September 27

Weekend Bulletin
Children’s Bulletin
Tickets to Father Joe’s Legacy Event

Do you often see yourself as one son or the other?  I do. Sometimes we may want to dismiss what Jesus is saying and say, “He was talking only to the chief priests and elders”.  But we know that God’s word is eternal. I think the Lord is telling us that actions speak louder than words.  The Lord is calling us to active participation and reminding us that it is never too late to follow Him.

Today is the 106th World Day of Migrants and Refugees.  The discussion of migration and immigration is a very intense and often heated subject in today’s political arena, but in a letter MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS FOR THE 106th WORLD DAY OF MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES 2020 we are asked to consider six pairs of verbs that deal with very practical actions and are linked together in a relationship of cause and effect.

- To know in order to understand-Knowledge is a necessary step towards understanding others.  When we talk about migrants and displaced persons, all too often we stop at statistics. But it is not about statistics, it is about real people!
- To be close in order to serve- Fears and prejudices – all too many prejudices – keep us distant from others and often prevent us from “becoming neighbours” to them and serving them with love.
To be reconciled, we need to listen- A love that reconciles and saves begins with listening. In today’s world, messages multiply but the practice of listening is being lost.
- To grow, it is necessary to share- Sharing was an essential element of the first Christian community: “Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had everything in common” (Acts 4:32). God did not want the resources of our planet to benefit only a few.
 - To be involved in order to promote-As Jesus was with the Samaritan woman (cf. Jn 4:1-30). The Lord approaches her, listens to her, speaks to her heart, and then leads her to the truth and makes her a herald of the Good News.
- To cooperate in order to build- That is what the Apostle Paul tells the community of Corinth: “I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgement” (1 Cor 1:10). Building the Kingdom of God is a duty common to all Christians, and for this reason it is necessary that we learn to cooperate, without yielding to the temptation to jealousy, discord and division.

In the First Principle of Catholic Social Teaching it says people have the right to migrate to sustain their lives and the lives of their families. In many places people live in fear, danger, or dehumanizing poverty. Just 45 minutes south of Guatemala City in a small village, Playa de Oro, the Parish of St Michael has taken the time to get to know and understand the plight of the people there who suffer great hardships that that would/could be cause for them to migrate, the lack of water being one of them. 

We have put a face and a name to them, they are our friends in Playa de Oro.   We have listened to our friends, we have involved them and we have served them and cooperated in order to build them a water system. Today at Mass you have had/will have a chance to see how two different cultures can work together in a relationship of cause and effect in solidarity for the health and well-being of the children in the school and the villagers as well. 

Grateful, thankful and blessed to serve our Lord with you,  Rhonda