God's mercy

My dear Friends in Christ,

The Readings for this Sunday focus on God’s mercy for the poor and the humble. In the First Reading we are told that God hears those who cry out in pain. And the Psalm echoes this sentiment. In the Second Reading Paul speaks of feeling deserted by all those around him, but the Lord stood by him. In the Gospel Jesus tells the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. Pharisees were held in high esteem in Jewish culture. Tax Collectors, on the other hand, were collaborators with the Romans. They also cheated people to increase their earnings. So they were despised. So for Jesus to tell this story where the Pharisee is the “villain” and the Tax Collector the “hero” is a complete reversal of how these roles were perceived. Jesus is showing us that it is not social status which matters in the eyes of God. He cares about how our hearts are oriented. We must remember that everything we are and have comes from God. And we are all in need of God’s mercy.

As we continue in this first year of the Eucharistic Revival in our Diocese, be sure to read the Bishop’s catechesis on the Eucharist. See information in this bulletin. Take some time out of your day for prayer and reflection. Make time for Eucharistic Adoration or a Holy Hour. We will be offering one on Sunday, November 6, 2022 at 3:00 PM in Church in conjunction with the monthly Diocesan Legion of Mary Meeting. Please join us for the opportunity to pray before the Eucharistic Lord in Adoration.

May God bless you all,

Father John