“The desire to see God is what urges us to love solitude and silence.  For silence is where God dwells.  He drapes Himself in silence.” ~ Robert Cardinal Sarah in Power of Silence

In our Gospel this weekend Jesus challenges his disciples “to pray without becoming weary.”  He uses an example of a widow appealing to a dishonest judge to give right judgement.  It seems like nagging but Jesus is asking his disciples to have the same perseverance as the widow.  Now this example could be easily misunderstood because the widow’s actions are all external.  However, prayer which may have external actions, begins with an internal movement of the heart.  It is where the Lord resides, hence, silence is a necessity to prayer!

The problem is that we have come to find comfort in the noise and the chaos.  Even though God is draped in silence, as shared by Cardinal Sarah, we choose to turn away from silence because we are afraid what it might reveal.  We have been forming our lives on things other than God.  From our phones, computers, TVs, we bombard ourselves with distractions from entertainment to work.   Even I, as a priest, struggle to separate myself from screen time.  Currently, I have my laptop open typing the bulletin, I have my iPad pro open with the Sunday readings, and my phone playing music!  And let’s not talk about the feelings when I don’t know where my phone is. Lord, have Mercy!

When asked about what virtues are needed to help grow in silence and prayer, Cardinal Sarah suggests that we ask for the virtues of hope and courage.  With hope we can trust that the Lord will satisfy in silence and with courage we can overcome our fears and have the strength to turn away from things not from the Lord.

If I can offer a challenge to myself and you, let us make a substantial effort through the week to take a morning or afternoon away from our phones, computers and TVs, and when the desire strikes to avoid silence, let us actually enter into a conversation with the Lord.

Father Michael

This weekend the Scriptures are trying to move us past our misconceived notions of how we expect God to work.  Our first reading finishes the story about Naaman, a Syrian Commander.  He was a man of great influence and strength, but he worshipped false gods.  When faced with leprosy, he received advice from an Israelite to turn to the prophet Elisha in Samaria.  Naaman, initially rejected the simple prophetic instruction to wash in the Jordan, a dirty river, only to be encouraged by others to listen.  After rinsing himself in the Jordan River seven times, Naaman was healed in two ways; physically of his leprosy, but also spiritually which led him to proper worship.

Like Naaman, don’t we struggle to believe in the simple ways the Lord can work in our lives?  Naaman was hurting both physically and spiritually and simply listening to another person, a servant of God, and following a simple task, he found healing.  Sometimes we doubt God’s power in healing our body and our souls, yet Jesus Christ desires to make us whole and has given us simple tools of Sacraments to bring healing to our body and soul.

In the Gospel, Jesus encounters 10 lepers in Samaria and Galilee.  Jesus heals all 10, but only one returns.  The one who returns is a Samaritan.  A Samaritan, according to the Jews, were people who were beyond salvation because they were once part of the 12 tribes of Israel.  However, they had rejected the covenant and began worshipping false gods.  Jesus points out to his followers that it was only the Samaritan, even though all 10 lepers were healed, that was able to see the true reason for his healing, which was Jesus.

In my priestly ministry, I have encountered many people who have felt they were beyond God’s mercy, yet our Gospel is meant to move us past our false notions.  That the Lord is able to bring healing to anyone, even those who feel the furthest away, including ourselves!  Let us move past our misconceived notions in the way the Lord can work in the heart of others and ourselves. Let us seek healing in Christ through the beautiful gifts of the Sacraments!

Father Michael

October is the yearly attendance count for the Diocese. We track how many people show up to Masses each weekend in October so that over the course of the years we can compare and see whether attendance is rising or falling. Don’t worry, we don’t keep track of who it is while counting (though we used to do that year round based on your donation envelopes in the basket!). So, in order to satisfy my own curiosity, I’m wondering how many people actually read the bulletin articles. If you would therefore please send me an email right now at  FrJames@OLMercy.com   with the subject line or content being READ THE BULLETIN, I’ll be happy to report the results to my boss! It’ll also look good on you, unless of course I receive the email during one of the Mass times. Then I’ll just know you weren’t paying attention during Mass!

Thanks. Now that that’s over, October is also the month of the rosary. While the origins of the rosary are long debated and have several variations, let’s just say that it has a long historical pedigree. The 150 Hail Mary’s of all three sets of mysteries are often connected with the 150 psalms, making the rosary the ‘layman’s psalter’ of sorts. Another origin story calls the practice a “rosarium”, or, “rose garden”. Given the fact that St. Therese of Lisieux kicks off this month with her feast day, and the fact that her prayer cards are often adorned with the prayer: “St Therese, the Little Flower, please pick me a rose from the Heavenly Garden and send it to me with a message of Love,” I enjoy the idea of our rosaries being like us picking roses one by one and laying them at the feet of our Mother Mary! Nevertheless, the rosary is so universally revered in the Catholic world because it is so wonderfully universal! It leads us into vocal, meditative, and contemplative prayer alike, while inviting us into both Scripture and Tradition and ultimately a deeper relationship with Our Lord Jesus Christ. This month, let’s count off those beads and offer the fragrance of our prayers to Our Lord through the hands of Our Lady of the Rosary!

Father James

This weekend we are celebrating the feast of Our Lady of Mercy.   As I reflect on my first assignment as pastor, I truly believe the Lord is inviting me into His school of mercy through the instruction of Our Lady of Mercy.  I say it is a school because I continue to learn and be transformed by His mercy through our Mother’s beautiful example.

I have encountered brokenness in my own body through various physical ailments. I’ve experienced brokenness in my relationships with my friends and family.  I’ve also seen my relationship with God experience strife and difficulties.  One thing that is clear; I am a person in need of God’s mercy and healing.

Our Lady of Mercy is a beautiful teacher.  Mary was the first to receive Jesus at the Annunciation.  She was the first to hold her son and embrace him at his birth.  She initiated Jesus’ ministry at the wedding feast at Cana.  As she stood at the foot of the cross, her heart was pierced, and she became a teacher of her son’s mercy to his disciples.

When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”  Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.  John 19:26-27 

Next week, starting on the first Saturday of October, which is dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we will begin 7 continuous days of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament ending on the first Friday of October celebrating the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  I would like to encourage everyone to consider joining Our Lady of Mercy in adoration of her Son in the Blessed Sacrament. Come spend time in silence with our Lord and enter into His school of Mercy.  Sign up for adoration hours may be found online and in the Narthex after all Masses.

Our Lady of Mercy, pray for us!

Father Michael

Recently I learned another little factoid about the Mass that I wanted to share with all of you. Have you ever noticed that the priest bows slightly right before saying the words of consecration? This is first of all because the big red book called the Roman Missal tells the priest not only what to say, but also what to do while saying it. At the most important point of the Mass, the Missal instructs the priest with these simple words, “He bows slightly,” and then, in all caps, tells him to repeat the words of Christ, “TAKE THIS ALL OF YOU…”

Why bow? On the one hand, we may be tempted to think that the priest should simply be looking at the people and saying these words standing straight up because, in a certain way, he is re-enacting the scene of the Last Supper where Jesus said this to the disciples. However, the Mass is so much more than a re-enactment. If that were all it is, I’m sure you could find much better actors and singers at the Paramount Theatre!  Something substantial and miraculous is happening when we follow the Lord’s command to “do this in memory of me.”

In medieval times, kings would send messengers on their behalf to share a message. In order to make clear that what they were saying was from their lord and not from them, the messenger would bow while pronouncing their king’s words. Not only would this convey a certain reverence for their king’s words, it would also be a simple way to distinguish between who was saying what. During the Mass, the priest does much the same. He takes the words of Jesus as his own because of his ordination into the priesthood of Jesus Christ—“THIS IS MY BODY…THIS IS MY BLOOD”. This is an amazing and beautiful moment for priests, as it reminds us to give up our own bodies, to give up our own blood in service to our people. But the priest also bows while saying these words to show that he is merely a servant of the True Priest, a messenger of the High King.

At Mass we not only remember what Our Lord did for us, we encounter His very self—Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity—offered to us, and for us. May we, at each and every Mass, keep our gaze fixed not simply on the messenger, but on the True High King and His good news of great joy.

Father James