Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In recent article on Word On Fire titled, “How the News and Politics Is Destroying Your Soul (And What You Can Do About It),” by Joe Heschmeyer, Heschmeyer points out that our biggest problem is not “fake news” but junk news, news that exists only to entertain and which actually makes us worse people when we consume too much of it. From his article:
“Part of the reason is our addiction to outrage. … What happens is that anger can lead to similar ‘rushes’ as thrill-seeking activities where danger triggers dopamine reward receptors in the brain, or like other forms of addiction such as gambling, extreme sports, even drugs like cocaine and methamphetamines. Psychology Today, 2015 …

“The desire to know everything just for the sake of it (or for the sake of feeding your outrage-addiction) is a sin that used to be something that we warned against. Catholic theologians like Aquinas describe the vice of curiositas, an unhealthy curiosity that’s not motivated out of a sincere love for the truth. …

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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
By now a great number of you have seen the three newly installed stained glass windows. We are indebted to the generosity of the donors, who have made this project of beauty possible. These are three of eventually sixteen windows depicting various scenes from the life of Christ. We should receive three more every three to four months as they are made. These were the choices of the first donors of the windows. They are created by the Mayer of Munich in Germany, the same company and artist that created the three windows we already have above the doors of the church.

The Nativity takes place in a cave. The center is the Child Jesus. The Virgin Mary’s position holding Jesus in her lap is throne-like. Saint Joseph holds a lighted lamp symbolizing Jesus as the Light of the world. One shepherd holds the shepherd’s staff/crook, denoting Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Another holds a lamb since Jesus is the true Lamb of God. Another shepherd has removed his sandals as Moses did in the presence of God at the burning bush. Near the ox and the ass we find wheat, symbolizing Jesus, the Bread of Life. The Star of Bethlehem fills the sky, shedding its light on the city of Bethlehem. The scripture verse is from the message of the Angels to the shepherds, “To you is born this day a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (St. Luke 2:11).

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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Although Hurricane Dorian itself has passed on, the trail of destruction it left, especially in the Bahama Islands, remains colossal. Many people have asked how they can help. One of the ways to donate much needed assistance is through Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the humanitarian arm of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. From their website: “Catholic Relief Services – along with local partners – is working quickly to assess immediate needs. Donations help bring relief, in the form of food, emergency shelter, and safe water, to affected families.” Simply go to crs.org and you’ll find the link to donate specifically to help those affected by the hurricane. And, of course, let us never forget to pray both for those who survived and must rebuild their lives and for the many who have died – may they rest in Christ’s eternal peace.

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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As of Tuesday when I wrote this column, Hurricane Dorian has done unbelievable damage to the Bahamas. It was next forecast to go up the coast. We pray for all those who have been affected by the storm, especially those who have died. May they rest in God’s eternal light.

In addition to natural disasters, perpetrators of mass shootings continue to take innocent lives. Hardly a week goes by without another sad event. While people work out political differences on how to fix the problem, one thing we as disciples of Jesus Christ can all agree on is that hearts need to be changed. We know from the lives of the Saints that when our faith is truly lived, the value of every life – from its silent beginnings in the womb at conception to its natural end – is finally understood as the beautiful miracle it truly is. The Gospel will not be spread by other people; it’s spread by us. The very end of Mass is not superfluous. It is a mandate for the gathered Body of Christ to “Go!” into the world as one, to truly live the Good News, and to change hearts.

In more uplifting news, Wednesday, September 11, St. Mary’s School celebrates Grandparent’s Mass at 8:15am in the church (not Old St. Mary’s). Afterwards, all are invited to a coffee and donuts mini-reception in the school cafeteria. Our grandparents have such an impact on our lives. May God continue to bless them as they provide their wisdom, good example, and above all, love.

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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This Thursday, September 5, the Church celebrates the memorial of St. Teresa of Calcutta – Mother Teresa. We are blessed to have a relic of Mother Teresa, which you will be able to venerate at the end of the 5:30pm daily Mass.

I want to thank both Fr. Ernie Hepner and Fr. Renaurd West for their incredible help while the search is on for a parochial vicar. Their wonderful assistance helps make sure we can continue the Mass schedule as it presently is, which is designed for two priests. The search is still on, so please pray for whoever our new parochial vicar will be.

As I mentioned last week, I couldn’t help but be alarmed at the results of a recent study that said 69% of Catholics in the United States believe that the bread and wine used in Mass “are symbols of the body and blood of Jesus Christ.” If that number is correct for the people of St. Mary’s, then I and every priest before me have failed you tremendously in not getting across one of the most vital, long standing teachings of our divine faith.

We are speaking of two thousand years of Catholic tradition, running from Scripture through the Church Fathers and right up to the present day. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches that, beginning “at the moment of consecration” (CCC 1377), the bread and wine offered at Mass “become Christ's Body and Blood” (CCC 1333).

This is not a metaphor, a symbol, or a spiritual idea; it really happens. In the Communion we receive, the Most Blessed Sacrament, “the Body and Blood, together with the Soul and Divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained” (CCC 1374).

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