Wicked: In this Sunday’s Gospel we hear another fascinating parable where Jesus tells us what the kingdom of God will be like. The owner of the vineyard sends his servants to the tenants. But the tenants kill the servants. Then he sends his son. But the tenants kill him too. This parable is often called the parable of the wicked tenants. Pope Francis has a wonderful commentary on this passage. He said the story of salvation could very well be called the ‘story of failure.’ Throughout the Bible God cares and loves for his people—even the tenants in this Gospel. And yet, people reject God’s love. Ultimately, Pope Francis writes, “this ‘logic of failure’ is overturned in the cross, which is perceived as ‘a scandal,’ but is where God makes manifest the ultimate victory of his love for his people. Here is where love wins.”
Sun shook: One hundred years ago on October 13, 1917, God provided one of the greatest manifestations of his power in the history of the Catholic Church. Rain had been coming down for more than a day in Fatima, Portugal. Everyone was drenched. Mud was all over. Our Lady appeared to Jacinta, Francesco and Lucia. They were surrounded by an estimated crowd of 50,000 people. Our Blessed Mother told the children that she was “the Lady of the Rosary.” She also told them that the war would end soon (WWI ended on November 11, 1918), pleaded to the children (and all) “not to offend the Lord our God anymore, because He is already so much offended,” as well as to build a chapel there. What happened next was truly a miracle. The sun literally danced (only God can control the sun). The ground immediately became dry as did the people’s clothes. In summary, what does the message of Our Lady of Fatima mean for us? In the midst of evil, there is the merciful love of God under the watchful care of the Mother of Jesus and of the Church. As one author of Fatima wrote, “The action of God, the Lord of history, and the co-responsibility of man in the drama of his creative freedom, are the two pillars upon which human history is built. Our Lady, who appeared at Fatima, recalls these forgotten values. She reminds us that man’s future is in God and that we are active and responsible partners in creating that future.”
Vegas: As I write this column on October 2, we are finding out that the worst mass shooting in U.S. history took place in Las Vegas at a concert. These horrific acts of crime seem to be more common. Our response is prayer and trust. We continue to pray the rosary for peace as our Blessed Mother suggested. And we pray that our Guardian Angels protect us from danger.
Concert: Our wonderful music ministry is providing a concert Friday evening, October 13th, at 7 pm to honor Our Lady of Fatima. Additionally, there will be a rosary in our church parking lot at 11 am on Saturday, October 14. This is part of a worldwide rosary rally for the conversion of America in honor of Our Lady of Fatima.
CRHP: Next weekend, October 14-15, is our CRHP retreat for the women. We really hope all women of the parish get to experience this spiritual encounter at some point. It’s a great weekend!
“The Better Part”: Beginning the weekend of October 14-15, Fr. Dan and I will be preaching for four consecutive weekends on the Sunday experience. We’ll try to address questions such as “What really happens at Mass?” “Why is the Eucharist so important?” “What if I’m bored?” More details to follow.
State of the Parish: After the four weekends on the importance of Sundays, I will be giving a “state of the parish” address at all the Masses the weekend of November 11 – 12.
As I leave for the priest convocation (October 2 – 5), please know of my love, thoughts and prayers.
Msgr. Jerry
A Prayer for Peace written by Saint John Paul II in light of Our Lady of Fatima
In entrusting to you, O Mother, the world, all individuals and peoples, we also entrust to you this very consecration of the world, placing it in your motherly Heart.
Immaculate Heart! Help us to conquer the menace of evil, which so easily takes root in the hearts of the people of today, and whose immeasurable effects already weigh down upon our modern world and seem to block the paths towards the future!
From famine and war, deliver us.
From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, from every kind of war, deliver us.
From sins against the life of man from its very beginning, deliver us.
From hatred and from the demeaning of the dignity of the children of God, deliver us.
From every kind of injustice in the life of society, both national and international, deliver us.
From readiness to trample on the commandments of God, deliver us.
From attempts to stifle in human hearts the very truth of God, deliver us.
From the loss of awareness of good and evil, deliver us.
From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us, deliver us.
Accept, O Mother of Christ, this cry laden with the sufferings of all individual human beings, laden with the sufferings of whole societies.
Help us with the power of the Holy Spirit to conquer all sin: individual sin and the ‘sin of the world,’ sin in all its manifestations.
Let there be revealed, once more, in the history of the world the infinite saving power of the Redemption: the power of merciful Love! May it put a stop to evil! May it transform consciences! May your Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of Hope!