Pastor’s Letter & September 13 Bulletin

Pastor’s Letter & September 13 Bulletin

11 Sep 2020 | Posted by: chadmin

The September 13 bulletin is now available online.

Dear friend,

As Catholics, we call the Scripture “a living Word” because the truth of revelation speaks anew to us each time we encounter it. Whether spoken or read, the Bible offers us the truth of God that offers guidance to our journey to heaven. God, as a good father, desires to communicate Himself to us. God wants us to know Him and He wants to know us. That is the point and the power of prayer. Prayer builds our relationship with God. As Catholic Christians, we see the four Gospels with special importance because they contain the words of Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and carries Divine Authority, but the Gospels offer us direct clarity on God’s thoughts through the ministry of God’s Son. This is the reason we stand at Mass when the Gospel is read to the community. The understanding of the power of God’s word is evident to the Apostles as they questioned Jesus. The Gospel reading this weekend from Matthew descries Peter approaching Jesus to ask a question that many of us have spiritually asked at one time or another. “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive?”

Forgiveness is one of the biggest topics in the Bible because sin is a part of every human life. We have all sinned and we have all been sinned against. Understandably, we usually have an easier time asking God to forgive us than we have in forgiving others or even forgiving ourselves. Peter understands this. The same challenges we all have with forgiveness is behind the question posed to Jesus. As with all of Jesus’ responses, He doesn’t just give an answer, but gives a story that tells many answers that can strike us in different ways at different times. Put simply, Jesus says if you beg for forgiveness, and get forgiven, we are obligated to forgive others. As we say in the Our Father, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Another way to look at these words is that we can’t expect God to forgive us if we don’t forgive others. This means everyone. Not selective forgiveness, but full forgiveness. Anything we hold on to that others do to us or around us that we let take our words, emotions or actions to a place of sinfulness, has to be forgiven. Unforgiveness essentially is allowing ourselves to be controlled by the offender. When we change our mood, act in spite, say unkind words, withhold our love or help from anyone who has offended, because we are offended, then we are living in unforgiveness. Forgiveness is the process of setting ourselves and the other free. Forgiveness is the main process to restoring relationship, whether it’s with God or one another. The majority of us only have to start thinking quietly for a few minutes, before the Lord informs us who we need to forgive. May we all make the effort to ask the Lord who He wants us to forgive this week.

As our culture continues to deal with the coronavirus, I am not yet comfortable offering the Sacrament of Confession in the church confessional. For the time being, I will continue to hear Confessions on Wednesday at 5pm, Thursday at noon, and Saturday at 3pm at the outside covered drop-off of the Parish Center. I would like to add back the two Confession times after the Thursday and Saturday 8am Masses. Since I always greet people out front of church after Mass, I will hear Confessions on the front sidewalk for anyone who might wish to receive the Sacrament at these two times. I hope this offers some additional access to the community that is beneficial for you.

God bless,

Father David