September 14 2026 - Exaltation of the Holy Cross - Our Only Hope

 

Today marks the celebration of what Pope Saint John Paul II called the symbol of Christianity. Most of us marked ourselves with it upon entering the church today; we began Mass with it, and we will end Mass with it. Essentially, every time Catholics pray, we begin and end our prayer with it. Many of our bedrooms and dining rooms have one. People of all sorts wear it around their necks. The priest holds his arms in this shape during the Eucharistic Prayer. It is the central focal point of every Catholic church. Of course, I am speaking of the Cross.

The early Christians called the Cross Spes Unica—our only hope. O Crux ave, spes unica: Hail, O Cross, our only hope. Grant increase of grace to believers, and remove the sins of the guilty.

Without the Cross, we would have no hope of heaven. Without the Cross, sin would remain unconquered, death would remain undefeated, and the gates of paradise would remain closed. That is why the Cross is our only hope. God has done for us what we were incapable of doing ourselves.

On the Cross, the Lord entered into suffering, humiliation, abandonment, and death, into human hopelessness. But that means, God is present in our crosses. There is no circumstance of human suffering where God cannot be found. Our sufferings, illnesses, griefs, temptations, and humiliations, when united to Christ, become places of grace, purification, conversion, and deeper union with God. There is no situation so dark, that God’s light cannot be found.

Today’s feast is called the Exaltation of the cross.  Literally, from the greek, exaltation means, ‘to bring to light’.  The Christian is charged with bringing the light of the cross to the world and bringing the world to the light of the cross. We are to lift high the cross in our speech and actions. But that often means going out to those who suffer, those who despair, those who have lost sight of God, and helping them to seek the light of Christ in their sufferings.

Yes, we are to fashion crosses for our homes and churches, but we are also to seek out those who feel crucified, alone, forsaken, to help them find hope, healing, and salvation in Christ.

Today is certainly a feast where we focus on the one whom we worship. But the one whom we worship sends us out, to find him, in the crosses of others. The saving grace of the cross impels us to bring the light of God’s love to world grown most dim, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - - 

 

For special blessings upon Pope Leo, on this his birthday—that he may continue to be sustained by the grace of the cross in body and soul.

That the Church may lift high the Cross of Christ, proclaiming salvation in Christ in our words and deeds.

That world leaders may look upon the Son of God, believe in him, and take hold of the peace and justice that only he can bring.

That all whose lives are marked by suffering may discover the saving power of the cross of Christ, and be victorious in all their trials.

For those who struggle because of addiction, mental illness, chronic sickness, unemployment, or ongoing trials of any kind. May Christ, the Divine Physician, bring healing to all of the suffering.

 

That all who have died may experience the eternal life won by the cross of Christ, especially the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for my dear priest friend Father Robert Wendelken on the anniversary of his death, and all who have departed this life in faith.

Almighty ever-living God, comfort of mourners, strength of all who toil, may the prayers of those who cry out in any tribulation come before you, that all may rejoice, because in their hour of need your mercy was at hand. Through Christ our Lord. (From Good Friday Petitions)

 

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2026 - To forgive is divine

 

 As you listened to the Gospel parable on forgiveness just now did anyone come to mind from your life that you’ve had a hard time forgiving? Someone that hurt you, or offended you, or acted unjustly towards you? Someone that you’ve forgiven several times in the past, and the thought of forgiving them again causes you weariness? Having someone pop into your mind like that, especially at Mass, might be a sign that forgiveness is needed.

Forgiveness. The Lord teaches about forgiveness throughout the Gospels, both plainly and also in parables. In the Lord’s prayer, he teaches us to ask to be forgiven by God as we forgive those who trespass against us. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus teaches plainly, “forgive and you will be forgiven”. In Mark, he says, “When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.”

As he healed the Paralytic man, he said, “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic, “Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”

And of course from the cross, he cried out, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”.

In the Gospel today, we hear a parable of the importance of forgiveness and also the consequences of failing to forgive. There was a king who forgave a servant. But when it was that servant’s time to forgive his fellow servant, he refused, and was therefore punished by the king for not following his example of mercy.

We need to practice forgiveness from the heart, meaning not just alleviating people from contractual obligations when they ask for it, but refusing to return evil for evil when we’ve been wounded.

Whether, someone’s face popped into your head or not as you heard this parable about forgiveness, I encourage you to examine your heart toward all people, to ensure that you forgive all people. And if you find the smallest speck of unforgiveness, pray to be delivered from it. Lord, grant me the desire to forgive, and the strength to forgive. Loosen the bonds of unforgiveness in my life.

For the Lord speaks about unforgiveness as a sort of prison today. The one who fails to forgive is imprisoned. Unforgiveness is a form of spiritual imprisonment, restricting us from living in the way that God desires us to live. So, unforgiveness is to have no place in our lives. The refusal to forgive can even keep us from heaven. There is not a single unforgiving soul in heaven. Every soul in heaven is one who has let go of all unforgiveness. You must let go of unforgiveness if you want to go to heaven. For “the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you” as the Lord teaches.

Forgiveness can be challenging when we have not developed the habit of forgiveness. Just as chastity is hard when we have not developed that habit of it, or patience is hard when we have not developed that habit of it.

When we encounter the Lord’s command to forgive, our ego’s might present some resistance. There is a part of us that resists forgiveness because we don’t want to be hurt again. Also, hatred is a powerful drug. It makes you feel powerful where once you experienced powerlessness and victimhood. There’s a thrill in plotting revenge.

Unforgiveness is also hard because the devil does not want us practicing forgiveness, and so he does what he can to tempt us to hold on to hatred. He might flood our imagination with examples of how that person hurt you or might hurt you again in the future, and the pain they caused you. He’ll whisper to you that you are weak  and shame you for turning away from vengeance. For he wants us to harbor resentment, bitterness, and poisonous thoughts and emotions, ungodly, violent and hateful impulses. Why?

Because when we forgive, we are imitating Jesus, who forgave all sins from the cross, loosening us from the devil’s grasp. The Devil hates forgiveness because he hates God. And “To forgive is divine” to quote the poet Alexander Pope. The Catechism says it almost more poetically when it states forgiveness “transfigures the disciple by configuring him to his Master.”

And so the enemy will cloud our intellect and weaken our resolve. He’ll also likely attempt the familiar tactic of procrastination, telling you, you can forgive tomorrow, or some time in the future. And then he fills your tomorrows with enough distractions that you forget about what you heard in Church and read in Scripture.

So, what DOES it mean to forgive? Forgiveness does not mean pretending evil is not evil, or simply forgetting about past wrongs or allowing someone to continue to abuse us. It doesn’t mean we abandon justice. We can forgive someone from the heart while still supporting the societal need for criminals to be punished. Rather, forgiveness means that I refuse to let hatred, bitterness, and resentment to rule my life, to affect how I treat people. It certainly means refusing to return evil for evil.

For the Christian is never to be motivated by evil, but by love, for God, neighbor and enemy. When we forgive we are free to love as we should, but not only that. When we forgive, Wounds from the past are healed. Hatred is replaced with peace. And that peace is a foretaste of heaven. Jesus teaches to forgive because God wants to make his dwelling in our souls.

Now sometimes anger takes such root in the soul that it takes a lot of effort, multiple acts of forgiveness to overcome a deep wound.  After an initial act of forgiveness, little tinges of hatred remain. But as we practice forgiveness more and more, and we ask the Lord to help us to forgive as he forgives, eventually the wound is healed. The part of us that hates is transformed into an instrument of peace.

May the Holy Spirit help us to practice Christ-like forgiveness, may he help us to remember this teaching when we are tempted to forget it, that we may know the peace and joy of Christ in this life and in heaven for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

September 9 2026 - St. Peter Claver - "Slave of slaves"

 

In the age of the explorers and conquistadors, many young men left Europe for the Americas in order to seek out a fortune. St. Peter Claver, a young Jesuit priest, left his native Spain for the Americas for a different reason—not to buildup earthly treasure, but to build up treasure in heaven.

In Cartegena, a port city in modern day Columbia, St. Peter Claver ministered to the African slaves who were brought there to work in the fields and the mines.

When the slave ships entered the port, Peter Claver would board the ships to care for the sick and malnourished. And when the slaves were herded to the slave-market, Peter, would bring them medicine, food, bread, and other items that would help them survive in this new land. 

With the help of interpreters, he gave the slaves basic instructions in the faith; he assured them of their human dignity and the salvation that awaited them in God's kingdom.  During the 40 years of his ministry in Columbia, it is estimated that Claver baptized more 300,000 slaves. 

Peter Claver remarked more than once how it took everything in him at times to go down into the disgusting conditions of the slave-ships filled with filth and stench.  He reminds us that true loving service isn’t always pretty, neat and clean—we might even experience revulsion at the conditions in which the destitute live.  

On this Memorial we read from Matthew 25, the Lord’s teaching on the final judgment, a reminder that service of those in need is never a waste of time. In each slave, to whom he ministered, Peter Claver ministered to Christ himself. And for this, he is counted among the blessed. In the words of Mother Theresa: "At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by "I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me.”

We might not be called to enter into the filth of slave-ships, but we are certainly called to enter into the lives of others to help someone other than ourselves today. Again, in the words of Mother Theresa, “If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one."

The saints challenge us, don’t they, out of our comfort, to not be afraid to get our hands dirty and smelly for the sake of the kingdom, to bring the love of Christ to those whom the world discards.

The collect prayer said that St. Peter Claver became a slave of slaves. Each of us does well to prayerfully consider how God is calling us to follow his example of charity, courage, and devotion for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - 

 

That all Christians may be diligent in bringing the truth and goodness of the Gospel into every sphere of society.

For an end to slavery, human trafficking, and all forms of inhumane oppression; and for the protection and respect of all human life.

For those whose lives are marked by suffering, illness, or grief, that they may find hope in the promises of Christ.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, and for N., for whom this mass is offered.

Heavenly Father, hear the prayers of your pilgrimage Church, through the intercession of St. Peter Claver and all the saints, grant us what we truly need to remain faithful to your Son in all things. Through Christ Our Lord.

September 8 2026 - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Joy and Light

 

Two themes pervade the readings and prayers of this feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: joy and light.

The Entrance Antiphon gives us the tone of the whole celebration: “Let us celebrate with joy the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, for from her arose the sun of justice, Christ our God.” We rejoice today because Mary’s birth in history announced that the coming of Christ was near. Her nativity was like the first light on the horizon before sunrise. The world was still waiting for the Savior, but already the darkness was beginning to break.

Justice, and our desire for God to set things right, to heal what was wounded by sin, to save us from the mortal wound of sin, to restore what was lost by sin, was about to be fulfilled. And there is joy in that—like a flood of light washing over a world drowning in darkness.

The Prayer after Communion today will repeat those themes of joy and light. We’ll pray, “May your Church exult, O Lord…as she rejoices in the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was the hope and the daybreak of salvation for all the world.”

And yet, today, we celebrate not just an event that happened millennia ago, but also for our individual souls.

Where Mary is honored, faith in Christ is strengthened. Imitating her virtues, opens our souls more fully to the grace of her Son. She, who bore Christ in her womb, teaches us how to become a dwelling place for God: through humility, purity, obedience, and prayer.

We celebrate joyfully, but also this feast calls to mind our need to turn to our lady’s assistance in overcoming the darkness and selfishness that still afflict us.

Mary will always help those who turn to her assistance to overcome vice, and to know the peace and joy of living more fully for God, as she did. Are you having a hard time seeing the light of God amidst the darkness in your life? Turn to Mary. Are you experiencing the darkness of lonliness or shame? Turn to Mary. Are you confused about what path God wants for you for your future? Turn to Mary.

Turn to Mary that the light of Christ may rise ever more fully in your lives, families, relationships, and in our world, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

 

That Pope Leo and all members of the Church, like the Virgin Mary, may magnify the goodness of God through word and deed.

That all Christians may find in Mary the paramount example of faithfulness in living out our vocations. May devotion to Mary sanctify families, protect young people from the evils of error and sin, and bring peace to our troubled world.

For an end to indifference to God and human dignity in our communities, institutions, businesses, and personal attitudes. Let us pray to the Lord.

 

During this month of September, dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, we pray for all those who grieve, and that we may grieve sufficiently for our sins. Let us pray to the Lord.

 

For those who struggle because of addiction, mental illness, chronic sickness, unemployment, or ongoing trials of any kind. May Christ, the Divine Physician, bring healing to all of the suffering. Let us pray to the Lord.

 

For the deceased members of our family and friends, for all of the poor souls in purgatory…

 

We pray, O Lord our God, that the Virgin Mary, who merited to bear God and man in her chaste womb, may commend the prayers of your faithful in your sight. Through Christ our Lord.

 

 

Labor Day 2026 - Babel or Jerusalem

 For over a century, Americans have celebrated Labor Day on the first Monday in September. This national holiday was established in the 1880s for two reasons: to mark the irreplaceable role of the American worker in making this country prosperous and strong; and to have time to attend speeches and events on the spiritual and educational aspects of work, the worker and the good that comes from work.

Likely, not many of our contemporaries will be focusing on the spiritual meaning of work today, they simply see today’s civic holiday as a celebration of not having to work. 

So, it’s good for us to gather to celebrate today a special Mass for the Sanctification of Human Labor—to ask God to make our labors fruitful, to protect us from allowing our labors to go astray, and to be in vain.

A few months ago, on May 15 2026, the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV published the first Encyclical of his pontificate titled Magnifica Humanitas (which you can read for free on the Vatican website) in which he addresses the importance of protecting and promoting the human person in the digital age, this age of emerging Artificial Intelligence. I wrote about this in my bulletin column two weeks ago.

At the forefront of the Encyclical, Pope Leo draws upon two images from scripture. The first is the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9)—the story of humanity using its collective power and technology to build something grand, but without God. The result is not unity but fragmentation—not progress but confusion. The story of Babel no doubt inspired the words of our Psalm today, ““If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labor”.

The second image Pope Leo drew upon was that of Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem (cf. Neh 2–6), a different kind of building project undertaken by God’s people, not driven by pride or profit, but by prayer, shared responsibility, listening, and a genuine concern for every member of the community.

What a wonderful image for us to consider on this Labor Day. What a wonderful image for us to consider on this Labor Day. The question is not simply whether we are building, producing, advancing, or becoming more efficient. The deeper question is: what are we building, for whom, and with whom?

Our labor is sanctified when it is undertaken with God and according to His purposes—when it respects the dignity of the human person, serves our families and neighbors, contributes to the common good, and helps to build up rather than tear down.

That is why Jesus tells us in the Gospel, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness.” Our work must never become our master, nor wealth or technological progress our highest good. All these things must remain subordinate to the Kingdom. It is likely that most of our contemporaries will miss the mark on this, but we are called to be faithful, even when surrounded by the unfaithful.

So today we ask the Lord to bless the work of our hands. May He preserve us from building new Towers of Babel, and make us instead like Nehemiah: prayerful, faithful laborers, building together what serves God and our neighbor for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

 

That all Christians will work together in harmony for the building up of the Church and the spread of the Gospel

For civil leaders, employers, and those entrusted with economic decisions, that they may protect the dignity of workers, promote just conditions, and ensure that technological progress serves the human person and the common good, let us pray to the Lord.

For all who labor with their hands and minds, that the Lord may bless their efforts, make their work fruitful, and enable them to provide for their families and contribute to the good of society, let us pray to the Lord.

For those who are unemployed, underemployed, exploited, or anxious about their livelihood, that God may open new paths of opportunity and sustain them in hope, let us pray to the Lord.

For those whose work is driven by greed, pride, fear, or excessive ambition, that they may be freed from laboring in vain and learn to seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, let us pray to the Lord.

For our own labors, visible and hidden, that the Lord may build with us, purify our motives, and make our daily work an offering of service, charity, and praise, let us pray to the Lord.

For the faithful departed, especially those whose earthly lives were marked by faithful labor and service, that they may enter into the eternal rest promised by Christ, let us pray to the Lord.

Almighty God, source of every good gift, bless the work of our hands. Preserve us from building apart from you, and make our labor fruitful for our families, our neighbors, and your Kingdom. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

 

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 2026 - "If your brother sins against you..."

 

A number of years ago, a television show premiered on the Arts & Entertainment network called “Intervention”. I haven’t watched it in years, but I guess the show is in its 25th season.  The show follows one or two participants who are abusing or severely addicted to drugs or alcohol. Relatives and friends of the addict are interviewed, who detail the effects the addiction has had on the family—the sadness, the grief, the lies that often accompany addiction. And they share their concern for the harm the addict is doing to themselves and the family.

A trained intervention specialist then prepares the family for staging an intervention, in which the family and friends gently confront the addict about their addiction. At the intervention, the addict is given a choice: enter a rehabilitation program or risk losing contact and financial assistance from their relatives. From what I’ve read, the show has had tremendous success in getting help for addicts and their families.

I’ve had some personal experience with intervention: In seminary, I volunteered at a drug and alcohol treatment facility for teenagers, and I would participate in group family counseling sessions, in which parents and relatives would gather, in a very gentle setting. And they would share with their teenager how the addiction has brought harm to the them and the family life.

Most priests are not trained intervention specialists or drug counselors, but for families facing these issues, the Church can help connect your family with those with this expertise. Please call me if I can be of any assistance in this matter.

This method of loving confrontation is biblical. As we heard today, If your brother falls into sin, try to help them, confront them. If they don’t listen to you, bring another with you. A family effort is often needed in helping someone who has fallen into sin, addiction, or unhealthy behavior. Notice, the Lord doesn’t say, embarrass the sinner by bringing up their faults in public. That’s not ever one of the steps, is it? Rather, correction is done in private. Calmly, rationally. Not out of revenge, but concern.

It’s interesting to note that the Lord’s teaching on intervention follows his parable of the lost sheep, in which the Lord speaks of the love his heavenly Father has for those who have strayed into sin and error. Jesus, the Son, is sent by the Father to seek out the lost sheep.

As members of the body of Christ on Earth, one of the ways God seeks out and saves his lost sheep is through us: through family members who lovingly and gently confront those who struggle with addiction to drugs, gambling, pornography, internet shopping, video games, parents who act as watchmen over their children, as we heard in the prophet Ezekiel today. If a family member stops going to Church, ignores Church teaching, blasphemes in public, we have a duty to gently correct them, especially parents toward their children.

Of course, the point of correcting fellow Christians when they fall into sin isn’t to prove that we are holier than they are. The point is concern for their souls, and helping them to be the people God made them to be.

God loves lost sheep, which is why he sends us out. God loves addicts. Many people I’ve known who have struggled with addiction have great intellectual gifts, have tremendously large hearts. And sometimes they turn to addiction because they feel emotions like grief so deeply they turn to other mind-altering substances to numb their pain. Though they act in unlovable ways, the addict is a child of God, loved by God.

Intervention and fraternal correction aims to help people who sometimes become incapable of helping themselves, who have fallen into a cycle of hurting themselves and their families, who have started making self-destructive choices. Part of being pro-life, is to help people when they are making anti-life decisions, choices that are destructive to their eternal life, their spiritual life, emotional life, physical life, or family life.

In the Reading from Romans today, St. Paul teaches that all the 10 commandments, don’t commit adultery, don’t break the sabbath day, don’t commit murder, don’t steal or covet, can all be summed-up by the command: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.”

Fraternal correction, confronting the sinner, the addict, is done out of love. Correct the sinner is listed in every Catholic religious textbook as an act of mercy—a spiritual act of charity. Parents correcting their children when they act selfishly, gently correcting your spouse when they act selfishly is done out of love. Helping someone to be the person God made them to be, to walk righteously in the Law of the Lord, is an act of love.

It takes a lot of courage, doesn’t it, to confront someone with gentleness and patience. It’s easier to ignore it, minimize it, justify it, or just complain about it to a third party. It takes courage and carefulness. Engaging a loved one in fraternal correction is a delicate operation: you need to have your facts straight, and you better think before you speak, and ensure that you are rooted in the truth of the Gospel, thinking not as the world thinks, but with the mind of Christ. You need to make sure you aren’t just complaining about valid choices that differ from your own way of doing things—that you aren’t reacting out of a bruised ego, but out of patience and love. That’s hard! This isn’t an easy Gospel.

It is important to take up this difficult task is because we would want someone to help us if we fell in to behavior that was truly hurtful to our family or to the church. “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you” Jesus teaches in his sermon on the mount. If it was me whose life was on a downward spiral of self-destruction, if it was me choosing a lifestyle contrary to the Gospel, I hope I’d have people in my life who loved me enough to help me see the truth about my actions or errors, and help me to reconcile with God and repair the damage I’ve wrought.

We have a duty to speak the truth with love, to care enough about the people in our life that we will help them know and follow Jesus Christ to help others become the people God made them to be, to live in the freedom of the children of God and receive an everlasting inheritance in heaven for the Glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

 

22nd Week of Ordinary Time 2026 - Friday - The joy of the wedding feast

 

Already having gained a number of disciples early on in his public ministry, the Lord attended a dinner in the house of Levi, also known as St. Matthew, a tax collector. And while at dinner in the house of Levi, some Pharisees and scribes begin to murmur about Jesus’ unconventional behavior—of dining with tax collectors and sinners. The word St. Luke uses to describe the Pharisees’ murmuring is the same word found in the book of Numbers, when the rebellious Israelites murmur and complain about the leadership of Moses out in the desert.

Then the Lord, really gave them something to murmur about. When the Scribes and Pharisees question the Lord’s practice of dining with sinners, Jesus compares what he is doing in the house of Levi, and in his ministry in general, to a wedding feast.

The Scribes and Pharisees, who were versed in the scriptures and traditions of Israel, would no doubt have picked up on the messianic undertones of the Lord’s explanation. The age of the Messiah, the long-awaited final stage of human history, when the Messiah would definitively usher in the kingdom of God—is scripturally linked to the wedding feast.

The Scribes and Pharisees would no doubt have detected that Jesus was claiming the role of the Messianic Bridegroom who was ushering in the kingdom of God.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus’ first miracle takes place at a wedding, the wedding at Cana, where water is turned into an abundance of wine. It was there that Jesus revealed that He wasn’t just a teacher, he wasn’t just a commentator on scriptures: that first miracle at the wedding, signaled something new in God’s plan of salvation for sinful humanity.

 Just as a wedding is filled with joyful celebration, so too, Jesus’ public ministry is a time of great joy for sinners. Sinners are invited to repent so that may be join the wedding feast. The wedding feast is not just for a particular ethnic group. All people, of all places and time, are invited into God’s presence.

We are poor, wretched sinners—but we are joyful sinners: sinners whom Christ has invited to cast off the old garments of sin and to take up a new life of friendship with God. And that is great cause for rejoicing.

That is why the Church is never merely a society of the self-satisfied, of those who gather to congratulate themselves on their virtue, their knowledge, or their respectability. The Church is the gathering of those who know they need a Savior.

Nor are we to distance ourselves from sinners and unbelievers out of fear that they might somehow infect us. We have a mission to them: to invite them to the Lord, to conversion, to the joy of the wedding feast. And that mission requires patience, prudence, humility, gentleness, and perseverance. If one approach does not work, we try another. We appeal to truth, yes; to beauty, yes; but also to goodness.

We witness to Christ through charity: charity that is patient and kind, generous and self-sacrificial. We show by our lives that friendship with Christ is not a burden, but a joy; not a restriction of life, but the beginning of life in abundance.

So that is our task. Let us take it up with courage and with joy, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - - 

That Christians may take up the task of evangelization with renewed conviction, with generosity and creativity, to spread the saving Gospel of Christ.

For an end to indifference to God and human dignity in our communities, institutions, businesses, and personal attitudes.

During this month of September, dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, we pray for all those who grieve, and that we may grieve sufficiently for our sins.

That the love of Christ, the divine physician, may bring healing to the sick and comfort to all the suffering.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.

O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

 

- - - -  

That Christians may take up the task of evangelization with renewed conviction, with generosity and creativity, to spread the saving Gospel of Christ.

For an end to indifference to God and human dignity in our communities, institutions, businesses, and personal attitudes.

During this month of September, dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, we pray for all those who grieve, and that we may grieve sufficiently for our sins.

That the love of Christ, the divine physician, may bring healing to the sick and comfort to all the suffering.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.

O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.