From the Pastor's Desk (10/5/25)

From the Pastor's Desk

10/5/25

Lord, Increase our Faith! 
On this Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, our Gospel (Luke 17:5-10) reminds us that faith is the openness of heart to God's self communication in the Holy Spirit. Faith joins the human mind to divine knowing. That is why the Apostles must be clear about what they want. To enjoy an increase of faith means to see and do things God's way. To increase our faith we must diminish our willfulness. If the Apostles ask for their hearts to be opened, they must first be emptied of everything not of God. To increase our faith means to live by faith - to live like Christ, united and conformed to Him in every conceivable way. An increase of faith requires a willingness to lose our life.

Today's Gospel underscores three dynamics of faith. First, fully actualized faith has little to do with magnitude. It is so easy for us to mistake faith for a commodity whose value depends on amassed quantity. The key to Gospel faith is potency, not size. Secondly, faith transforms our very self. We reveal who we are by what we say and do. Faith endows our word and actions with authority and might. Faith speaking is God acting. When we open our heart to God's self communication through faith, it communicates the very heart of God. Finally, to grow in faith we must uproot erroneous notions of it just as the mulberry tree gets uprooted in the Gospel. Living by faith, we become the Father's sons and daughters; we humbly accept what God has commanded us to do and we do not contest what he asks of us.

Parish Finance Councils in the Diocese of Pittsburgh: Part II
Following last week's introduction to Parish Finance Councils in the diocese, I am now moving forward with the invitation to qualified registered parishioners to consider whether or not they possess the gifts for service on the Parish Finance Council. Please see the following page in this bulletin for more detailed information. The deadline to submit you own name or the suggestion of another parishioner's name as a possible candidate for the PFC will be October 31, 2025.

2025 Convocation of Diocesan Priests
This is a reminder that I will be away from the parish and participating in the Triennial Convocation of Diocesan Priests at the Oglebay Resort and Conference in Wheeling, West Virginia this coming week from Monday, October 6, until Thursday, October 9. Bishop Mark Eckman willc onvene this convocation for all diocesan priests as a time of spiritual renewal, pastoral and professional development, and priestly fraternity. The theme of this upcoming convocation is Priests of Hope: Sons, Brother, Fathers, Shepherds. Please know that Father Celestine and Father Gilbert will oversee day-to-day parish operations while I am away.

Fall Anointing Mass of the Sick
"Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint [him] with oil in the name of the Lord and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven" (James 5:14).

At Mary, Queen of Saints Parish, we will now have an Anointing Mass of the Sick twice per year, one in the Fall and another in the Spring. At this Mass, in the context of the Eucharist, all who are ill physically or spiritually, are invited to attend and receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. This Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, October 23, at 6:30 PM at St. Frances Cabrini Church.

October is Respect Life Month
The Church in the United States has observed October as Respect Life Month for many decades. While our nation is blessed by freedoms that are cherishes, the abuse of freedom has led to a society of many dysfunctions which has eroded the dignity of human life. The Catholic Church's mission of evangelization is to promote a culture of life rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. No matter what religion Americans profess, the consistency and universality of the Church's moral teachings benefit all.

October: Devotion to the Rosary
Catholics around the world deepen their appreciation for the Holy Rosary during the month of October because of the victory that took place on October 7, 1571, in Lepanto, Greece, over invading forces which sought to destroy Christian Europe. Pope St. Pius V had asked Catholics to pray the Rosary while the naval battle was underway. The invaders greatly outnumbered the Christian forces, but Europe was saved. As a result, Pope St. Pius V established the Feast of Our Lady of Victory. The feast has since been changed to Our Lady of the Rosary. Consider praying the Rosary this month before Sunday Mass, at home, or with our weekly Rosary Prayer Group, given today's battles that include wars, abortion, terrorism, poverty, racism, gun violence, the breakdown of marriages and families, suffering of migrants and refugees, and all threats to human dignity.