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Pope Francis Quote for March 25-26, 2023

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By ourselves we can do nothing. Never forget the importance of placing yourselves before the Lord to hear what he wants to say to you. In fact, listening to God’s voice deep within our hearts and discerning his will is indispensable for our interior growth, particularly when we encounter urgent and difficult tasks. We should recognize that we are part of one great people which has received God’s promises as a gift, not as a privilege. In the same way, your vocation is a gift to be placed at the service of building up the body of Christ.” The Church needs your enthusiasm, generosity and zeal in order to show everyone that God is always with us, in every circumstance of life. I pray that, in the various educational and charitable apostolates in which you are already engaged, you will always be signs of a Church that goes forth, bearing witness to and sharing the merciful love of Jesus with all  the human family, especially the poor and those in need. Pope Francis to Bishop Malesic, Cleveland priests, deacons and seminarians in Rome, celebrating the 175th anniversary of St. Mar’s Seminary March 6, 2023

 

 

A Christmas Prayer 2022

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Source of Divine Light, Emmanuel, God with us,
Your radiant love illuminated our waiting world
With the surprise of your Bethlehem birth.

Each year since then we celebrate this astonishing event,
rejoicing in your coming anew, not as a newborn Babe,
but as a hidden presence of divinity contained within each of us.

To our greatest astonishment, we have become your dwelling place.
We are now your Bethlehem.

Now you are Treasure birthed in the secret place of our soul.
Now you are Light gleaning through our gestures of generosity.
N ow you are Hope radiating inside the core of our courage.
Now you are Joy shining into the dark caves of our gloom.
Now you are Peace glowing quietly in the crevice of our anxiety.
Now you are Love brilliantly reflected within our kindness.

O Christ, Light of all lights, Star of all stars,
dweller within these human homes of ours,
open our wandering minds and hesitant hearts
So your endless goodness radiates more completely in us.

We welcome you again and again, with gratitude and trust,
not only in this Christmas season of remembrance and celebration
but all through the New Year that awaits us.

By: Joyce Rupp —-Catholic Cemeteries Association

 

Pope Francis Quote for 12/17-18/22

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Reread your life’s story to discover Christ.  Even things which in the moment seem of little importance can reveal to us something deeper upon further reflection. These events, he said, are like precious, hidden pearls the Lord has sown” in our daily lives. Good is hidden, silent. It requires slow and continuous excavation. Because God’s style is discreet, it does not impose; it is like the air we breathe. We do not see it but it allows us to live, and we realize this only when it is missing. The more we reread our life’s story, added the Pope, the more refined our perception becomes, making it easier to discover God’s action in our lives. Papal Audience, Oct. 2022

 

Stewardship Moments: Thirty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

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In today’s second reading we hear Saint Paul urging the members of the community at Thessalonica to direct their hearts to God’s love through Christ. He wants them to be laser-focused on Christ, and nothing else. He desires that they be strengthened by the Lord and shielded from what is not Christ-like. Good stewards cultivate a “laser-sharp” focus on Christ; not on things that could give them false or superficial images or ideals. Let’s think about our own daily focus: Do we direct out hearts toward Christ or are there other “gods” that claim our attention? Our career? Material possessions? Sexuality? Favorite sports team? Political leanings? Does our daily life point to Christ so that those who are younger and less mature in their faith learn from our example?

 

 

Family Remembrance Shrine

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November is a festive month here at St. Malachi with our traditions of All Saints, All Souls, the Feast of St. Malachy of Armagh, our Mass of Remembrance and the Solemnity of Christ the King. We need your help in creating a shrine to celebrate the communion of our own family saints who have gone before us. Bring a framed or loose photo of your loved ones with their name on the front, YOUR name and contact info affixed to the back. Any photo 8X10 or smaller will work. Bring it to church (large baskets provided at the front entrance). The shrines will be set up through the month of November and you can retrieve photos on or after November 20.

 

 

Prayer for Labor Day, 2022

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Prayer for Labor Day 2022

As the sun rises to bring in the new day:

We remember those who descend into the earth, their work begins in darkness, pulling from the earth, the resources we steward.

We remember those who work inside a building away from the light and brightness of the day.

We remember those who work outside in the harsh elements of our world, the bitter cold and sweltering heat of extremes.

We remember those who do not have a job to go to, who are struggling to meet the needs of their daily living expenses, for whom the day becomes long and arduous.

As the sun sets to bring in the evening of rest:

We remember those who work in the night.

We remember those who are trying to recover from their labor and toils of the day.

We remember those who participate in unsafe and dangerous work.

We pray for a renewed sense of dignity in their lives and in their work.

God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the worker. Make a place in our hearts for compassion to the men and women who labor tirelessly for basic necessities. Ensure a place for the men and women who are struggling to find work. Grant us your wisdom to greet and care for those who are unable to work due to illness or circumstances that prevent their participation. Be with the children who are not able to run and play, but instead must put in a hard day’s work to help their family afford to eat, to live. Be with us all, Christ Jesus, as we go about the busyness of our work. Hold us accountable not only for our actions, but most importantly to each of our neighbors. May we continue to work together to bring about your reign! We ask this in your holy name, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

——https://www.usccb.org/prayers/prayer-labor-day

 

 

 

Stewardship Moments: Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 2022

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A prominent theme in today’s Gospel parable is generosity. Late at night, a sleepy friend responds to his neighbor’s request for food for an unexpected guest. Jesus suggests that it would be unthinkable for a friend to deny a friend in need. A friend would most certainly give what is asked and more. Through this story, Jesus illustrates God’s generosity. Good stewards realize the extraordinary love and graciousness with which God showers us. We need never convince God to be generous. God is already that generous friend. His abundant love bathes us in goodness. This week, prayerfully reflect on God’s generosity to us. What should our response be to that generosity?

 

Stewardship Moments: Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Martha and Mary are the focus of this weekend’s Gospel, which abounds with rich themes about hospitality, service, and finding the right balance between action and prayerful attention to the Lord. Christians who are good stewards of their faith life realize that if they are too busy to enjoy peaceful, private time with the Lord, then something is out of balance in their spiritual lives. If we make time for Mass, but then carry on with our busy schedules without prayer, meditation and reflection, we are missing out. If we find ourselves anxious and harried by life’s routines, could it be a sign that something in our spiritual life needs some serious attention?

 

A Prayer for Mothers

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All-loving God, we give you thanks and praise for  mothers young and old.

We pray for young mothers, who give life and count toes and tend to our every need; May they be blessed with patience and tenderness to care for their families and themselves with great joy.

We pray for our own mothers who have nurtured and cared for us; May they continue to guide in strong and gentle ways.

We remember mothers who are separated from their children because of war, poverty, or conflict; May they feel the loving embrace of our God who wipes every tear away.

We pray for women who are not mothers but still love and shape us with motherly care and compassion.

We remember mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers who are no longer with us but who live forever in our memory and nourish us with their love. Amen.

…..by Heidi Busse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pope Francis Quote for March 12-13, 2022

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Jesus is the light of God who has entered into the darkness of the world. God is light: in Him there is no opacity; in us, on the other hand, there is much darkness. Now, with Jesus, light and darkness meet: holiness and sin, grace and sin. The Gospel uses these polarities to announce God’s “splendid” way of acting. When God is confronted with our frailties, He does not pull back and retreat into His eternal, infinite light. Rather, God descends into darkness, and dwells in lands that are foreign to Him. This is God’s work: to come among us. If we consider ourselves unworthy, that does not stop Him. If we reject Him, He does not tire of seeking us out. If we are not ready and willing to receive Him, He prefers to come anyway. We often keep our distance from God because we doubt our worthiness. God wishes to be incarnate, urging us to overcome our fears by drawing near to Jesus. Angelus Prayer, 1/2/22

 

 

About St. Malachi Parish

The St. Malachi Parish Mission: We are a Eucharistic People, United in Prayer, Welcoming to All and Serving the Poor.

Celebrating 150 Years of Faithful Service in the Old Angle!

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