Join us for mass to celebrate Our Lady of the Rosary

Friday, October 7, 2016, we celebrate Our Lady of the Rosary. Join us for mass at St James at 12:10 pm to celebrate our Blessed Mother. Since this is the first Friday of the month, we will also pray the litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at the end of mass. Blessings to all.

Sister Theodore Guerin (1798 - 1856)

Earlier in the week, on October 3, we celebrated the feast day of St Theodore Guerin, a Roman Catholic sister who came to the United States from France to establish a school and a congregation of religious sisters in Indiana in the 19th century when that state was the Western frontier of our country. Mother Theodore is the patron saint of the Diocese of Lafayette, Indiana.  She underwent great hardship and persecution, even at the hands of her bishop, but endured to have a great impact in establishing the Catholic faith in the state of Indiana.  This is a great quote from her: "We are not called upon to do all the good that is possible, but only that which we can do."  Thank you St Theodore Guerin for your prayers and intercessions for us, for the example of faith that you are for us today.

10/7/2016 - Our Lady of the Rosary - Friday of the 27th week in Ordinary Time - Luke 11:15-26

     Today’s Gospel show a great dichotomy.  There are some who question every action Jesus makes, even asserting that he is able to heal the sick only by the power of the Devil.  Others try to test him, asking for other signs, not satisfied by what they already see.  However, other see the good in what Jesus does and give thanks for his presence with them. At last, Jesus tells them: The one who is not with me is against me, and the one who does not gather with me scatters.  There is no neutrality, no ambiguity as to whether we are a disciple of Christ or not.  The choice is ours: Are we for him or against him?  Not to choose is itself a choice, it is going against Christ and the values of the Gospel.  

     We choose to be in communion with Christ and his other disciples, with Christ and the communion of saints.  From the days of Christ’s ministry, his mother Mary has been a central figure in the community of disciples, with Mary being the first disciple, the first one who believes in him and his ministry.  Throughout the history of our faith, devotions have developed around Mary, the Blessed Mother who always brings us closer to Jesus.  Today’s memorial on October 7 is devoted to the Blessed Mother - Our Lady of the Rosary.  Pope Pius V had established a coalition of forces from Spain and other Christian kingdoms to fight the Ottoman empire.  Their victory at the battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571 against the Ottoman empire’s naval forces led to the establishment of today’s feast.  The victory was attributed to the prayers offered to the Blessed Mother through the praying of the rosary.  Today’s celebration invites all of us to reflect upon the mysteries of Christ that we pray throughout the rosary, following the example of his mother who is so uniquely associated with her son’s incarnation, ministry, passion, and resurrection.  

      The celebration of Our Lady of the Rosary takes place in the month of October, a month that is both dedicated to Mary and to the Respect for Life as an essential part of our Catholic faith.  Indeed, a Respect for Life and the Blessed Mother are so appropriate to celebrate and honor in the same month, since Mary never receives any honor or accolades for her own sake, but rather is always trying to draw us into a more profound faith and life of discipleship with her son. 

     May the prayers and intercession of Mary help us on our journey of faith.  May she help us choose her Son over the many other choose we have each day.  May the prayers of the rosary alway touch our hearts.  

10/6/2016 - Thursday of the 27th week in Ordinary time - Galatians 3:1-5

     We have been hearing passages from Paul’s letter to the Galatians in the first readings in the daily masses these past several days.  We can all get impatient, frustrated, and upset about things, but Paul seems to have been having a particularly bad day by the way he begins today’s passage: “O stupid Galatians!”  Paul evidently is very upset at the way the Galatians have been forsaking their faith.  They are still relying on their human works and their human efforts rather than placing their trust in God.  There are some times when we Catholics in the South can be accused by our brothers and sisters in the Evangelical Christian denominations, claiming that we really on our good works and our own efforts in order to achieve our salvation in our faith.  Yet, that is definitely a misinterpretation of what we believe.  Our good works are to be a fruit of our faith and a fruit of our life of discipleship, from the salvation we receive through Christ as a freely given gift.  Perhaps Paul was trying to shake the Galatians out of their complacency and out their wanderings away from the one true faith.  We can stray from the faith at times ourselves.  I wonder what Paul would say to us?  

Therese of the Child Jesus

Today, we celebrate one of the most beloved members of the community of saints - Therese of the Child Jesus (1873 - 1897).  She was a cloistered Carmelite nun who lived in the cloister in rural France and who died at a very young age.  She is a Doctor of the Church and a patron saint of the missions and very beloved by many of the faithful.  We remember her today. 

“For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” 
― Thérèse de Lisieux

Respect Life month rosary - The Glorious mysteries – for the 2nd weekend in October 2016 (October 8 and October 9)

The Glorious mysteries – for the 2nd weekend in October 2016 (October 8 and October 9)

Prayer at the beginning of the rosary –

O Blessed Mother,

Pray for us your children that we may be strong against the forces of death.

Look down upon the babies who are not allowed to be born,

upon the poor,

upon the victims of social injustice,

upon the elderly and sick,

upon those who suffer from war, violence, and terrorism,  

upon those persecuted because of their religion,

upon those who are so desperate that they choose to die through suicide. 

Help us appreciate human life as a gift from God,

Help us to become a people of life!   Amen.

1. THE RESURRECTION

Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the third day after his passion and death, rose again in glory, victorious over death and never to die again.  In the salvation we receive from his death and resurrection, we are called to proclaim the Gospel of Life each day. We pray that all who are dying, that those who are in hospice, and those who in their last days of their lives here on earth might join themselves with Christ who died and rose for them.

2. THE ASCENSION

Our Lord Jesus Christ, 40 days after his Resurrection, ascended into heaven with triumph and glory in the sight of his most holy mother and all his disciples.  We pray for those children and youth who have run away from home and who live on the streets.  We pray for those who have lost hope and have lost faith. 

3. THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Our Lord Jesus Christ, sitting at the right hand of the Father, sent the Holy Spirit into the upper room where the apostles were gathered together with our Blessed Mother.  We pray that we all may make sacrifices in order to defend human life, that the Holy Spirit may give us the courage and strength to do so.  We pray that we may all learn more about the Gospel of Life this month of October through our prayers and our study. 

4. THE ASSUMPTION OF MARY

When the Most Holy Virgin Mary left the earth, she was assumed into heaven by the angels. We pray that those who have gone before us in faith might rest in the Lord.  We pray for all babies who have died through abortion. 

5. THE CORONATION OF MARY AS QUEEN OF HEAVEN AND EARTH

Jesus crowned the Most Holy Virgin Mary in heaven as the saints rejoiced in glory around her throne.  With Mary as our Mother leading us and guiding us, we pray for all mothers, that they come to know the wonder of their vocation.  And we pray for all who are homeless, broken or afraid.

Prayer at the end of the Rosary –

Let us pray in the words of St John Paul II:

O Mary, bright dawn of the new world,

Mother of the living and the dead, to you do we entrust the cause of life

Look down, O Mother, upon the vast numbers of babies not allowed to be born,

of the poor whose lives are made difficult,

of men and women who are victims of brutal violence,

of the elderly and the sick killed by indifference or out of misguided mercy.

Grant that all who believe in your Son may proclaim the Gospel of life

with honesty and love to the people of our time.

Obtain for them the grace to accept that Gospel as a gift ever new,

the joy of celebrating it with gratitude throughout their lives

and the courage to bear witness to it resolutely, in order to build,

together with all people of good will,

the civilization of truth and love,

to the praise and glory of God, the Creator and lover of life.

AMEN.

October - Respect life month

Today is the first day of October, respect life month.  Every weekend in October, we pray the rosary before the masses, reflecting upon the mysteries of the rosary through the lens of the respect for life. This weekend, we pray the Joyful Mysteries.

The Joyful Mysteries – 1st Weekend in October 2016 – Oct 1 and 2

Prayer at the beginning of the rosary –

O gentle Jesus, through whom all life came to be, hear our prayers for all men and women.

Hear our prayers for the great and powerful.

Hear our prayers for the weak and broken.

Hear our prayers for the smallest and most innocent.

Hear our prayer for tall human cedars and the very smallest of human flowers.

May all see in each human being the souls so precious to you.

As we celebrate the feast day of Saint Thérèse of the Little Flower this weekend, we unite our prayers with prayers of Saint Thérèse, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and of all the community of saints.

We ask this though Christ our Lord. Amen.

1. The Annunciation of our Lord

As the angel proclaimed the conception of Christ in Mary's womb, so do mothers and fathers learn every day about the upcoming birth of their children.  Let us pray to Mary, the Mother of us all, that every child be treasured and protected from the first moment of conception as an inestimable and wondrous gift of God.

2. The Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth

As the child in Elizabeth's womb leaped for joy when the Blessed Virgin visited her, with Mary being pregnant with the Son of God, so may our hearts leap with joy at the wonders of new life promised in every expectant mother.

3. The Nativity of our Lord Jesus

In the birth of every child we see the birth of Christ Jesus in the humble Bethlehem stable.  Let us commend all new mothers and fathers and every newborn child to the protection and intercession of the Mother of God and Mother of all Christians.

4. The presentation of our Lord Jesus in the Temple

As Christ was consecrated to God at his presentation in the temple by Mary and Joseph, so many we consecrate all children to that holiness, purity, and innocence by which they lead us to God.  Let us pray for all the children and youth in our parish community and give thanks for the ways we see Christ in them. 

5. The finding in the Temple

As the Christ Child was found in the temple by the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph, so we pray for all children, especially those lost and forgotten, especially those who are victims of violence, bullying, and neglect.  May the Gospel of Life impel us to find them when they are most in need and to lead them home to a place where they are treasured, protected, and loved.

Prayer at the end of the rosary –

      Heavenly Father, the beauty and dignity of human life was the crowning of your creation. You further ennobled that life when your Son became one with us in his incarnation. Help us to realize the sacredness of human life and to respect it from the moment of conception until the last moment at death. Give us courage to speak with truth and love and with conviction in defense of life. Help us to extend the gentle hand of mercy and forgiveness to those who do not reverence your gift of life. To all, grant pardon for the times we have failed to be grateful for your precious gift of life or to respect it in others. We ask this in Jesus' Name.  Amen.