24th Sunday of Ordinary Time

“You are not beyond the reach of God’s infinite mercy.”
– St. Vincent Pallotti

 My dear friends in Christ, 

Now that Labor Day has passed and schools are in session, we are all getting into a new routine. Committees are now meeting regularly and plans are underway for special celebrations. 

In Exodus, the Lord tells Moses that He is going to destroy the Israelites for turning away from Him and worshipping a golden calf. But Moses begs the Lord to give them a chance to change and the Lord relents. In the second reading, Paul explains that although he was “arrogant, a blasphemer and the foremost among sinners,” Jesus treated him mercifully. The gospel contains two well-known parables; the lost sheep and the lost coin. All of our readings illustrate how the Lord goes after the lost, offers them mercy, and brings them home. The Lord’s love and mercy are sufficient, no matter how far one goes astray. 

This past Sunday we celebrated the opening day for our RE (religious education) students. It does my heart good to see so many of our young people in their classes and attending Mass. Let us keep them in prayer as they continue to grow in faith on this journey. 

The St. Anthony Society bus trip to Eastern Pennsylvania was wonderful. Our seniors enjoyed beautiful scenery throughout the trip, excellent meals, an amazing performance of “Jesus” at Sights and Sounds, and a poignant visit to the Flight 93 National Memorial on September 11. 

On September 12, several of the staff attended a Diocesan Conference on reaching out and engaging with young adult “Millennials.” There were a variety of presenters who offered a number of ideas and discussion time about bringing more young adults back to active participation in church. We will be working on bringing some of these ideas to our parish. 

This weekend, we welcome Fr. Chris Bohnsack back to St. Thomas Aquinas where he presided at the 11:30 Mass. It is always a treat to come back and celebrate Mass in your home parish. 

It is my joy to serve you as your pastor, 

Fr. Gilbert Mascarenhas, SAC