“The Church has the duty to proclaim always and everywhere the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” wrote the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI as he has officially created the newest dicastery (office) of the Roman Curia, called the “Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization.” On October 12, 2010, the Holy Father issued a document entitled Ubicumque et Semper (Everywhere and Always), words which call to mind the Great Commission of the Church, whereby Christ told His Apostles: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Mt. 29-19-20) The Holy Father reaffirmed that the “evangelizing mission, the continuation of the work desired by the Lord Jesus, is for the Church necessary and irreplaceable, an expression of her very nature.”

One might think that there are sufficient offices in Rome to deal with issues of evangelization – offices such as the Congregation for the Evangelization of the Peoples or the Congregation for Catholic Education. But the new office has a special mission, one first recognized by the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II. The idea is that there is a need for a “new evangelization” in the lands that were once collectively known as “Christendom.” In some of these societies (most notably Western Europe, but also parts of all of the developed world), the faith “still shows signs of possessing vitality and profound roots among entire peoples.” However, there are places that “appear almost completely de-Christianized.”

“God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.” (Lk 18:11)
*     *     *
I recently heard a quote to the effect that “there are only two types of people in the world: saints who think they are sinners and sinners who think they are saints.” That pretty much sums up the two characters in today’s Gospel. The Pharisee has justified his life, and the Publican has condemned his own. In truth, each of these men was a sinner in some way. As the Evangelist John said: If we say that we have not sinned, then we make God a liar, and His word has no place in our hearts (1 Jn 1:10). So what separates the two men? Simply one fact. One acknowledged the reality of his life and the reality of his sin, and one didn’t. And having recognized the reality of his life, only one man came to God and asked for forgiveness.

So where do we stand between these two in the temple? Have we justified our own conduct? Have we glossed over our sins? That’s obviously a question that we can only answer ourselves. But allow me one observation: Last Saturday before the Vigil Mass I sat in the Confessional at the back of church for about an hour. And during that time, not one person came to Confession. I did have a couple of visitors who came to say hello, but NOT ONE PERSON came seeking God’s mercy in the Sacrament.

Now, I could look at this on the bright side: Thank God, there are no mortal sinners in the parish! Everyone is upright and worthy of praise! Or I could be cynical about it, and suppose that many are like the Pharisee who has justified his own sinfulness. Or I could be practical and recognize that there are other opportunities for Confession in the area, and many people probably availed themselves of those opportunities.

In truth, I don’t do any of those things. I look at myself. I think “why am I here?” What am I doing sitting in the Confessional if no one needs a priest? Doesn’t anybody want God’s mercy? Maybe I should be doing something else? Do I preach about Confession enough? Am I not making myself available at the right times? What do I need to do to help people recognize their sinfulness; and, more importantly, what can I do to help people receive God’s mercy and forgiveness? Should I offer more occasions for Confession, or fewer ones? What am I doing wrong?

I’ll be honest. I don’t know the answer to those questions. But it is troubling to me. Can you help me out? What am I missing?

(Rev. Msgr.) Christopher H. Nalty

October 16

Margaret Mary Alacoque was born on 22 July, 1647 and died on 17 October, 1690. From her early childhood Margaret showed intense love for the Blessed Sacrament, and preferred silence and prayer to childish amusements.

Throughout her life Margaret found consolation in the Blessed Sacrament, and Christ made Himself visually apparent to her. This did not surprise her, and she thought others had the same Divine assistance. Although tempted by the luxuries and distractions of the world, Margaret

entered the Visitation Convent in 1572, where her visions became known. Because of her perceived “special status,” she was subjected to many trials to prove her vocation. She showed obedience, humility, and invariable charity towards those who persecuted her.

St. Stephen Catholic School has been recently named a parochial school of Good Shepherd Parish. We are extremely grateful to become a member of this historic faith filled community. With great gratitude we thank Monsignor Nalty for extending such a warm welcome and we look forward to being part of this great community steeped in religious tradition and enriched with grace.

As the newest member of the parish family, we are eager to share with you who we are, what we are doing and where we are heading. Each Sunday, you will find our column under “Knights Korner” in our parish bulletin.

Our goal, as your parish school, is to provide a Catholic environment where children can flourish in faith, morals, and values. St. Stephen Catholic School offers an “on-level” to an “above-level” curriculum to students in PK – 8th grade. Our mean standardized test average is in the 57th percentile. This places us above average and in the top 40% of the nation. Graduates from St. Stephens are accepted into some of the finest Catholic High Schools: Dominican, Mount Carmel, Ursuline, Cabrini, Xavier, Brother Martin, Jesuit, Holy Cross, DeLaSalle, and St. Augustine, among others. Last year, three of our students were awarded academic scholarships.

Once again thank you for embracing us into Good Shepherd Parish. Please feel free to call for information and to schedule a tour.

Peggy LeBlanc
Principal

Catholic Men’s Fellowship
Presents
“Faith and Finances According to God’s Plan”
Keynote Speaker:  Phil Lenahan

After years with an international accounting firm and as a financial executive for a Fortune 300 company, Phil left the commercial marketplace with a passion to help others understand how God wants us to manage our finances by the tenets of our Catholic faith.

Saturday, October 30, 2010
St. Anthony of Padua Church – 4640 Canal Street
9:00am – 12:30pm
Coffee and donuts at 8:15am.

Holy Mass
The Most Reverend Gregory M. Aymond Celebrant
Sacramental Confession will be available.

“But when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” (Lk 18:8)
*     *     *
Just last week in Ryadh, Saudi Arabia, a Catholic priest and  more than a dozen Filipinos were arrested and charged with proselytizing. An easy Internet search can help you find the story. What were they doing? Were they engaged in a Eucharistic Procession? Were they handing out Bibles on street corners? Were they running an illegal radio program trying to convince Muslims to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior? No. None of the above. They were attending Mass in a small Riyadh rest house. Filipinos comprise the vast majority of the more than one million foreign workers in Saudi Arabia. And they are almost exclusively Catholic. There is no freedom of religion in Saudi Arabia; the practice of any non-Muslim faith is against the law. Nevertheless, these Catholics – responding to a genuine human right engraved on their hearts – broke the law so that they could celebrate Mass.

So what happens when the case goes to trial? How can the Saudi Arabian government make the case that these people were proselytizing? Undoubtedly, they’ll need to present evidence. Perhaps they have some photographs of the accused at Mass. Perhaps they searched the accused and found them in possession of Catholic symbols, like crucifixes and Rosaries. Perhaps, they’ll go to their homes and search them to see if they can find copies of the Holy Bible or sacred images on their walls. Perhaps they’ll question their friends to see what they talk about or whether they have any “Christian tendencies.” Perhaps they’d examine their bank statements to see if they had given any of their money to a Catholic church. And once all of the information is assembled, the arresting officers will make a case before a judge and try to get these Catholics convicted of “proselytizing,” At that point they’ll lose their jobs and being imprisoned or deported from the country.

Suppose – let’s just suppose – that Islamic extremists took control of the United States government. Suppose – let’s just suppose – that they outlawed the practice of any religion except the Muslim religion. Suppose they started assembling evidence... against you.

If you’re reading this article after picking up a bulletin at Mass, there could be photos of you in a church. But if they searched you, would they find you in possession of Christian symbols, like a crucifix or a Rosary? If they searched your home, would they find copies of a Bible that had been read? Would they find sacred images on your walls? If they questioned your friends, would they find that you had “Christian tendencies”? Would they be able to search your bank statements and find that you’d given money to a Catholic church? Bottom line: Is there enough evidence for you to be convicted of being a Catholic? When Christ comes, will He find faith on the earth?

(Rev. Msgr.) Christopher H. Nalty

“Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”
Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you..” (Lk 17:17-19)
*     *     *

This Gospel this weekend concerns gratitude. The story is simple. Jesus cures ten lepers, and only one returns to thank Him. The word gratitude is interesting. It’s usually defined as “a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation.” And we might experience gratitude for many things. If we’re late for work, we might feel gratitude that we make it through all of the stoplights. We might wake up and see a beautiful sunny day, and feel gratitude. We might experience gratitude for any of the amazing little things that happen to us during the day – a rainbow, a sunset, a butterfly floating through the backyard.

But gratitude comes as a result of human acts, too. We feel gratitude when someone gives us a helping hand with our groceries. We feel gratitude when someone pays us a compliment. We feel gratitude when someone gives us a present. And what is the normal reaction to a feeling of gratitude in a human setting? We do something. We thank a person for their kindness. We might do so simply by saying “thank you.” We might send a thank you note. Or we might reciprocate the kindness by engaging in a kind act toward the person to whom we’re grateful.

One aspect of the Gospel today is interesting. We know that ten lepers were cleansed. Is it doubtful that each of the ten experienced gratitude? I can only imagine that each of the lepers must have been supremely grateful for having been cured from a debilitating and disfiguring disease that had made them outcasts in society. But the issue is that only one returns to give thanks to the person who had cured them. Only one came back to give thanks to God.
We really do our best to thank others when they are kind to us. Why should we act any differently toward God? That’s part of the message that Jesus is getting across to His listeners in this Gospel. It’s an “incarnational” aspect of gratitude. We actually do something to give thanks to God.

I have a little sign over my computer in my office. It one of those “Simon” signs by the local artist Simon Hardeveld. It says – in big splashy letters – THANK YOU JESUS.

Maybe each of us needs to keep one of those signs somewhere in our lives. It could be in the car, or on a bathroom mirror, or on your desk. And then when we experience gratitude in our lives, we might remember to express our thanks. There are a lot of ways to thank God – the Eucharist is the most eloquent way – but another way is just to say: “Thank you, Jesus.” I promise He will hear.

(Rev. Msgr.) Christopher H. Nalty

The Apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” (Lk 17:5)
*     *     *
By the times the Apostles have gotten to the 17th Chapter of Luke’s Gospel, they’ve seen Jesus do a lot of things. They’ve seen a miraculous catch of fish. They’ve seen Jesus expel demons. They’ve seen Him heal a mother-in-law, a leper, a paralytic, a man with a withered hand, a servant, a woman with a hemorrhage, a crippled woman and a man with dropsy. They’ve seen Jesus calm a storm, feed 5000 people and raise two children from the dead. At this point, they realize that Jesus has some pretty serious authority. And out of all the things they can ask for, they ask him for one thing: “increase our faith.”

What is it about “faith” that is so important to the Apostles? There are two ways that we understand faith in the context of the Apostles. It’s an obedient trust in God, and it’s an understanding of the content of what we believe through Divine Revelation. And the Apostles knew that they needed both. They needed a more confident trust in God, and they needed more understanding of the signs that Jesus was performing. And it was the one thing they wanted.

As we celebrate Respect Life Sunday this weekend, we might ask for the same thing. Most of us haven’t spent a lot of time researching the history of Divine Revelation, but we understand what our Catholic faith teaches about the great crime of abortion. It’s not complicated at all. Every biological textbook in use in each university in the world tells us that human life begins at conception. That’s not a matter of faith; that’s a biological fact. Each of us began the same way. We weren’t a different person when we were in the womb; we were just a smaller person. And what does Divine Revelation tell us about human life? The 5th Commandment says: thou shalt not kill. We know that there are certain times when a killing might be justified – like in self-defense. But there is no justification for the killing of innocent children. It’s not a “choice.”

And we also can ask for the second understanding of faith: obedient trust in God. That’s why married couples love each other without holding back. That’s why a pregnant woman see her baby as a blessing, rather than an “intrusion.” That’s why a mother who has had an abortion repents through Sacramental Confession.

And that’s why those of us with no stake in the argument take part in the greatest moral struggle of our time. We know that every human life is precious, unique, with a God-given soul. That is why we pray and sacrifice for all those involved in abortion. That is why we take an active part in the pro-life movement —to help women make the right choice for life. That is why we vote for pro-life candidates who will support pro-life judges. We are called to know our faith, and most of all, we are called to live it.

(Rev. Msgr.) Christopher H. Nalty

RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) began last week, but it’s not too late to start attending classes.  If you’re not Catholic, if you’re a lapsed Catholic, or if you’re interested in learning more about what it means to be Catholic, please call Phillip Bellini at 899-1378.

As part of the rebuilding of St. Stephen School, the Good Shepherd Parish will be installing a natural gas powered electrical generator which will enable us to run all of the systems in the school gym, the school cafeteria and kitchen, and the rectory in the event of a power outage. In the event of a hurricane, St. Stephen will be able to be shelter those unable to evacuate. Obviously, our first priority will be to our staff and our parishioners.

He said, “Then I beg you, father,
send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.”
But Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.”
He said, “Oh no, father Abraham,
but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.”
Then Abraham said, “If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.” (Lk 16:27-31)
*     *     *
What is faith? How do we get it, and where does it come from? St. Thomas classically defined faith as: “the act of the intellect assenting to a Divine truth owing to the movement of the will, which is itself moved by the grace of God.”

But sometimes things are made easier by looking at examples. In his Letter to the Hebrews, St. Paul tells us that faith is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, ” and then he gives us an example of people with faith: “By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice greater than Cain's”; “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death”; “By faith Noah built an ark for the salvation of his household”; “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go. By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise; for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and maker is God.” (Heb. 11)

But all of these Biblical fathers these died in faith. They did not receive what had been promised.

Jesus gives us a little reminder about faith this weekend. Although he came as the fulfillment of all of the faith that was in the greatest of the faithful children of Israel, He knew that His birth, His birth, His life, His death and His resurrection would not be enough to cause everyone to believe. As a famous economist once said: “For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible.”

So where does that leave us? Sometimes it leaves us questioning our faith. And sometimes events in our lives can find us strengthened in our faith. And it the midst of the doubt, we should use the same prayer that the Apostles made to Jesus: “Lord, increase our faith!” (Lk 17:5). But we do know that faith comes from God as a gift of the Holy Spirit. And as St. Paul told us in Romans: “Thus faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.” (Rom. 10:17). Attendance at Mass and constant contact with the living word of God in Scripture gives us faith. We get it, and we pass it along. Your Savior has risen from the dead. Keep the faith!

(Rev. Msgr.) Christopher H. Nalty

Beginning Thursday, September 16, we will offer the “Bible Timeline Adventure Series Class” at Good Shepherd Parish. The class will begin at 7:00 P.M. and will end at 8:30 P.M. It is a 24-part series by Jeff Cavins , Sarah Christmyer and Tim Gray.

History of the Catholic Church:
Our Faith; Our Family

Did you miss the history class last year?  We are considering it again on Tuesday evenings beginning September 28.  Classes will meet in the rectory at 7:00pm, and the course lasts 20 weeks.  Please let us know if you’re interested ASAP!

Please sign up by calling Phillip Bellini (899-1378) to enroll in these classes so we can find out how many study kits we need to order. More information can be found on the fliers in the back of church.

In recent weeks, the Church has celebrated three feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary: the Assumption, the Queenship and the Nativity. This week, we recall Our Sorrowful Mother, also known as Mater Dolorosa in Latin. The notion of Mary as the “sorrowful Mother,” has its origin in the Biblical prophecy of Simeon at the presentation of Jesus in the Temple, where he states to Mary: “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Lk 2:34-35).

Over the centuries, the Church has recognized popular devotion to seven sorrows of Mary: (1) the Prophecy of Simeon over the Infant Jesus (Lk 2:34); (2) the Flight into Egypt of the Holy Family (Mt 2:13); (3) the Loss of the Child Jesus for Three Days (Lk 2:43); (4) the Meeting of Jesus and Mary along the Way of the Cross (Lk 23:26); (5) the Crucifixion, where Mary stands at the foot of the cross (Jn 19:25); (6) the Descent from the Cross, where Mary receives the dead body of Jesus in her arms (Mt 27:57); and (7) the Burial of Jesus. (John 19:40). Numerous devotions, and even religious orders, have arisen around meditation on the Seven Sorrows.

Our Lady of Sorrows has been the subject of some key works of Marian art. In iconography, Our Lady of Seven Sorrows is at times represented as the Virgin Mary wounded by seven swords in her heart, a reference to the prophecy of Simeon at the Presentation. In other depictions, the expression of the Virgin is one of sadness.

The first known altar to Mater Dolorosa was made in 1221 at the monastery of Schönau in southern Germany. In many countries, parishioners traditionally carry statues of Our Lady of Sorrows in processions on the days leading to Good Friday.

The liturgical feast of the Our Lady of Sorrows originated in 1413, and Vatican approval for the celebration of a feast in honor of Our Lady of Sorrows was first granted to the Servite order in 1667. Pope Pius VII extended the celebration to the whole of the Latin Church in 1814, and Pope St. Pius X established the feast on September 15, the day after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. The sequence known as Stabat Mater is sung at Mass on that day.

by St. Alphonsus de Liguori

O my afflicted Mother! Queen of martyrs and of sorrows, thou didst so bitterly weep over thy Son, who died for my salvation; but what will thy tears avail me if I am lost? By the merit, then, of thy sorrows, obtain me true contrition for my sins, and a real amendment of life, together with constant and tender compassion for the sufferings of Jesus and thy dolours. And if Jesus and thou, being so innocent, have suffered so much for love of me, obtain that at least I, who am deserving of hell, may suffer something for your love. "O Lady," will I say with St. Bonaventure, "if I have offended thee, in justice wound my heart; if I have served thee, I now ask wounds for my reward. It is shameful to me to see my Lord Jesus wounded, and thee wounded with Him, and myself without a wound." In fine, O my Mother, by the grief thou didst experience in seeing thy Son bow down His head and expire on the cross in the midst of so many torments, I beseech thee to obtain me a good death. Ah, cease not, O advocate of sinners, to assist my afflicted soul in the midst of the combats in which it will have to engage on its great passage from time to eternity. And as it is probable that I may then have lost my speech, and strength to invoke thy name and that of Jesus, who are all my hope, I do so now; I invoke thy Son and thee to succour me in that last moment; and I say, Jesus and Mary, to you I commend my soul.