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28th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C
Dorothy Day, the great Catholic activist, doubted God’s existence. At least in her early adult years. But something changed when after giving birth to her daughter, she experienced an overwhelming gratitude. She later described how, as she held her daughter, the only appropriate response was a kind of unlimited gratitude. She had done nothing to deserve such a gift — this tiny, miraculous life — but there she was, flooded with gratitude, completely undone by the love of such a Giver. Something similar occurs in Luke 17:19 when Jesus tells a healed leper, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.” This man had already received physical healing through his faith. But the moment of an even deeper transformation came when he turned back, fell at Jesus’ feet, and gave thanks. Like Dorothy, this man’s gratitude led him to encounter the Giver. Isn’t that what we want, too? Gratitude to God has the power to break our chains of sadness, bitterness, and disenchantment. It empowers us to step out of the prison of self-pity and into the reality of God’s abundant love. It shifts our focus from what we lack to what we have received, from what wounds us to what heals us. Where do we learn this? The Mass. The priest prays: “It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks.” Always. Everywhere. Not just when life is easy. Not just when prayers are answered as we expect. Gratitude is not a passive feeling; it is an act of faith. In the Eucharist, we remember that Christ himself has given everything for us. And in this act of gratitude, we are healed. — Father John Muir
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
“Faith is not believing God will do what we want but rather it is knowing He knows what is for the best even when we don’t recognize it.” Fr. Trainor
Yes, I just quoted myself from a homily I gave a few weeks back. I had mentioned in my article two weeks ago about prayers being answered if we have faith. This is the reason I knew I better explain what faith is for I know most think faith means God doing whatever we ask and can’t understand when the prayers aren’t or appear not to be answered particularly when someone we love dies after we prayed they would get better.
I will use my own father as an example. I of course prayed the surgery he was undergoing would go well and that he would make a full recovery. It did not happen for he passed away a few days after the surgery. You may say how could this be for the best? I did at first myself to be honest, it certainly did not feel like it was for the best as my heart broke and the pain of losing him stung down to my soul. I still of course miss him to this day. However, my dad had dementia at the time of his passing, and it was getting progressively worse. There were times he did not remember family members; there were times he would lose his temper, and his memory had gotten so bad he could not watch T.V. which was his favorite thing to do for he could not follow the story or even remember what he was watching after the commercial break. He also loved ice cream and could eat it by the gallons or at least he used to because that too was something that faded into the past for him. In other words, it was becoming very difficult and sad for both him and his family. Which may be exactly why my prayer to have my dad live was answered with the one-word answer of no. I will never know for sure but maybe if he had lived, we would have had to put him in a home which actually would have been worse than death for both him and us, his family. Now, he is in heaven where he is whole again, where he is young again with his memory intact and most likely watching T.V. and eating all the ice cream he desires because I have no doubt that is truly heaven for him!
God Bless you and have a wonderful week,
Fr. Michael
PRAYER REQUESTS
That God will relieve their suffering and restore them to health. Please pray for:
Kellie Salata, Kelly Chinchar, Jessica, Daniel Breslin, Stanley, Joseph Marrone, Anthony, Michael, Joseph, Jessica Esopo, Steve, Audra, Bernadette, James Weiss, Baby Ford, Rosemary Malangone, Elizabeth Malangone, Sue West, Danny, Colleen Emery, Richard, Joan Russo, Christina Martin, Mornia Evans, Valerie Valverde, Diana McGuckin, Manny Scarangella, Cheryl Prinjinski, Ron Barth, Stephen West, John K. Hammel.
Holy Name Medical Center is looking for Eucharistic Ministers, volunteers, who are willing to help out in giving out Holy Communion to their patients. If you are interested, you can email them at pokafor@holyname.org or call their office at 201-833-3243 or stop by their Pastoral Care Office, behind the chapel, lobby/ground floor at Holy Name Medical Center.
St. Peter’s Preparatory School will hold its Fall Open House on Sunday, October 19, from 1-4pm at the school’s campus in historic downtown Jersey City. Faculty and staff as well as coaches, students and parents, will be present to answer questions and tours of the campus will be provided. St. Peter’s Prep is an independent, college preparatory school for boys and it remains NJ’s on Jesuit high school. For more info, call 201-547-6465 or visit www.spprep.org.
SAFE ENVIRONMENT CORNER
Mental Health Sunday is observed on October 12, 2025, as a moment of grace and healing in our parish community. Today’s readings remind us of God’s healing presence and strength found in hope and perseverance during times of suffering. These messages offer comfort not only to those who are struggling, but also to those who accompany them with compassion and faith. Anyone with knowledge of an act of sexual misconduct is asked to inform us so that we may take appropriate action to protect others and to provide support to survivors of sexual abuse. Call the Coordinator for the Office of Accompaniment in the Archdiocesan Department for the Protection of the Faithful at 201-407-3256.
SCRIPTURAL REFLECTIONS ON STEWARDSHIP
“Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”
Most of us live relatively “easy” lives. We have food, shelter, clothing, and money. We go on vacation every year and own a car or two. Most of us take this all for granted. Did you ever notice that people with the least amount of possessions are usually the most grateful? Shouldn’t this be the other way around? Take time every day and thank God for all He has given you and discern how He is calling you to share your gifts.
The gift of Bread & Wine for the first two weeks of September has been given in memory of Louise & John Hansen by Mr. & Mrs. Raymond DeRiso. The last weeks of September is in honor of St. Padre Pio.
The Sanctuary Lamp for the month of September has been given in memory of Cecelia Jashembowski by Linda J. Sylvestri.
Please consider sponsoring our Bread & Wine, Altar Flowers, and the oil for the Sanctuary Lamp.
Opportunities for Parish Support
There are several ways you can help support our parish and honor loved ones at the same time. As you may have noticed on the first Sunday of every month in our bulletin, we thank the donors of our Altar Gifts. You can donate the Bread & Wine, Altar Flowers, or the Sanctuary Lamp in a two-week block for $50 in someone’s memory. We have blocks open for this year. We also need to purchase a new Easter candle each year (the tall candle on the altar) for $300-$400 which can also be donated in someone’s memory. You do not have to fund the entire amount, anything you wish to donate towards the purchase of our Easter candle is appreciated. We also have masses available for your intentions. If you wish to honor someone in any of these ways, please call the rectory.
Prayer for our Nation
God our Father, giver of life, we entrust the United States of America to your loving care. You are the rock on which this nation was founded. You alone are the true source of our cherished rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Reclaim this land for your glory and dwell among your people. Send your Spirit to touch the hearts of our nation’s leaders. Open their minds to the great worth of human life and the responsibilities that accompany human freedom. Remind your people that true happiness is rooted in seeking and doing your will. Through the intercession of Mary Immaculate, patroness of our land, grant us the courage to reject the “culture of death.” Lead us into a new millennium of life. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Praying the ROSARY
The Rosary is a meditation, a time to recall and think about the life of Jesus as seen and experienced by Mary. As the model of faith, Mary’s life sets a pattern that we strive to follow: saying ‘yes’ to God’s will in our lives and sharing His love and message with others. The Mysteries of the Rosary form a mini lesson of faith, using the highlights and significant moments of the life of Jesus. Like paging through a family scrapbook, we see in brief the events of salvation history that are the core of our belief and the hope of our eternal life.
WE NEED BULLETIN ADVERTISERS!!
We would like to thank all the advertisers who have supported us throughout the past year. Our parish benefits greatly from the ads you see in the bulletin. The revenue pays for the printing which is an important means of communication for the parish. If we do not have enough advertisers, the cost of our bulletin goes up. We thank the local businesses that advertise with us especially in these tough economic times. We have some spaces on the back of our bulletin that need filling so if you would like to advertise your business as well as benefit your church, please contact John Patrick Publishing at 1-800-333-3166.
Please support our advertisers at the back cover of bulletin.