A WORD FROM OUR PASTOR
Being Grateful: Winston Churchill loved to tell the story of the little boy who fell off a pier into deep ocean water. An older sailor, heedless of the great danger to himself, dove into the stormy water, struggled with the boy, and finally, exhausted, brought him to safety. Two days later the boy’s mother came with him to the same pier, seeking the sailor who rescued her son. Finding him, she asked, “You dove into the ocean to bring my boy out?” “I did,” he replied. The mother angrily demanded, “Then where’s his hat?” The central theme of today’s readings is gratitude – in particular, the expression of gratitude God expects from us. Today’s Gospel story of ‘the forgetful lepers’ presents a God Who desires gratitude from us for the many blessings we receive from Him, and Who feels pain at our ingratitude. We need to learn to be thankful to God and to others. We can express our gratitude to our loving and providing God by offering grace before meals and by allotting a few minutes of the day for family prayer. Let us show our gratitude to our forgiving God by forgiving others, and to a loving God by radiating His love, mercy and compassion to others, including our families and friends. It is by taking good care of our old and sick parents that we express our gratitude to them for the loving sacrifices they made in raising us.
Respect Life: The Church opposes abortion but embraces with mercy those who have made this mistake. Let’s all take encouragement from these words of Pope St. John Paul II: “I would now like to say a special word to women who have had an abortion. The Church is aware of the many factors which may have influenced your decision, and she does not doubt that in many cases it was a painful and even shattering decision. The wound in your heart may not yet have healed. Certainly, what happened was and remains terribly wrong. But do not give in to discouragement, and do not lose hope. Try rather to understand what happened and face it honestly. If you have not already done so, give yourselves over with humility and trust to repentance. The Father of mercies is ready to give you His forgiveness and His peace in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. To the same Father and to His mercy you can with sure hope entrust your child.” (Evangelium Vitae, #99). On this coming Saturday the 19th I invite you to join me to watch the movie UNPLANNED in our Parish Hall after the Saturday evening Mass. I have already watched the movie and I encourage you to watch and it tells the evils of abortion. The movie will start at 6:30 pm
Feast of St Luke: Evangelist Luke was a native of Antioch, the capital of Syria. He was a physician by profession, he was consulted by St Paul during an illness and converted by him to the faith. St Luke has never seen Jesus but he heard all the stories and teachings of Jesus from St Paul. With the inspiration from the Holy Spirit Luke wrote the gospel. Luke’s Gospel is particularly valuable for the stress it lays on Christian purity, poverty and joyousness, and for the graphic descriptions of the Annunciation, the visitation, the birth and early life of Jesus. As a gentile himself, Luke particularly stressed the fact that God’s mercy and forgiveness extended universally both to the Jews and the Gentiles who believed in Jesus. Thus the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son, for instance, appear only in his Gospel. St Luke is the Patron of physicians, artists, brewers, butchers, glass-workers and notaries. As we honor St Luke on the 18th of this month we seek his intercession.
Prayer Before Meals: The story is told of a farmer who went into town for a little breakfast. As his meal was set before him, he bowed his head and offered a silent prayer. The man at the next table derided him, “Hey, does everybody do that where you come from?” “No,” said the farmer. “The pigs don’t.”
God’s blessings, Fr. Suneesh Mathew
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