𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝒅𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓’𝒔 𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒌

𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝒅𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓'𝒔 𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒌

September 13, 2026

Twenty Fourth Sunday In Ordinary Time

J. M. J.

My friends, in this weekend’s Gospel we hear Our Blessed Lord tell the parable of the unforgiving servant who initially begs his Master for forgiveness for his debts but then refuses forgiveness for his fellow servant. The unforgiving servant receives harsh punishment from the master after he refuses forgiveness. Our Lord closes the parable by saying: “So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”

If we hurtfully and deliberately withhold forgiveness from those who have wronged us, then we cannot expect to experience God’s forgiveness ourselves. This is incredibly difficult, especially when we have experienced deep wounds, betrayal, or hurts from others. It can be incredibly hard to forgive. We need to be reminded here that forgiveness doesn’t mean having positive thoughts or feelings about those who have failed us.

It is important instead that we pray to want to want what’s best for those who have wronged us — that they may come to know Christ, and that they, together with us, may come to know Christ’s eternal life. May we this week think of at least one person we need to forgive and ask the Lord Jesus to help us forgive them in our hearts, to help us pray to want to want what’s best for them.

TWO GREAT FEASTS

On Monday, September 14th, we celebrate the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross, where we remember with joy the Triumph over evil that Our Lord won by His dying for us. This feast goes back to when St. Helena, Mother of St. Constantine the Emperor, discovered the Cross of Christ near the site of Our Lord’s crucifixion, burial, and resurrection in the fourth century. The relics of the Holy Cross are preserved at the Basilica of Santa Croce in Rome. This feast reminds us that our sufferings, if lived and offered in union with Christ, are opportunities for growth in grace. As the old prayer goes: “Hail, O Cross, our only hope.”

On Tuesday, September 15th, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. On that day we remember the Compassion of Our Blessed Mother in the Passion of her Son Jesus. We remember Our Lady’s wholly unique cooperation in her Son’s work of Redemption. There are seven key moments commemorated on this feast:

(1) The Prophecy of Simeon

(2) The Flight into Egypt

(3) The Three‑Day search for Jesus by Mary and Joseph

(4) Mary Meets Jesus on the Way of Calvary

(5) Christ’s crucifixion and death

(6) Christ’s being taken down from the Cross

(7) Christ’s burial

May Our Lady of Sorrows teach us to unite ourselves with Christ at all times.

Know that I remember you all in my prayers every day and please remember me in your prayers!

May God bless us and Mary keep us always in His love!

Be Blessed and Be a Blessing!

Peace, Fr Mal

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿’𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗸

September 6, 2026

Twenty-Third Sunday In Ordinary Time

J. M.J.

My friends, in this weekend's Gospel, we hear Our Lord remind us about what we are supposed to do in those times in our lives when there is division and strife. The Lord outlines what the process of intervention and reconciliation should look like. I am particularly struck by the ending words that Jesus speaks at the end of today's Gospel: "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." When we gather together to pray, it is only in answer to the call of Christ and his Holy Spirit. Christ is among us, calling us to life. It is good to pray, not only individually, but in groups. When at Church we pray together, Christ is present in our midst, opening us to listen to his words and receive his Body and Blood together as his famous. We are called to pray at home too, as members of God's family, and members of our own family. When we pray together as a family, Christ reminds us of his presence. When we pray as a family together, we are reminded to see his face in each other. Fr. Patrick Peyton used to say that "The Family that prays together stays together." I invite all our families to pray in some way together every day. Some ideas include the family rosary or Divine Mercy Chaplet, Family morning and/or night prayers, grace before and after meals, reading the Bible or the Lives of the saints daily as a family. A family that prays together is not a family without problems, but is rather a family open to Christ, who gives us just enough grace for each day. That is an encouraging thought for us.

LABOR DAY

Monday, September 7th is the holiday of Labor Day. I can't believe that another summer has unofficially ended and another fall has unofficially begun. May we remember in our prayers all our young people starting another school year. May we give thanks on this Labor Day for all those who work and may we pray for meaningful work and good work conditions for all! Our parish office is closed on Monday, September 7th in observance of the Labor Day holiday and Mass will be at 10 AM that morning at St. Patrick's in Whitney Point. There is no 6 PM Mass that day and confessions and adoration are canceled that day. I hope you all enjoy the day! May St. Joseph the Worker, patron of workers pray for us!! Know that I remember you all in my prayers every day and please remember me in your prayers!

May God bless us and Mary keep us always in his love!

Be Blessed and Be a Blessing!

Peace,

Fr Mal

September 6, 2026

Twenty-Third Sunday In Ordinary Time

August 30, 2026

Twenty Second Sunday In Ordinary Time

J. M.J.

My friends, in today’s Gospel we hear about how, after Our Lord gave Peter the promise that he would receive the awesome and humbling role of being the Chief Shepherd of the Church after his profession of faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Our Lord immediately foretold his upcoming passion, death and resurrection. Peter takes Jesus aside and tries to rebuke Jesus for saying this. Our Lord rebukes Peter and says:

“Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

Peter had not understood the full import of the profession of faith in Christ the Son of God that he had made under divine inspiration.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen would speak often of how Peter was willing to have a glorious Christ but not a Crucified one. Our Lord rebukes Peter and all who would try to have a Christianity without the Cross. The full meaning of the Word of God, the Son of the Living God, becoming one of us in the Person of Jesus Christ is only shown to us in Christ’s death on the Cross for us and for our salvation.

Peter (and so many of us too) often conflate Christ’s messiahship with a political program or with other “painless” paths. But Jesus reminds us that he chose to suffer and die and rise again to give us life. Moreover, in our own life, we are reminded that our suffering, in union with Jesus, can be a pathway to glory. The world in which we live hates suffering and the road of the Cross. The road of the Cross for us is Christ’s road of self‑gift, to which he calls us, his disciples. This does not mean that we wallow in suffering, but rather that we give our suffering to Jesus and allow him to use it as he wills, in his own time and way, for the salvation of souls and the upbuilding of the Kingdom of Christ.

How counterintuitive but amazing that is!

As Our Lord sums up this amazing truth when he tells all his disciples:

“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”

“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

May we ask Christ to help us with his grace so that we can live with joy the crosses that we have in our daily lives, and so that we give ourselves to Him and others, bit by bit, one day at a time!

Without Christ, we can do nothing!!

I hope you are all enjoying these last days of summer! Know that I remember you all in my prayers every day and please remember me in your prayers!