My dear parishioners and visitors.
It is autumn, a beautiful time of the year! May the beauty of this season open our hearts and minds to God, our most loving Father, who powerfully created all things, visible and invisible, and firmly commit ourselves to Him.
October, in our Catholic tradition, is the Month of Mary. The Church, our Mother, has taught and asked us to have a greater love for Mary, the Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We do not worship Mary, only honour her. We honour her in a very special way because through her we receive the Author of salvation, Jesus Christ. One of most common prayers to honour Mary is the Hail Mary. This prayer is a biblical prayer, taken from St. Luke’s gospel: the Annunciation (Lk: 1:26-45). Please say this prayer more often.
The readings for this Sunday speak to us about the precious gift of marriage, wonderfully created and intentionally given to the world by God (Gn. 2.7ab, 15, 18-24). Marriage, in our Catholic understanding and teaching (CCC. 1602-1605), is a sacred union of love between a man and woman for life in good times and in bad. This solemn partnership (covenant) of love between a man and a woman “is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring” (CCC. 1601). It is always a joy to see a man and a woman seriously and faithfully committing to each other in marriage. A faithful marriage, with its joy, successes, struggles, challenges and problems, is truly a blessing for the world and for the Church. Reflecting upon Jesus’ teaching of marriage, we think of the human family and of the family of the Church Every family is wounded by sin and division. We offer our prayers, sacrifices and fasting, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, asking our Lord to heal these wounds and divisions.
I will go to the Immaculate Heart of Mary Shrine, Cache Creek, for a meeting on Monday, Oct. 5th to Wednesday, Oct. 7th. Then on October 12th, Monday, I will go to VN to visit my Mother and be back on October 31st, Saturday. Father Martin Peyton and Msgr. Jerry Desmond will come to be with you.
Have a blessed week. Fr. Peter Hoan Nguyen.