Luke 16:31: “He (Abraham) said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”
Dear Parishioners and Friends,
Perhaps, we might try to soften this Sunday’s gospel passage from Luke 16:19-31. Surely these can’t be the thoughts of the real Jesus, the Lord of Love and Mercy? There must be some way to lighten the message or dismiss it completely? There must be some modern scholarship that will explain this scene away? All such attempts would miss the point. Jesus told this parable as a warning to those who first heard it and to us who hear and read it now. It is a call to live the two Great commandments: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength; thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” (Luke 10, 27)
To assist us in following the loving way, the Church has often proposed the chief corporal and spiritual works of mercy, which number seven each.
The chief corporal works of mercy are:
1. To feed the hungry.
2. To give drink to the thirsty.
3. To clothe the naked.
4. To visit the imprisoned.
5. To shelter the homeless.
6. To visit the sick.
7. To bury the dead.
The chief spiritual works of mercy are:
1. To admonish the sinner.
2. To instruct the ignorant.
3. To counsel the doubtful.
4. To comfort the sorrowful.
5. To bear wrongs patiently.
6. To forgive all injuries.
7. To pray for the living and the dead.
Of course, there is more to the Christian life, but the above are a great beginning. They are sure guides on the way to heaven.
BTW in the parish office we still have for sale the official Vatican II Catechism of the Catholic Church. It costs only $15.00. If you haven’t studied the doctrine of the Church since your youth, or never really studied it, now is a time for a refresher course, using the most authoritative source. In fact, it is impossible to correctly read the Bible without a doctrinal framework. Fr. Rufino Gepiga will continue his class on the Creed on Thursday nights from 7:30-9:00 P.M. The class on Thursday, October 3
rd is cancelled since Father will be at the Priests’ Convocation. He will begin again on Thursday, October 10
th. Now is a chance to catch up on the reading. Please remember your priests in your prayers.
I also have available in the parish office a songbook and CD for younger children on the catechism. For example, there are songs on the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, the Ten Commandments, and many others. Though first published in the 1950’s, most of the songs are still appropriate. I wrote the preface to the 2016 edition at the request of the editor. The cost of the songbook with CD is only $25.00. Neither I nor the parish makes a profit on these materials.
Yours in the Immaculate Heart of May,
Fr. Mark G. Mazza, Pastor