The Communion of Saints

When I was a child I learned our faith as a child would, in very simplistic terms. I learned Jesus loves me; I memorized prayers, the 7 Sacraments and the Beatitudes. In 8th grade I was confirmed and like all Catholic teenagers, I felt “graduated” in the Faith. How wrong I was! I didn’t realize then that Confirmation was really the beginning of an adult faith. The Holy Spirit has now come into my life and guides me towards an adult understanding of faith.

Over the past year and a half I have been exploring the concept of the Communion of Saints. As a child, I was taught all about the lives of the Saints, now in heaven, and how they help guide us in our daily lives. But my definition of a saint was someone who was really good and holy and perhaps martyred for the faith. It never occurred to me that you and I, when we pass on and go to heaven, that we too enter into the Communion of Saints.

A little over a year and half ago my beloved father passed away. There came an emptiness that can never be filled. I turned to my faith to bring me answers about suffering and death. As I prayed with Jesus and I delved into Church teachings and talked with persons more knowledgeable than I, I discovered that my Dad was up there in the Communion of Saints. I learned that he too, along with St. Peter, St. Paul, etc…, was still looking out for his little girl and now he has help from St. Peter and all of angels to keep me safe.

Every so often I feel my father’s presence on one side of me and Jesus on the other side of me and behind us my deceased grandparents, and the army of Saints ready to help where needed. Ask yourself today “Who do I know in the Communion of Saints?” and then feel their loving presence. While our loved ones may pass from this life, they are always present in our lives.

—God Bless all our Saints in Heaven and Earth, Holly Clark

Who are Our Neighbors?

You shall love your neighbor as yourself. –Mt 22:39

Very often when I put together the weekly bulletin I save writing this column last so I can feel the spirit move me! I will often read the Sunday scriptures ahead of time and the Holy Spirit will inspire my little brain with an idea. Today we ask ourselves “Who are our neighbors?” Pause a moment and think about your answer. The obvious answer is those whom we know, those in our Church and town… but Jesus would suggest also those whom we do not know and perhaps even our enemies. Who are your neighbors?
As I put together this week’s bulletin, and I read everyone’s articles, I was moved by so many of you helping your neighbors, both friends and strangers to us, through your participation at Sacred Heart and St. Rose. Please journey with me through the bulletin and explore how we help and love our neighbors…

We help our neighbors in need with our Parish Tithes; we pray for our neighbors who are ill; we remember our parishioner-neighbors when contributing to the Grand Annual collection; we are helping our elderly and ill neighbors through a Generations of Faith project; we are giving comfort to our bereaved neighbors by remembering their deceased love ones in song and in our Mass Intentions; we help our poor and needy neighbors with the SVDP Food Pantry; we help handicapped young neighbors by selling Tootsie Rolls; and lastly we enthusiastically come together in faith and fellowship thus spreading the joy of Christ and the Love of Christ to one another and to the world!

—God Bless all our neighbors, Holly Clark

Letters for Today…

We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers, unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope of ourLord Jesus Christ – 1 Thes 1:2-3

In the early days of our faith disciples of Jesus established Christian communities and Churches throughout the known world. These early communities were often besieged, ridiculed, and made to suffer at the hands of the authorities and unbelievers. Paul journeyed to these Churches to the local communities to establish a working, functioning Christian faith. He would also write letters to these cities of Thessalonia, Rome, Corinth, etc. to answer theological questions and to bolster their spirits.
As you listen to Paul’s letters proclaimed from the pulpit do think of the early Churches and how much of a struggle it was to actually be a Christian and proclaim the faith? As I hear and read Paul’s letters I close my eyes and I realize that not only is he addressing the Thessalonians, Romans, Corinthians, he is also addressing us today in our time, Middleboroians, Rochesterians, Americans, Chinese, and all the world’s Christians of today.
Paul is thanking us in the here and now, for our faith, labor of love and enduring hope in our risen Lord. He is giving us encouragement in a time when people are “offended” by the phrase “Merry Christmas” and society seems to be more materialistic and atheistic. He is telling us to take heart! Do not be discouraged! Our Lord is with you! Pauls’ letters are indeed for all time!
As we listen to Paul’s letters, imagine Paul addressing you right now. Pay attention to his message to you… let yourself be buoyed up in faith, hope and love. Paul is praying for you as is our risen Lord…
—God Bless, Holly Clark

Gimme Quiet… Please!

When do you find time to pray? In our busy, busy lives, running here, running there, it is very difficult to find time to pray. We have to be creative and steal precious minutes where ever we can during the day to just be with Jesus or ask God for an intention or ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. I try to fit in prayer in some very unusual places. For example, instead of reading two year old magazines in a doctor’s waiting room, I close my eyes and pray for those around me and if alone I talk to Jesus about my day; at the gas pump I close my eyes, listen to the gentle gurgling of the gasoline while I ask for God’s help to get me through the day; and while I wait for my morning coffee at Dunkie’s I listen to the chatter around me and thank God for the gift of life- (and good coffee!).
But something is amiss--- The other day I sat in my doctor’s office and a humungous flat-screen TV had been installed, blaring some inane talk show. Gone my quiet time to pray. I went to get gas and a recorded voice was yelling at me telling me to buy a Coke with my gasoline. Gone my quiet time. I went to Dunkie’s to get coffee and there is a small closed circuit TV running ad after ad for things we do not need. Gone my quiet time. I ask myself if we really need to be “entertained” all of the time or be bombarded with noise everywhere we go?
Jesus was surrounded by quiet. Gunpowder had not even been invented yet. Jesus taught us how to pray and often went to quiet places to be with His father. Let us start a small rebellion and ask for peace and quiet. Ask the doctor’s office to turn off the TV… ask the gas stations to turn off the ad bombardment…, etc--. in short, ask politely to “gimme back my peace and quiet, please!”
—God Bless, Holly Clark