October 31st – 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Friends,
Praised be Jesus Christ!
As we gather to worship at Holy Mass this weekend, and desire for our own responses to Jesus to be more like that of the scribe, with understanding, we also are preparing for a distinctively Catholic week.
Monday, November 1, will find us begging the intercession of All Saints. Although not a holy day of obligation this year, so excellent of a solemnity of the Church, the liturgical roots of which extend back to the fourth century, should quicken our hearts as we await the coming of the Lord in glory.
On moments such as these, it is far better to allow the tradition of the Church to speak for herself; below follow excerpts from a sermon offered on this holy day by St. Bede the Venerable (c.672-735).
‘Today, dearly beloved, on one solemn day of rejoicing, we celebrate the feast of all the saints in heaven. In their communion heaven exults; in their patronage, earth rejoices; in their triumph holy Church is crowned with glory.”
“For the ineffable and limitless goodness of God has provided that the time of both toil and struggle shall not be prolonged unduly, nor drawn out and without end, but brief, and as I might say, of a moment. Therefore, although in this short and difficult life there may be labors and struggles, in that life which is eternal there are crowns and rewards for merit.”
Within our own four parishes, we are richly blessed at the church of St. Casmir by the presence of two reliquary cabinets in the back of the church which contain the beautiful relics of so many saints.
Tuesday, November 2, will find us commemorating All the Faithful Departed on this day of All Souls.
In our own family of four parishes, we have the privilege to pray this Tuesday, November 2, at 6:00 pm at St. Hedwig during our Vespers of All Souls for those within our parishes who have died over these past two years, and entrust their souls to our merciful God, those whom we have known and loved.
May this distinctively Catholic week find us all at prayer and filled with an abundance of understanding.
On behalf of Fr. Tim, Fr. John and our entire parish staff, you have our love and our prayers!
Very truly yours,
Fr. Michael Malucha
October 24th – 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Friends,
Peace of Christ and I hope you are well. I was recently over for dinner to bless the new home of a couple whose wedding I had last year. When I asked them what marriage is like, now almost a year in, their response was beautiful: “Marriage is so much deeper and more beautiful than dating, you didn’t even realize what you were missing. Maybe heaven will be like that too. This life is good, but heaven will be so much more, we have no idea what we are missing”.
I must confess, these past few weeks have been a reminder that our world is good, but much is still missing! Many places are short staffed, it seems like our collective patience is running thin, and any number of things in the church and our world easily lends itself to discouragement. Heaven sounds great right about now! Confronted with the fallenness of our world, the readings this weekend express the longing in all of us for something deeper and more beautiful.
Through the prophet Jeremiah we read of the longing to return the scattered tribes of Israel. Yet for so many years, YHWH permitted Israel’s captivity and it seems like nothing was happening. Jesus’ unexpected healing of Bartimaeus reminds us that God can act powerfully and quickly. Indeed, God “can restore our fortunes” (cf. Psalm 126) when we least expect it. Yet, God also (and more often!) permits a certain “walking in darkness”, as He did with Bartimaeus, and we’re called to say “yes” to that too.
This week may we look forward to heaven and how beautiful it will be! But may we also say yes to the Lord, especially when we’re painfully aware of what’s missing!
Sincerely, with love,
Fr. John
October 17th – 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Friends,
Praised be Jesus Christ!
As we continue in this October month dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary, at Holy Mass this weekend, the Church begs the Lord in the Prayer over the Offerings for, in part, “a sincere respect for Your gifts”.
One such gift of the Lord crying out not only for our respect but also for our defense are the lives of those unborn children, whose existence and viability continue to be threatened in our United States.
What should never be reduced to a matter of aggressive, partisan politics – namely, human life – has become the deeply distressing and unfortunate norm, not only amongst activists but also us disciples.
And yet, we need not resign ourselves to this situation, even as so many willingly blind themselves from the law written upon their hearts, especially about the Lord’s vision for family life and human sexuality.
This Sunday, October 17 at 2:00 pm, a Eucharistic procession will begin from St. Hedwig and proceed to Affiliated Medical Services on Farwell Avenue as part of the 40 Days for Life Campaign.
This annual Campaign seeks to cover those persons and places that promote and protect abortion on demand in a constant vigil of prayer, begging the Lord both for their conversion and the conversion of our country, and for a greater love for human life, beginning first within the womb, the child’s sanctuary.
Such a procession is no weaponization of the Blessed Sacrament; rather, it is what Catholics do and have always done in the face of such preeminent evil. Pray, fast, give alms and deepen our Eucharistic faith.
In the words of our Gospel proclaimed this weekend, “Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.”
(Mark 10: 43-44)
With hearts renewed by this Holy Mass, may we be found to be those servants, especially of the unborn.
May God have mercy on us all.
Very truly yours,
Fr. Michael Malucha
October 10th – 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Start by doing what’s necessary;
then do what’s possible,
and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
(St. Francis of Assisi)
Dear Friends,
The Gospel this Sunday presents a seeming impossibility: To live with nothing that could possess us. In a culture of overabundance and pleasure so often being the measure of happiness and control of our destiny our main goal, we are challenged to let go.
Possessions come in so many forms that we perhaps need to do a little evaluation this week as to what preoccupies us and drives our decisions. Maybe it is money and things, maybe it is a drive for success and praise at all costs, maybe it is a desire for love or lust or relationships that are unhealthy, maybe it is an addiction, maybe it is fear and worry and the desire to control, maybe, maybe, maybe….
Jesus tells us that all is required is to let go and follow Him. In this tenth chapter of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem and the ultimate letting go of the Crucifixion. Perhaps taking the necessary step this week to inventory what possesses us will lead to have to let some dying happen within us. Jesus shows us it is possible to do that, one possession at a time.
Maybe just trying the possibility of letting go of one thing in our lives this week will lead to other more significant things, and the seeming impossible becomes the possible. Jesus promises us. It works!
Sincerely, with love,
Fr. Tim
October 3 – World Communion Sunday, Respect Life Sunday
“Love which does not carry within itself the cross is constantly bumping into other crosses, it stumbles, creeps, and crawls. Love that is, so to speak, plugged into the cross has already taken the obstacles in its stride”
(Servant of God Madeleine Delbrêl)
Dear Friends,
Peace of Christ. I was recently perusing the website at a parish in Portland, Oregon, where a former professor of mine from seminary is now the Pastor. Their remarkable well-designed website speaks to an active parish, a wealth of ministry and formation opportunities and a growing school. Yet all of these “successes” are fruits, rather than reasons themselves for the vibrancy of the parish. “Christ the King Catholic Church – a Eucharistic Parish” – this simple line in the parish bulletin says it all.
A Eucharistic Parish. When a parish community falls in love with Jesus Christ truly present in the Eucharist, something really beautiful can take place in the ensuing months and years. In a quiet, yet real way, our love can slowly take on the character of a love that is “plugged into the Cross” that Madeleine Delbrêl speaks of. A parish that falls in love with the Eucharist gradually opens its eyes to the poor around it and sees Christ’s presence in all people. A parish that falls in love with the Eucharist is able to be more patient with people who have different opinions than its own. And only when a parish falls in love with the Eucharist can families most fully live out our challenging Gospel this Sunday, where Jesus prohibits divorce and calls for faithfulness in marriage in good times and in bad.
In the midst of a time where no doubt marriage and family life is strained, what might our parish look like if we all fell in love with Jesus in the Eucharist? Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything and be assured of our prayerful support, always. Have a blessed week!
Sincerely, with love,
Fr. John
