Exodus 17:11  As long as Moses kept his hands raised up, Israel had the better of the fight, but when he let his hands rest, Amalek had the better of the fight.

1 Timothy 3:14  Beloved: Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed.
Luke 18:8  But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?
                                                     
Dear Parishioners and Friends,
 
I remember hearing Saint John Paul II boldly proclaim:  “ Semper Fidelis; Always Faithful.”  Some will recognize this as the motto of the Marine Corps, which is appropriate; whereas the pope used it in a wider sense to remind the Poles and the entire Catholic world of our heritage of a tenacious and lively Faith: The Faith of the martyrs, the Faith of Our Fathers.  No ordinary Faith, this.
Yet little by little this precious Faith has been chiseled away at.  Little by little there is the temptation to make false and phony compromises.  Little by little there is the temptation to find and make excuses, to look for short cuts to heaven.  Little by little instead of kneeling before Christ, we are tempted to kneel before the world and please the world.  No wonder this type of faith is not capable of handing itself on to the next generation; it is built on sand, not rock.
The Scriptures today propose a Catholic Faith that is sure and certain.  This Faith is reflected in the account of Moses, who could defeat his enemies only as long as his hands were raised up to God in prayer.  His efforts were inadequate.  His efforts fortified by the power of God brought victory in battle, the triumph of the people of God.  There is an important lesson here for us.  Alone we can do nothing; with God all things are possible.
In the letters of Timothy we are advised about the deceptions that can get us away from Christ. (Take some time to read the full texts of these letters this coming week).  They existed then, they continue to exist in our world.  These attacks on the life of the Spirit, the life of a believer, are often subtle and seductive.  We must always be on guard, primarily living a life in Christ, obedient to all that He has revealed to us and faithful to the one, true Church He founded.
Finally, we should all be shaken out of our lethargy and complacency with the words of our Divine Lord and Savior Jesus Christ:  “But when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”   Those of us who remember a more Christian world and a stronger community of Faith are alarmed by these words.  There is the real danger of many falling into apostasy and even worse.  In fact, this situation is already in our midst.  There is the real danger that many may go in the direction opposed to the Lord.  And what about our families?  What do we do to keep them in Christ or win them back if they have fallen away from faithful practice and devotion?
Pope Francis says that the gospel today should be re-phrased as the need to leave the one who is within the flock and go after the ninety-nine who have gone astray.  This is a good point, realistic, yet challenging.  Perhaps being away from Christ, lapsed, indifferent, apathetic is considered by far too many, even Church people, as the new normal.  The abnormal is considered normal, whereas the normal is thought abnormal.  What we always thought as good is now thought to be evil and what we always thought as evil is now thought to be good.  At least, we cannot say that the Lord has not warned us (Isaiah 5:20-21).  He warns us because He loves us.  Our God is good and does not sit idly by as we do ourselves in.  He speaks out, heart to heart, and lovingly invites us to live a Christian life of fidelity:  always faithful.  When He returns may he find you and me ready for His eternal Kingdom.   
 
Yours in the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Fr. Mark G. Mazza, Pastor