I thank God that we are able to worship together again, in person. These last several months have been difficult on all of us and on our communities. I thank each of you for remaining steadfast to our faith and to each other, and I thank you especially for your words of encouragement, phone calls, letters and cards, and continued financial support.
The Feast of the Holy Trinity is the celebration of the revelation of God as One God in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and our response to that revelation.
Pentecost Sunday is the day that we rejoice in the birthday of our Church, and in the power of God working in that Church. The first reading and the Gospel show us that the Holy Spirit is the New Law, the force that leads the human person to do good, from within the heart.
Greetings to all and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and I wish you a Healthy, Happy and Holy New Year! Many people over the years, since I’ve been a Deacon, have asked me, why do we suffer at times?” Why does God allow it? Am I being punished? Does suffering have a purpose?
In November, or anytime, when we talk of the holy souls in Purgatory, we could say that they aren’t wholly holy. they’re more….holey holy. Here’s how the glossary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church defines Purgatory: “A state of final purification after death and before entrance into Heaven for those who died in God’s friendship, but were only imperfectly purified, a final cleansing of human imperfection before one is able to enter the joy of Heaven”.
My how the year is flying! It seems like we just celebrated Easter. Anyway in the month of November, we especially remember the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Why should we pray for the souls in Purgatory? We pray for them just as we’re called to pray for those still living on earth. And we pray for them because we’re part of the Communion of Saints.
Each year during the month of October, we recommit ourselves to the establishment of a culture of Life and to do all we can in prayer (especially the Rosary), in word and in action to protect and defend the lives of all, especially the most vulnerable among us.