Posted on November 9, 2022 View all Pastor's Letter
Dear parishioners,
Every weekend we meet to share the bread of the word of God that nourishes us and gives us life; every weekend is a reunion with the teacher who instructs us and makes us reflect on our desire for holiness and precisely today Jesus reminds us that “we must always pray without giving up” (Lk 18:1). He teaches with His actions and with His words. Saint Luke is presented to us as the evangelist of the prayer of Jesus, it is only Luke who shows us Jesus always praying. In the Baptism in the Jordan, in the election of the Twelve and in the Transfiguration. When a disciple asked Him “Lord, teach us to pray” (Lk 11:1), the Our Father came from His lips. When He announces the denials to Peter: “I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail” (Lk 22,32). At the crucifixion: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Lk 23:34). When He dies on the Cross: “Father, in your hands I place my spirit.” The Lord himself is the model of the prayer of petition, especially in Gethsemane, as described by all the evangelists.
This attitude of Jesus should inspire us to raise our hearts towards Him in different activities, while we work, drive, while we do housework, everything should be a reason for prayer, everything should lead us to strive to be saints.
Next weekend is World Mission Sunday, the second collection will be to support the missions of the church, especially the missionaries and their needs. This year the Holy Father Francis in his message for this world day of prayer invites the whole church to be witnesses of the gospel, being missionaries committed to our own lives. “The example of Christian life and the proclamation of Christ go together; one serves the other. They are two lungs with which every community must breathe to be a missionary. This complete, consistent and joyful witness to Christ will certainly be the attracting force for the growth of the Church even in the third millennium. Therefore, I exhort everyone to return to courage, frankness, that parresia of the first Christians, to bear witness to Christ with words and deeds, in every area of life.” (Message from Pope Francis for World Mission Day 2022). Therefore, we must be missionaries from our way of life, as well as from our own generosity by contributing a little so that evangelization in the world continues.
Finally, as I have said in the previous letters, next weekend I will exhort you in all the masses to meditate and pray about your offerings- increase the weekly offertory not as an obligatory commitment, but as an offering of love for the construction of the Kingdom. Our offering helps to increase our evangelization programs, and face the challenges that this time proposes to us. After the pandemic we have been weakened in many areas and we have to rise again and be more generous in response to so many gifts that the Lord has given us.
I have you in my prayers, may you have a week full of blessings from our Lord.
Fr. Alex
