To My Spiritual Family of Holy Redeemer and St. Anthony,
Tithing our Blessings: Thanks to your continued generosity, we were able to put a check in the mail for $2,205.30 and send it on its way to Catholic Charities in Hawaii. This parish tithe, you may recall, is in response to the horrible wildfires that swept over Maui. The suffering people of that island have now disappeared from the news headlines, but their pain and their need remain great. I’m so pleased that we were able to contribute in a small way to their rebuilding efforts. With the holidays soon to be upon us, we now turn our attention to local families in need of food assistance. This month’s parish tithe will go to support the Sheffield Food Bank and the November tithe will be offered for the Salvation Army in Warren. Both tithes will help to feed the hungry during the season of Christmas. As Charles Dickens indicated in A Christmas Carol: “It is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt.”
Digging the Graves: Quietly, unassumingly, but oh so faithfully, John and Cathy Graves have spent another summer caring for our landscaping at Holy Redeemer and keeping it ever beautiful. God himself is beautiful, therefore earthly beauty is a reflection of the One who is Beauty itself. Thanks to the Graves, our flowers and trees and shrubbery have been radiating the Divine Beauty throughout the wonderful days of summer and into the glorious days of autumn! Even the neighborhood skunk has been known to visit our property and to take a drink out of the water feature. John and Kathy, we are most grateful for your dedicated and loving work! God bless you and your family!
Respect Life Month: The Catholic Church does more than any other organization or entity in the world to defend and promote the dignity of human life. For the Church in the United States, October is celebrated as “Respect Life” month. Article 2258 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church says this: “Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and remains for ever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human life.” The Catechism goes on to detail how the Church stands against such attacks on innocent human life as homicide, abortion, and euthanasia, and how the Church stands for such things as the avoidance of war, the safeguarding of peace, and the reduction of military arms. Regarding the death penalty, the Church makes provision for its application in such a narrow and limited way, as to essentially prohibit its use. As members of the Catholic Church, you and I have a solemn obligation to abide by the doctrines of the Church regarding human life and its protection. May we do so with enthusiasm and joy!
Ignite the Fire! Whose life will you eternally transform this week by your smile, your compassionate act, your kind word, your invitation, your prayer, or your sacrifice? Jesus wants to turn lives upside down. You may be the only “Jesus” that a person meets this week. Invite to ignite! Set a heart on fire!
God bless you all and have a beautiful week.
Mary, Mother of the Redeemer – Pray for us! Our Lady of Guadalupe – Pray for us! St. Anthony – Pray for us! St. Joseph – Pray for us!