacerdote. Y para ustedes también – ¿Cuál llamada tenemos como seguidores de Cristo? ¿Qué tipo de preguntas necesitamos preguntar para crecer en nuestra fe?  ¿Tenemos miedo para tener preguntas en nuestra fe? Necesitamos luchar y buscar con nuestra preguntas. Con nuestras preguntas, podemos reflexionar mucho.  

Kilometer Zero - Paris, France

I have been to Kilometer Zero in Madrid, Spain, where the numbers for that city and that country start.  This is kilometer zero in France.  Interesting place.  

Padlocks on a bridge - Paris, France

Everywhere I looked in Europe, there were these locks all over fences.  I had never heard of this before.  Even at Lourdes and Fatima, two religious shrines, there were locks wherever there was a fence.  Our tour guide mentioned that this was a tradition of a couple using a lock as a symbol of their love.   Here is an explanation I found on the internet: 

"The idea is simple: a couple crosses the bridge and puts a padlock on a section of the chainlink fence. The lock represents their love, and it will stay there for all of eternity. They then dramatically hurl the keys to the lock into the body of water under the bridge. They make out a bit. And then they leave. The lock stays."

I guess that this has been popularized in some movies and even in the TV show Parks and Recreation.  I read where a portion of a fence on a bridge in Paris collapsed because of all the padlocks that were on it.  I guess good intentions can go astray.  

This photo was taken in from of the Sacré-Cœur Basilica in Paris.  

Sacré-Cœur Basilica - Basilica of the Sacred Heart - Paris, France

On the last day of our pilgrimage in Europe, we visited the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, located on the highest point in the city of Paris.  It was built as a symbol of peace and reconciliation after France was defeated in the Franco-Prussian War in 1870.  Construction on it was started in 1875.  It was consecrated as a basilica by the Catholic Church in 1919 at the end of World War I.  It was a great was to end our pilgrimage.  Supposedly, it is the second most visited moment in Paris, which says a lot, because Paris is a city of many monuments.  When we visited Sacré-Cœur, there were a ton of people there, similar to Notre Dame.  

31 October 2018 - Wednesday of the 30th week in Ordinary Time - Luke 13:22-30

      In the Gospel today, from the crowds, someone shouts out to Jesus, “Lord, will only a few be saved?”  Jesus’ teachings and his proclamation of God’s kingdom attracted a lot of interest from the people of his day.  However, Jesus also drew a lot of questions from the crowds.  The people were wanting to know more about what God’s kingdom was all about.  Jesus demands that we incorporate the teachings of God’s kingdom into the reality of our daily lives, through the ups and downs of our journey of faith. 

         Each day, as we journey as disciples of Christ, we are called to delve deeper into the rich teachings of our faith traditions. Our Catholic moral teachings have a lot to teach us. Through the Beatitudes and the Ten Commandments, through the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity, we can learn so much about our faith.  We are called to continuously form our consciences and to grow in our faith so that we can make the right decisions that our faith demands from us.  Today, we mark an end to the month of October, a month that honors the blessed Virgin Mary and her role in the history of salvation, a month that calls us to specifically look at how the respect for all human life is an important part of our Catholic faith. 

         We heard about the question that someone in the crowd shouted out to Jesus in today’s Gospel.  Perhaps the question we should be asking is not how many will be eventually saved, but rather: How is God calling us to live according to his will here on earth, to be a part of his plan of salvation?  Perhaps we need to ask ourselves:  How are we incorporating his love and mercy into our lives in serving him and in serving our brothers and sisters?

30 October 2018 - Tuesday of the 30th week in Ordinary Time - Ephesians 5:21-33

      Our reading from the letter to the Ephesians today contains Paul’s exhortation on husbands and wives. But perhaps the first statement in this reading gets lost in the shuffle, in which Paul calls us to “be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ.” In all of our human relationships, we are to live with one another in community in a unity that comes from God and that reflects his mercy and his glory. That is a far cry from some of the human conduct we witness each day: the road rage we witness when we are driving down the street; people lashing out against others on social media, against people they don’t even really know; the general lack of courtesy and civility in which we treat others.  The love of God is sometimes very far away from our human interactions. 

      The saint we celebrate today is perhaps someone who is not very well-known to us in the community of saints, but he embodies the love, humility, and service to which St Paul call us today.  St. Alphonsus Rodriguez was born in 1532, in the midst of the Protestant Reformation.  He was born in Segovia, Spain, in the same part of Spain and in the same era as Teresa of Avila, John of Avila, and John of the Cross, all three who are Doctors of the Church. Yet, Alphonsus Rodriguez is not known for his theology or the way he pushed the Church to reform as a response to the Protestant Reformation, and the abuses of the time. Rather, Alphonsus comes to us as a model of humility and service.  While studying as a young man with the Jesuits, he had to return home at the death of his father to run the family business.  He married and had children.  When his wife and children died, he sought to enter the Jesuits - he was near the age of 40. Due to his age, his lack of  much formal education, and poor health, he was not admitted to the Jesuits as a priest, but rather as a lay brother.  He was sent to a Jesuit college on the island of Majorca in Spain, where he worked as the door porter. His prayerful demeanor and humble life of service spoke to many: the teachers and students in the college, as well as civic and business leaders in the community.  His writings was simple, but very profound.  He was canonized in 1888, the same day as Peter Claver, one of the students he met at the Jesuit college in Majorca.  St Alphonsus Rodriguez, pray for us.  

Feast day of St Alphonsus Rodriguez - poem written in his honor by Gerald Manley Hopkins

St. Alphonsus Rodriguez

Laybrother of the Society of Jesus

Honor is flashed off exploit, so we say;

And those strokes once that gashed flesh or galled shield

Should tongue that time now, trumpet now that field,

And, on the fighter, forge his glorious day.

On Christ they do and on the martyr may;        

But be the war within, the brand we wield

Unseen, the heroic breast not outward-steeled,

Earth hears no hurtle then from fiercest fray.

Yet God (that hews mountain and continent,

Earth, all, out; who, with trickling increment,        

Veins violets and tall trees makes more and more)

Could crowd career with conquest while there went

Those years and years by of world without event

That in Majorca Alfonso watched the door.

1 November 2018 - The Solemnity of All Saints - Matthew 5:1-12a

      Today, we celebrate the wonderful feast of All Saints Day, as we start November as the month of remembrance in the Catholic Church.  When we think about the community of saints in the Church, we perhaps think about those believers of extraordinary holiness who are now in enters life with God and who have been canonized as saints by the Church.  Among them, we think of St Francis of Assisi, St Therese of Lisieux, St John of the Cross, St Ignatius of Loyola, St Anthony of Padua, and St Catherine of Siena.  But, All Saints Day goes beyond the canonized saints in the Church. Today, we pray for all baptized Christians who are now in eternal life with God.  

       The Gospel we hear each year on All Saints Day is the Beatitudes from the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount.  While the Beatitudes are sometimes not easy to understand, they are actually a call to holiness. The Beatitudes go beyond the laws that we are called to follow in the Ten Commandments.  We are blessed, we are holy, we are fortunate when we follow the code of the Beatitudes that Jesus presents to us today.  Through the Beatitudes, we belong to the values of God’s Kingdom. The Beatitudes describe to us a kingdom of truth and love, a kingdom of compassion and justice, and kingdom of peace and reconciliation. Those who live out the Beatitudes live in total dependence on God and on their fellow brothers and sisters.  According to the Beatitudes, the poor in spirit are blessed by the way they are aware of their poverty of spirit, of their fragility, of how they need the help and support of God in their lives.  The meek and the gentle are blessed, because they react to other with care, compassion, and tenderness. They are constantly looking out for the needs of others.  Those who mourn are blessed as well; they will be comforted in their grief and their sorrow from the loving community of brothers and sisters in Christ.  Finally, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness and justice are blessed as well.  They strive for all to be treated with dignity and respect.  They may have to pay a high price to do so, but they are will to do so, even if it costs them their lives.  

      The Beatitudes express the values of the type of Christians that we are called to be. The Beatitudes express attitudes, not just actions. They call us to holiness, to the holiness that is exemplified by many of the saints we celebrate today.  Let us give thanks today on this great solemnity of All Saints. As we celebrate the saints who are in eternal life with God, we ourselves look forward to that day when we too will experience eternal happiness with the Lord.  As we pray for the saints, as we honor them in a special way, we are to be assured that their prayers and intercessions are with us as well.  

4 November 2018 – 31st Sunday in ordinary time – Mark 12:28b-34

        When we hear this scribe asking Jesus this question about which is the greatest commandment of all, we are probably thinking: Well, Jesus has 10 commandments to choose from, so this doesn’t seem like such a difficult question.  However, according to Jewish tradition, there are 613 mitzvot or commandments in Holy Scriptures, so this question is actually a lot more difficult than it seems.  With the scribes and Pharisees so obsessed in the observance of the law, Jesus is indeed faced with a very challenging proposition. 

         The scribe asks this question in the Gospel today after he hears Jesus' intense discussion with the Pharisees and Herodians.  They were asking Jesus a bunch of questions in order to try to trap him and get him in trouble with the chief priests and the Jewish elders.  With all this talk about questions in the Gospel today, we might think about the questions we ourselves ask on our journey of faith. 

         Sometimes we are afraid to ask questions, aren’t we?  Maybe we think our question is silly, that we should already know the answer.  Maybe we are afraid of embarrassing ourselves.  We often see the disciples in the Gospels being very hesitant to ask any questions at all; perhaps they are afraid of the answers they will get from Jesus.  We see the Pharisees ask a lot of questions in the Gospels, yet, they use their questions to push Jesus into a corner.  In fact, a lot of people in our society use questions in a sarcastic and mean-spirited way, using questions as weapons that will harm or injure.  

          Sometimes we have a lot of questions in our minds, but the answers we seek are not alway clear-cut and well-defined.  I remember that when I went off to be a missionary, I had a lot of questions that I thought would be answered through my missionary work.  I wondered about the best approach to help people in a country that is mired in poverty, corruption, and violence.  I brought these questions to my missionary work with a very idealistic and positive attitude, or so I thought.  I spent 8 years as a lay missionary; I returned from those experiences with even more questions and not a lot of answers. Perhaps I lost some of my innocence and idealism along the way as well.

         Our society sometimes sees asking questions as a sign of weakness.  There are a lot of religions out there that try to answer every question with a very precise, confident answer.  Yet, in our Catholic faith, we’re not afraid to say that we do not have all of the answers, that there’s a sense of mystery to our faith, that there will always be an aspect of the divine that’s beyond our human comprehension.  

         Our lives of faith can take many twists and turns as we travel along our journey.  Sometimes in our journey of faith and in our search for meaning in life, our questions can turn into doubts that end up having us question our very faith.  But asking questions, struggling with our doubts and our unbelief, will make us all the more stronger.  A searching, inquisitive faith is far better than a faith that is lazy and complacent.  I remember that one of my advisors in seminary challenged me with a couple of really provocative questions that really made me think.  He asked me: “Lincoln, what kind of priest do you want to be?  What kind of priest are you going to choose to be?”  At first I thought: What kind of questions are these?  What is he really asking me?  Can’t I be the kind of priest that everyone needs me to be?  Well, of course the answer to that question is certainly no – I can’t be everything to everyone.  Those questions really got me thinking, and I still wonder what kind of priest God wants me to be, that God is calling me to be, what kind of priest my parishioners need me to be.  

         So I might ask all of you a couple of questions in light of todays Gospel and todays homily:  How is God calling you to live out your Christian faith?  What kind of questions do you need to ask in order to grow and develop as a follower of Christ?  Are there are questions that you are afraid to ask?  And if you have a question where there is no easy answer, are you willing to wrestle and struggle with that question, to try to find some sort of meaning without any easy resolution? 

       Do not be afraid to ask questions.  Do not be afraid to search for the answers.  

2 November 2018 - The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed - All Souls Day - John 6:37-40

      On November 1 and 2 each year, we celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day, two great feasts in our Church’s liturgical year.  When we think about the community of saints in our Church, there are several different categories.  First, there are the saints who have died, who are in communion with God, who see him face-to-face and are living with him for all eternity.  Second, we have those of us who are members of the pilgrim church living here on earth, proclaiming God’s kingdom with our words and our actions, yearning for that day when we will be in ultimate union with God.  The third group is that group os saints we remember today. These are those souls who have died, but who are not quite ready for union with God, who are not quite ready to meet him face-to-face. These are the souls we remember today on All Souls Day, who are in process of purification, who are being prepared for union with God. I am sure that all of us in our humility acknowledge that are far from perfect, that we have our flaws, our weaknesses, and our growing edges.  So, in many ways, it is natural for us to have compassion and love for those souls in purgatory, to aide them with our prayers and our best wishes.  

      On All Souls Day throughout the world, this day is commemorated in many different ways. The graves of our loved ones may be decorated with flowers and favorite foods, flags and momentos, framed photographs and colorful decorations.  Family members go into cemeteries to wash the graves stones, to prune and clean.  Many Catholic countries declare All Saints Day a national holiday so that families may honor and commemorate their deceased loved ones and ancestors.  In Ecuador, where I served as a missionary, they even had a special drink they would have each year on All Souls Day - colada morada - made of berries and special grains.  

     On All Souls Day, one generation reaches out to another.  Although we naturally remember our family members and loved ones today, we are also to think about those who may not have anyone to remember them.  The will of the father is that we all remain part of the community of saints, that we all have eternal life through his Son, and that we will be raised up by him on the last day. We reach out to that chain of life that never breaks. Today, our prayers unite with the community of saints in heaven and with all believers throughout the world. 

October 29, 2018 - Back from pilgrimage

I was out of the country for 2 weeks, visiting the countries of Portugal, Spain, and France on pilgrimage, visiting places like Fatima and Lisbon in Portugal; Avila, Salamanca, Burgos, and Loyola in Spain; Lourdes, Chartres, Lisieux, and Paris in France.  We have a great time with so many wonderful memories.  I will post some of my reflections in the days and weeks ahead.  Blessings to all of you.  Know that I have prayed for many each day on our pilgrimage journey, especially during our daily masses.  

Pilgrimage time!!!

      No, I am not hiking the Camino of Santiago this time.  Hopefully that will come soon enough.  I am leaving Monday, October 15, the feast day of St Teresa of Avila, for a pilgrimage to Portugal, Spain, and France.  I am look forward to this down time to experience the wonderful Catholic pilgrimage sites of these three European countries.  I will hopefully give updates along the way.  Prayers for all of you!  

Prayers of the faithful for missionaries

Prayers of the faithful - missionaries

Penitential rite:

Lord Jesus - you call us to be missionaries. 

Christ Jesus - you call us to bring your Good News to the world. 

Lord Jesus - you are patient and loving. 

PRIEST: God, our shepherd, our diligent and patient Father who cares for his children, hears the prayers that we make on behalf of the church and the world.

1. For our Holy Father Pope Francis and all the bishops and Church leaders of the world, that they will proclaim Christ’s Gospel with zealous compassion and without fear in today’s

world.

2. For the Universal Church, that the lives of her members may be a blessing to the world and help bring many others to the true joy of believing.

3. For our seminarians.  That seminaries may form pastors after the Heart of Christ, fully dedicated to proclaiming the Gospel. 

4. For all missionaries who minister in difficult situations, may they never lose heart and always be a sign of hope for those whom they minister. 

5. For healing for the sick and the shut-in, for the repose of the souls of the faithful departed.  

PRIEST: God of love, you sent your Son among us to be the way the truth and the life. Hear our prayers that we may follow more closely in his way of justice, truth and compassion.

14 de octubre de 2018 - 28º domingo del tiempo ordinario - Reflexión sobre Santa Teresa de Ávila - Marcos 10: 17-30

       En el Evangelio de este domingo, un joven tan abierto y entusiasta. Él quiere acercarse a Jesús. Él pregunta a Jesús: ¿Qué debe hacer para heredar la vida eterna en el reino de Dios? Pero, al concluir el Evangelio, la alegría y el entusiasmo de este joven se han ido mientras se aleja en tristeza.  Lo que vemos en el mundo secular puede desafiarnos y confrontarnos en el contexto de los valores de nuestra fe.  Podemos sentirnos abatidos y derrotados, mirando la realidad del mundo. O, al contrario, podemos tratar de cambiar el mundo con los valores de nuestra fe.  Tenemos el ejemplo de fe en el santo que celebramos mañana, el 15 de octubre: Santa Teresa de Ávila. Teresa es doctora de la Iglesia, mística y fundadora de 17 conventos carmelitas en España. Ella vivió en el siglo XVI durante la Reforma Protestante y la Inquisición española, no es un momento fácil para los fieles católicos, pero especialmente no es un momento fácil para un reformadora y mística de la Iglesia que vivió su fe de una manera muy creativa.  De hecho, Teresa fue interrogada y puesta bajo sospecha por las autoridades de España y los líderes religiosos.  Sin embargo, esta fue también la época de catolicismo español - la época de San Ignacio de Loyola, San Juan de la Cruz, San Francisco Xavier, y San Juan de Ávila.  Teresa era conocida por su inteligencia y su buen humor.  Durante la vida de Santa Teresa, las monjas carmelitas vivieron con mucho lujo y muchas riquezas.  Las raíces monásticas eran muy humildes y sencillos, pero su realidad en la época era hipócrita de estas raíces.  Teresa inició un movimiento de reforma llamado Carmelitas Descalzos, que intentó regresar a las raíces de su congregación en los humildes ermitaños que se reunieron alrededor del Monte Carmelo en Tierra Santa en el siglo XII.  Teresa de Ávila dijo siguiente: “Recuerda que solo tienes un alma; que solo tienes una muerte para morir; que solo tienes una vida, que es breve y que solo tú debes vivirla; y solo hay una gloria, que es eterna. Si (recuerda) esto, habrá muchas cosas de las que no te importará nada.”

       Yo visité a Ávila después del peregrinación del Camino de Santiago en 2003, y nuevamente en 2015.  Visitaba la casa donde Teresa creció, la iglesia donde ella asistió a misa y las murallas de la ciudad que ella pasó a través de cada día. Sentí la presencia de Santa Teresa con tanta fuerza en ese viaje; También siento su presencia conmigo tan fuertemente en mi sacerdocio. No puedo expresar con palabras el amor, la devoción y la admiración que tengo por Teresa de Ávila, por los dones que ha traído a nuestra fe católica.  Teresa siguió la ley de Dios de una manera muy espiritual, creativa y viva; ella todavía nos habla en el mundo hoy con un mensaje muy fuerte. 

       A partir de la fiesta de Teresa de Ávila, acompañaré a algunos miembros de nuestra comunidad parroquial en un peregrinación a los países de Portugal, España y Francia.  Ávila es una de las ciudades en itinerario.  Nuestras oraciones estarán con todos ustedes durante nuestra peregrinación.  Monsignor Miguel Flannery va a celebrar la misa en español con ustedes durante mi peregrinación.  El trabajaba como sacerdote en México.  Yo tengo mucha alegría que él va a celebrar la misa con ustedes esta dos semanas.  

Reflection for Sunday, October 14, 2018 - 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Reflection on St Teresa of Avila - Mark 10:17-30

       In this Sunday's Gospel, we see a young man so open and eager and enthusiastic as he approaches Jesus, asking Jesus what he needs to do to inherit eternal life in God's kingdom. But, by the conclusion of the Gospel, this young man's joy and enthusiasm are gone as he walks away in sadness.  

       What we see in the secular world can challenge us and confront us in the context of the values of our faith.  We can feel dejected and defeated, giving in the the reality of the world, or, conversely, we can try to change the world around us with the values of our faith.  This Gospel pointed me to the saint we celebrate tomorrow, October 15: St Teresa of Avila.  Teresa is a Doctor of the Church, a mystic, and a founder of 17 Carmelite convents in Spain.  She lived in the 16th century in the era of the Protestant Reformation and the Spanish Inquisition, not an easy time for the Catholic faithful, but especially not an easy time for a Church reformer and mystic who lived out her faith in a very creative way. In fact, Teresa was questioned and brought under suspicion by the governmental and religious authorities of the day.  Yet, this was also the golden era of Spanish Catholicism, as her contemporaries included Ignatius of Loyola, John of the Cross, and John of Avila.  Teresa was known for her quick wit, her sense of humor, and her gift of drawing people to her.  During her life, the Carmelite order, of which she was a member, had gotten far away from its humble monastic roots and had gotten very wealthy and ostentatious.  Teresa started a reform movement called the Discalced Carmelites, the Barefoot Carmelites, that tried to get back to the order's roots in the humble hermits that gathered around Mount Carmel in the Holy Land in the 12th century.  One quote I like from Teresa of Avila is the following:  “Remember that you have only one soul; that you have only one death to die; that you have only one life, which is short and has to be lived by you alone; and there is only one Glory, which is eternal. If you (remember) this, there will be many things about which you will care nothing.”

       One of the highlights of my travels was a trip to Avila after I completed the Camino de Santiago in 2003, and again in 2015. I visited the house where she grew up, the church where she went to mass, and the walls of the city that she passed through each day.  I felt the presence of St Teresa so strongly on that trip; I also feel her presence with me so strongly in my priesthood.  I cannot express in words the love and devotion and admiration I have for Teresa of Avila, for the gifts she has brought to our Catholic faith.  Teresa followed God’s law in a very spiritual, creative, and lively way; she still speaks to so many in our world today and has drawn many souls to our Church.  In fact, there has been several movements throughout history to make St Teresa the patron saint of Spain instead of St James – this show what a significant figure she is. 

       Starting on the feast day of Teresa of Avila, I will be accompanying some members of our parish community on a pilgrimage to the countries of Portugal, Spain, and France.  Avila is one of the cities on itinerary.  Our prayers will be with all of you as we travel in pilgrimage to some of the great Catholic sites of Europe.  

Prayer for the blessing of animals - feast day of St Francis of Assisi

Heavenly Father, our human ties with our animal friends are a special gift from you. We lift up our special animal companions to your fatherly care for a blessing to day.  We especially ask for a blessing for any of these animals who are sick or in pain.  Give us, their human friends, understanding of our responsibilities to these creatures of yours. They have trust in us as we have trust in you.  We are all here on earth together to give each another friendship, affection, love, and care. 

Your goodness touches every living creature and your grace flows to them. Grant to our special animal companions long and healthy lives. Give them good relationships with us, and we their earthly lives come to an en, help us to understand that they are not gone from us, but only drawing closer to you. Grant our prayer through the intercession of blessed St. Francis of Assisi, who honored you through all your creatures. Watch over our animal friends until they are safely with you in eternity, where we someday hope to join them in giving you honor forever. Amen.

7 de octubre de 2018 - XXVII Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario - Ciclo B - Génesis 2:18-24, Marco 10:2-12

      Hoy escuchamos las lecturas que reafirman que todos somos parte de la creación de Dios. Del libro de Génesis, escuchamos cómo de la tierra, Dios creó al primer ser humano.  Luego Dios creó muchas criaturas diferentes y, finalmente, hizo un compañero adecuado para el primer ser humano. La historia de la creación del Capítulo 2 de Génesis tiene un compañero en las enseñanzas de Jesús sobre el matrimonio, cómo la manera donde el hombre y la mujer están unidos por Dios en un pacto que nadie debe separar.  Escuchamos estas lecturas del compromiso de Dios con nosotros como parte de su creación, del compromiso de un esposo con su esposa, a medida que nos acercamos el último fin de semana de la campaña de mayordomía de nuestra parroquia.  Tal vez “mayordomía” no es una palabra que conocemos mucho, pero “mayordomía” significa la responsabilidad de utilizar los dones que Dios nos da - nuestras riquezas, nuestro tiempo, y nuestros talentos.  Podemos utilizarlos en una manera egoísta o podemos utilizarlos en la proclamación del reino de Dios, en servicio a nuestro prójimo y nuestra parroquia.  

       La Iglesia Católica de St Jude es bendecida de muchas maneras - es evidente en los ministerios, los programas y los eventos aquí en la parroquia. Es más evidente en ustedes, el pueblo de Dios en nuestra parroquia. Ustedes son los que dan voluntariamente su tiempo, su talento y su tesoro. Ustedes son los que hacen visible a nuestro Señor Jesucristo  en las oraciones,  las obras de caridad, y el compartir de su fe hispana en nuestra comunidad. Un desafío que enfrentamos como una parroquia  es financiar nuestros programas y ministerios y los gastos que tenemos cada día. El costo de reparar nuestro estacionamiento es un gran gasto que tuvimos este año - mas de $400,000.  El diácono John, el consejo de las finanzas de la parroquia y yo trabajamos mucho para tener éxito en las finanzas de nuestra parroquia.  Existen muchos gastos y obligaciones que son fijos y sobre los cuales tenemos poco control, tales como cathedraticum (un impuesto que pagamos al Diócesis), el seguro y la luz.

       Nos damos cuenta de que algunas familias en nuestra parroquia pueden enfrentar una situación económica difícil.  También somos conscientes de que varios de ustedes hacen lo mejor que pueden para ofrecer con sacrificio a nuestra parroquia. Sin embargo, pedimos la participación de todos como parte de nuestro programa de mayordomía para aumentar el ofertorio.  La fuente principal de ingresos para nuestra parroquia es el ofertorio y las donaciones que recibimos.  Dependemos de este ofertorio para pagar los gastos de la parroquia, incluidos los programas y los ministerios.  Ustedes pueden ayudar en esta importante iniciativa de varias maneras.  Primero, un aumento modesto en su donación semanal nos ayudará a cubrir nuestros gastos, cumplir con nuestras obligaciones financieras y construir una base firme para el futuro.  Segundo, el uso regular de sobres parroquiales o donaciones electrónicas nos ayudará a mantener nuestro flujo de caja regular.  Por favor, consideren en oración lo que puede hacer para ayudar en el crecimiento y el apoyo de los ministerios y programas de la parroquia.  Agradecemos profundamente toda la generosidad de nuestros miembros de St Jude. Les pedimos que consideren en oración lo que están dando y consideren aumentar sus contribuciones a nuestra parroquia.  Estamos muy agradecidos por su apoyo.

12 October 2018 – Friday of 27th week in Ordinary Time – Galatians 3:7-14

      We continue to hear from Paul’s letter to the Galatians today.  Paul explains that those who have faith receive the same blessing as Abraham, for Abraham is our father in faith.  We receive this blessing regardless of being Jew or Gentile. Paul goes on to explain that Christ came to free us from the covenant of the Jewish law in order to give us the path of faith under our new covenant in Christ.  God has made the covenant available to all as a freely given gift.

     Paul, as we know, thought Christianity was open to all, not just to those who were under the Jewish covenant with God. Paul’s missionary spirit and the spirit of the many great missionaries in our Church have inspired many to bring the Gospel to others.  Back in 1996, I left the United States to spend three years in the country of Ecuador as a missionary, an experience that definitely shaped the way I approach the priesthood. I served as a consecrated lay missionary with the Comboni Missionaries, founded by Father Daniel Comboni, who was born in Italy in 1831. His dream was to bring Christianity to the people of Africa.  Comboni was ordained the Bishop of Khartoum in the Sudan in Africa in 1877. He established a missionary institute for priests and brothers and one for religious sisters to bring the Gospel to Africa.  He wrote about his work as a missionary in his journal: “Blessed be the Lord. Have no fear. Our lives are in God’s hands. Let God do with them what God wills: we have irrevocably sacrificed them to The Lord. May God be blessed….In baptism we promise and dedicate ourselves to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  We are called to be a missionary, to spread the good news to all we meet each day through everything we do and to love and serve others.” Comboni died in 1881 after an illness at the young age of 50, yet he had this to say: “I am dying, but my work will not die.”  Today there are more than 1,800 Comboni missionaries – priests, brothers, and sisters – working in the mission field throughout the world. Daniel Comboni’s feast day is celebrated on October 10.  I see Daniel Comboni in the spirit of St Paul, in bringing the Gospel to the world. May we live in that same spirit. 

7 October 2018 - 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time - Cycle B - Stewardship commitment Sunday for our parish's Stewardship Campaign - Genesis 2:18-24 - Mark 10:2-16

       We hear readings today reaffirming that we are all part of God’s creation.  From Genesis, we hear how out of the earth, God made the first human being, then made many different creatures, and finally, made a suitable companion for the first human being.  The creation story from the 2nd Chapter of Genesis is juxtaposed against Jesus’ teachings about marriage, how man and woman are joined together by God in a covenant that is not to be separated.  We hear these readings of God’s commitment to us as a part of his creation, of a husband’s commitment to his wife, as we approach the last weekend of our parish’s stewardship campaign.  It is the day we will be asked to make a commitment.  Over these past weeks, we have been invited to reflect upon our stewardship of time, talent, and treasure.  We have listened to Deacon John McGregor and Dunaway Rooks reflect upon stewardship and to Rhea Vincent address our parking lot repairs - I am very grateful for their reflections.  

        Our parish has been called to give back in gratitude.  We are especially hopeful that an increase in giving will enable us to meet our goals of paying off the parking lot repairs in a timely manner and to strengthen our parish’s financial position.  I hope all of you received in the mail the letter from me detailing these goals of our stewardship appeal, with a brochure suggesting levels of increased weekly giving.  

         We are asked today to make our commitment to increased giving by completing an intention card.  You have received the Commitment Weekend envelope which contains an intention card and pencil.  Please take a moment to fill out the intention card for your household.  By making this commitment, you are being specific about where these weeks of prayerful reflection have brought you in terms of your stewardship of treasure.  And you are helping our parish of St Jude to make an informed plan for stewardship of parish resources in service to parish ministries.  I have completed my own intention card. 

          Please complete the portion of the card that asks for your name and address now.  If you currently receive weekly offertory envelopes and your know your envelope number, please add it to the space indicated.  You may add your phone number if you wish. 

          In the row of boxes on the bottom of the intention card, take a moment to check the box that corresponds to your new level of weekly giving to which you committed.  If your level is not shown, check the box marked “other” and write in your preferred amount.  You will also see on the intention card a box to check if you’re not currently receiving offertory envelopes, and wish to receive them. I recommend this option, because envelopes serve as a reminder to sustain our weekly giving.  You will also find a box to check if you are interested in receiving information for electronic giving, in which your weekly offering will automatically and securely be deducted from your bank account or charged to a credit card.  Please return the intention card to the envelope and place the envelope in the collection basket when it comes by. 

            Every household who submits a completed intention card will receive a thank you letter.  Over the next few weeks, those who have not yet responded will receive a series of reminder letters.  There will be weekly reminder announcements at Mass and in the bulletin.  During this time, please continue to pray for the widest possible participation in our Stewardship Campaign. 

             I want to thank those of you who have helped make our St Jude Stewardship Campaign possible: our parish staff, as well as Deacon John, Dunaway Rooks, and Rhea Vincent who spoke at Mass these past few weeks.  I especially want to thank all of you who opened your hearts to these talks on stewardship these past several weeks, who answered this invitation to stewardship so prayerfully and enthusiastically.  Our shared parish mission will reflect your commitment and your generosity.  Please join me in praying our Stewardship prayer together.