Brothers and Sisters in Christ –
When I drive home from the airport I pass through the city of Hartford, Connecticut. Off the right side of the highway is St. Joseph Cathedral, an imposing piece of architecture that was built after the original Cathedral was destroyed by fire. Rising over the front entrance of the Cathedral is the steeple, which in recent years has been illuminated from the inside. And atop the steeple is the cross. Archbishop Blair, when interviewed about the renovations to the Cathedral, said: “This symbol of religious faith and practice … stands as a symbol of charity, compassion and community.” He said that this “beacon of God” should remind us to be “beacons of God.”
The news cycle of late has had me reflecting on our Christian vocation. The words of Archbishop Blair have had me bringing to my prayer the question, “How can we, people of faith, be beacons of God in a world that’s becoming more and more divided, hostile, and lacking in charity, compassion and community?” From a war in Ukraine that’s nearing two years of fighting, to the death and destruction in Gaza, to the political turmoil in our own country, to gun violence in our neighborhoods, to domestic violence at home, and the list of pain goes on and on.
President Biden when speaking at the Human Rights Campaign National Dinner said: “Hate towards one group and left unanswered opens the door to more hate, towards more groups, more often readily … the antidote to hate is love and silence is complicity.” Jesus’ life was all about love. Jesus loved the sinner. Jesus loved the outcast. Jesus loved the sick. Jesus loved those who persecuted him. Jesus loved those who rejected his message. Jesus loved those of no faith. Jesus loved. Jesus loved completely, freely, and inclusively.
How can we be beacons of God’s love in our world? We can start by loving more. Instead of engaging in those behaviors that cause harm and division, we can strive each day to show God’s love by our words and actions. We can do one good deed a day that touches a person’s heart and brings a smile to their face. We can bite our tongue when we’re tempted to judge or say something that will hurt a person. We can be more charitable, compassionate, and build our Christian community by letting others see Jesus in us.
What does our world need? It certainly needs prayer. It needs us, Christians, making choices to live more decisively and in a way that makes God known. It needs hatred being replaced by love. The symbol of religious faith and practice is much more than a cross atop a steeple, a Cathedral sitting in the midst of the city, our parish family gathered in prayer. The symbol of faith and practice is each one of us, living what we profess. May we strive to make a choice to be “beacons of God” each day and in varied ways. May we do our part to add to our troubled world the love that marked Jesus and must mark each and every one of us!
A few announcements:
The Annual Bishop’s Appeal continues. THANK YOU to all who have donated. As of this writing, our parish has contributed $3,590.00. Our parish assessment this year is $13,026.82 leaving us with a balance of $9,436.82. There is still time to donate and help us reach the parish goal. Pledge cards can be found on the table in the vestibule.
September Collection
During the month of September our collections totaled $7.023.23 broken down as follows:
Adult Envelopes 6,259.00
Loose 590.23
Youth Fund 62.00
Education Fund 60.00
Charity Fund 52.00
THANK YOU for your generosity and support of St. A and our parish ministries.
The parish is looking to hire a part-time maintenance person. This would be approximately 15 - 20 hours a week cleaning inside the church and parish hall, as well as some occasional work around the outside property. If you’re interested in learning more about what this job entails, please contact Fr. John or Deacon Mel. We’re hoping to have a person in this position within the next few weeks.
The Parish Pastoral Council will be reinstituted. If you would like to nominate someone, or you yourself are interested, please contact Fr. John.
The Finance Council, which is required by Canon Law, will also be reinstituted. Anyone with suggestions of qualified persons are invited to contact Fr. John.
Looking ahead … On Wednesday, November 1 we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints, a holy day of obligation, Mass will be celebrated at 6:00 p.m.
On Thursday, November 23 we celebrate Thanksgiving. At 9:30 a.m. we will have our parish Mass thanking God for the blessings of this year, our family, friends, and our country.
St. Augustine, pray for us!
Fr. John, C.S.C.
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