Category: From the Pastor’s Desk (Page 10 of 82)

The Lord God formed  out of the ground various wild animals and various birds of the air.

Dear Parishioners and Visitors,

Following the 10:00 A.M. Mass on Sunday, October 5, we will gather in the church parking lot for the  annual blessing of pets to commemorate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, which is Saturday, October 4.

Psalm 147:9 tells us that God is concerned for all   His creation, including the animals He created. We can take from Scripture that if God takes care of    animals, then so should we. Many parents introduce  a pet into their home to teach their children responsibility and other positive qualities, such as unconditional love, forgiveness, and steady companionship. That’s why pets are taken to hospitals and nursing homes to interact with people in need. They help   reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.  We   can learn an incredible deal from animals.

Good St. Francis, patron of animals, you loved all of God’s creatures. To you, they were your brothers and sisters. Help us to follow your example of treating every living thing with kindness. Watch over our pets. Keep them – and their human companions – safe, healthy, and always in God’s loving care.

With prayerful best wishes,

Fr. John Mahoney

Priesthood Sunday is a time to thank all priests for  answering the call to serve!!! “Whoever is not against us is for us.” Pray for Father John and all priests! They heard God calling them to the priesthood and chose to serve Christ. Now, they enrich our spiritual well-being everyday in the name of God.

Gracious and loving God, we thank you for the gift of our Priests.
Through them, we experience your presence in the sacraments.
Help our priests to be strong in their vocation.           
Set their souls on fire with love for your people.
Grant them the wisdom, understanding, and strength they need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. 
Inspire them with the vision of your Kingdom.
Give them the words they need to spread the Gospel.
Allow them to experience joy in their ministry.
Help them to become instruments of your divine grace.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns as our Eternal Priest.

Amen.

Dear Parishioners and Visitors,

To be a catechist is to be of service to the Lord and  to one another through the ministry of handing on  the faith through witness, word, and example.  In many ways, it is a humbling ministry, for none of us is perfect nor knows all there is to know about our faith.  Yet in our imperfection, God calls us to “make disciples of all nations … teaching them to observe all I have commanded you.”  
Mt. 28:19-20. As a parish community, we should be eternally grateful to our Faith Formation teachers as they exercise their ministry here in St. Joseph’s faith  community.  They not only lead our catechetical  program, but they do so effectively because they live their faith every day, bearing witness to the Gospel message in word and action.  As such – and in conjunction with their classroom instruction – their students learn Christian values and spirituality, and incorporate them into their daily lives.

On this Catechetical Sunday and the first Faith Formation class, please join me in thanking our Faith Formation teachers for their faith-filled dedication to pass on the message of the Gospel and the teachings of the Catholic Church to our fine young students who achieve so much under their tutelage and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

With prayerful best wishes,

Fr. John Mahoney

Dear Parishioners and Visitors,

In the photo above, one of our parishioners, Bob Oliver, is painting the Crucifix at St. Michael’s Church in Winthrop, Massachusetts. This Crucifix proclaims itself in an inner-city neighborhood, situated among working-class people and their houses, and backyards. It reminds us that Christ and his victory over suffering is very much part of our world!

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, celebrated every September 14, dates back to the fourth century. Tradition holds that St. Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, discovered the true Cross in Jerusalem around the year 326 during her pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The Feast is sometimes called the Triumph of the Cross. Unlike Good Friday, which focuses on Christ’s suffering and death, this feast highlights the victory of the Cross, which brought about salvation and new life for us. Once a symbol of humiliation and execution, it is now a sign of love, triumph, and glory.

With prayerful best wishes,

Fr. John Mahoney

Dear Parishioners and Visitors,

Exercise, rest, work, socialization, and ongoing faith formation are all necessary for us to have the strength to love and serve God and others. Today’s gospel passage advises that we calculate priorities as we follow the way of the Lord Jesus, keeping him always central in our daily lives. How boring Catholicism would be if merely a set of rules. Our faith formation teachers will be speaking at the Masses this weekend. Notice how they help our young students to lay adequate and integrated foundations for lifelong discipleship through a multi-disciplinary approach to faith development. Our parish program integrates formal Church doctrine, Scripture study, and prayer, with socialization and group activities that build healthy Christian relationships. It’s not a quick fix or a trendy program – it’s a steady  ministry of shaping lives to comprehend and conform to Catholic teaching with the ultimate, divine foundation of loving God and neighbor. Faith formation is the most transformative investment a parish can make. Thank you for your customary generosity and support of our faith formation program here at St. Joseph’s!

With prayerful best wishes,

Fr. John Mahoney