Communion of Saints

In the Apostles’ Creed we say, “I believe in...the communion of saints.” In the light of some recent celebrations, it strikes me that you might find an explanation of this phrase to be appropriate. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains the communion of saints in paragraphs 946 through 962. In brief, the “communion of saints” means that we are in union with all who are redeemed, whether they are in this world or in the next. By virtue of this unity, we can pray for one another on earth, and we can also pray for those who have died. And those who have died can pray for us.

This has special significance because last Monday we celebrated the Solemnity of All Saints, which honored all who are in heaven. (Incidentally, since it fell on a Monday this year, it was not a holy day of obligation in the United States.) The saints are our spiritual brothers and sisters; they can pray for us, and they give us good example. Then, on November 2nd we celebrated All Souls’ Day, during which we prayed for those who have died but are still being purified (in purgatory). Our prayers can speed their way to heaven, because we are all united in the communion of saints.

Of course, this also means we can pray and offer sacrifices for one another here on earth. Many times in his letters, St. Paul asks the early Christians to pray for him, and he promises to pray for them. As for me, I promise to pray for you, the good people of the parish entrusted to me, daily. I humbly ask you to pray for me as well.

Gratefully yours,

Our New Deacon

In this photo you see me with our new deacon, Juan Carlos Castro, and his wife, Anita. Juan Carlos was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate by Bishop Vann during a beautiful Mass at Christ Cathedral on Saturday, October 23rd. Along with Deacon Mike Stock and Deacon Victor Samano, Deacon Juan Carlos will be serving our parish in the many ways that deacons can serve: assisting the priest at Mass, preaching, celebrating Baptisms, presiding over Weddings and Funerals when these occur outside of Mass, and in general supporting the spiritual and sacramental life of the parish.

It is a great blessing to have Deacon Juan Carlos in our parish. Last Sunday he assisted and preached at the 10:00 am Mass at San Felipe de Jesús and the 1:00 pm Mass at St. Edward the Confessor. We had a wonderful time congratulating him and showing our appreciation for his dedication to the Church in general and our parish in particular. Although Spanish is his first language, Deacon Juan Carlos and his wife Anita also speak English, and I am eager for you to get to know them as I have.

On an unrelated note, I would like to comment on our Evening of Encounter, which took place on Thursday, October 21st. It was well attended, and it was an awesome experience for all of us. Matt Zemanek (of St. Timothy Parish) gave an outstanding, inspiring talk on our encounter with the love of God through Jesus Christ. We adored the Eucharist; prayer partners prayed with those who wanted individual prayer; Confession was available for those who wanted it. And I must not leave out the beautiful music supplied by Johnny Oskam and other music ministers. We will definitely have such an evening again. In the meantime, if you were present at the Evening of Encounter, I would like to hear from you. Please email me (psmith@stedward.com) with your reaction to the evening.

Gratefully yours,

The Virtuous Life

We are all here for a reason. Ultimately, that reason is to give glory to God and to become saints in heaven. It’s important to take a step back from our other goals in life to remember the final goal. It gives meaning and purpose to our lives. Of course, in striving to become saints we do encounter obstacles. Most likely, we fall from time to time in various ways; then, hopefully, we allow the mercy of God to pick us up, free us from sin, and help us to move onward and upward.

One of the great masters of the spiritual life, St. Francis de Sales, reminds us that the most effective way to avoid sin is to cultivate virtue. Focusing on leading the virtuous life keeps us positive as we work towards our heavenly goal. And where do we start? There are seven principal virtues in the Christian life; all other virtues come under the heading of one or more of these seven. First, there are the three theological virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity. They are called “theological” because they deal principally with our relationship with God (although Charity certainly should be part of our relationships with one another). Then there are the four cardinal virtues, so called because the Latin word cardomeans “hinge,” and many other virtues depend on these four as a door depends on its hinge. They are Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, and Temperance.

As with all things Catholic, I refer you to the Catechism of the Catholic Church for more information on the virtuous life. (See especially Part Three, Article 7.) Also, remember that you can get lots of good information on Catholic living from the website “Formed.” Together let’s journey forward in living the virtuous life!

Gratefully yours,