Pentecost XXIV
¶EVEN IF YOU DON’T SPEAK FINNISH…
….Fr. Lehtoranta’s blog is in English as well: faxlegisdei.wordpress.com
This school year, as time permits, we will be publishing daily sermons from the previous week. Check back daily for additional sermons:
Nov. 1, 2012: The Origin of All Saints Day by Bp. Dolan
Nov. 6, 2012: St. Leonard of Noblac by Bp. Dolan
Nov. 7, 2012: St. Willibrord by Bp. Dolan
Nov. 8, 2012: Holy Four Crowned Martyrs by Bp. Dolan
Nov. 9, 2012: Dedication of St. Saviors Basilica by Fr. McKenna
✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
Perfect days of St. Martin’s Summer have led us to the feast itself. Now that natural time has been restored to us, I admire particularly the quiet, calm, windless mornings lit by the diffused November light. The sun breaks through from time to time, just to remind us of God’s full light and encompassing peace. The south window in our church, composed of the old stained glass from Sharonville, is now giving its bright winter light at the 11:30 on Sundays. If there is even a bit of sun, the golden glass gathers it together and beams its glow into our church.
Darkness still reigns in Washington. “Deo gratias,” we must say, God’s Holy Will be done. The Rosary Novena has been prayed, but let us never be prayed out when it comes to praying for our country, our Catholic Church – 50 years a hostage to the heresy of V2 – or for our children (to name just three intentions), children grown up and perhaps away from God.
We need more prayer, prayer to change ourselves first, and then the rest. St. Gertrude to the rescue! FORTY HOURS of prayer are provided with the Blessed Sacrament next weekend, marking our parish feast and anniversary. It is already nine years since we dedicated our new church. This year it is 33 years (a perfect number, Our Lord’s age) that we have been in church, our own church. How good God has been to us!
Plan to participate wholeheartedly in these forty hours of prayer. Come to the opening on Friday evening, come with your chili to share, and your children to take it all in, and to process and accompany Our Lord. Men of the Guard of Honor, be faithful to your posts. Generous hidden souls, augment their number. Come Saturday for Our Lady and peace. Make an afternoon visit to help us to pray all day on Saturday and Sunday. Confraternity members, be with us for the opening and closing ceremonies, with medal and candle. Let’s all pray for forty hours – it isn’t as if we don’t need it! Clear your calendar and come to church, for love of Church, and country, and children.
A small band of us, some faithful, and three priests plus a bishop, processed around Oak Hill Cemetery on a very November Sunday afternoon last week, as we prayed the Rosary. Thanks to Richard Z., we found all of the graves of our own, and blessed them. The security man, taking no chances with people who were actually praying in a cemetery, followed us all the while, but at a discreet distance. Some geese flew over, probably from Union Centre, and made their contribution for old time’s sake. It was all very peaceful and prayerful, but creepy withal to visit a secular cemetery, with more Masonic insignia than crosses. Still, our own are marked with the sign of faith, and sleep, we pray, the sleep of peace.
We thought of Ernie, gone two years in January, on All Saints Day when we processed out to the new Fatima Shrine and blessed it, dedicating it in his memory. This way we will remember him, his quiet holiness and his love for the Rosary. Not much in the way of memorial offerings ever came through, just one or two donations. I would be happy to receive enough for a memorial plaque, as we put up for Bernie and Rita at the Lourdes Grotto. “The just man shall be in everlasting memory.”
Fr. Cekada does his seminary week starting today. I’m down in Cajun country to see our Louisiana Catholics. We’re happy to have Fr. McKenna with us for a visit from Boston, and grateful for his help. Our youngest priest is at St. Clare today, and Fr. Lehtoranta in Milwaukee.
Puccini was in and out of the office the other day, as cats will. At some point he seemed to have something to say. Sure enough, he had delivered a nice dead bird to me, and was waiting for acknowledgement. Thanks being given, I turned to other (of course less pressing) concerns, and the bird reposed on the threshold. A moment later, it was gone, leaving only an inconclusive trail of feathers. Oh well, I suppose it will make itself known in time. . .
Weren’t All Saints and All Souls beautiful? This is a lovely time of the year. Be with us. Don’t forget at least a prayer for all of our veterans today, living and deceased, as well as for peace. How long we have been at war. What a price is being paid, and more payment to come! Pray for peace at Forty Hours.
Yours in Our Eucharistic King, Who is “awaiting, calling, and welcoming” you from the tabernacle,
–Bishop Dolan