Pastor’s Letter & October 10 Bulletin

Pastor’s Letter & October 10 Bulletin

8 Oct 2021 | Posted by: chadmin

The October 10 bulletin is available online.  If you’re interested in advertising on our bulletin, contact Don Roe at 616-340-8580.

Dear friend,

October is the month of the Rosary. The Church focuses on particular aspects of the faith throughout the liturgical year to cover the many mysteries of faith. October 7 was the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. The feast day recalls the many miraculous events surrounding devotion to the Rosary. The battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571 was won by the western or Christian countries against the Muslims of the Ottoman Empire. Knowing of the invading forces, the pope invited everyone to pray the Rosary for victory. It is not often that military victories are celebrated as part of the Church calendar; but, there are many, many examples of prayer in battle. While the prayer of October 7, 1571 resulted in a change of the blowing wind that gave a victory to the Europeans, the victories that most of us celebrate when praying the Rosary are solely of the spiritual realm. Temptation is a real experience for all of us, and can lead to committing sin. Praying the Rosary invokes the spiritual protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, while encouraging us to mentally reflect on the mysteries of salvation. We don’t pray to receive benefits; but, the one devoted to prayer certainly receives many spiritual benefits. The month of October is an invitation by the Church to pray the Rosary and trust that the benefits have eternal significance.

The Church offers us some beautiful readings for reflection this week. The Bible, from beginning to end, provides the framework for the path to heaven. The New Testament reveals that Jesus Christ saved humanity from sin and eternal death, by his Life, Death, and Resurrection. Next to the actual work of God’s salvation, the Bible points out the necessary human disposition to a saintly life. The Book of Wisdom outlines the importance of praying for virtue. The Biblical author prays for prudence and received wisdom. This wisdom is more precious than any physical possession because it relates to the essence of God. The Bible communicates how to properly engage the things of this world for spiritual benefit and prideful gain. The gift of spiritual wisdom brings a deeper insight and understanding into all things of the created order, both physical and spiritual. We should all pray daily for the gift of wisdom.

The passage from the Letter to the Hebrews illustrates the one fear Jesus invites his followers to maintain. In general, Jesus tells us to “fear not.” Fear is an unhealthy and debilitating spiritual condition. However, proper fear of God elicits saintly conduct. The Word of God, the Bible, is “living and effective” enabling us to “discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.” This truth allows us to understand that God knows everything about us personally. “Everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him” which invites us to reflect upon end-of-life judgement. This doesn’t call us to a debilitating fear that prevents us from relationship with God, but rather to a proper love of Him who loves us best.  Fear of God calls us to sainthood. A maxim we have all likely heard describes this well. “People will not always remember what you did, but always remember how you made them feel.” As we contemplate our own judgement, the Lord wants us to honestly recognize the way our lives effect the lives of others. May we seek to properly love and build up those around us by offering Christ-like words that truthfully penetrate to the heart. In this way we will follow the Gospel call to properly put our trust in spiritual, instead of physical, aspects of life. Have a great week.

God bless,

Father David