Mark 10: 6-9 (6) “But from the beginning of creation, god made them male and female. (7) For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, (8) and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. (9) Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate.”

Our Lord teaches the apostles and all of us the best way to be great in the eyes of God. We must not let ourselves become corrupted by the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Mark 8:32-33 (32) Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. (33) At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

Our school has already begun for the year. Our Religious Education program begins today. This task is meant to be taken very seriously.

Mark 7: 14-15 (14) He summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. (15) Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile. [ (16) If any man has ears to hear, let him hear. ]”

Tomorrow, we will join with our fellow Americans in celebrating Labor Day. Many will have the day off. We should take some time to pause and reflect about the dignity of all work. This year many are deeply concerned about those out of work, or those who can’t find a job in the area in which they were trained.

On Tuesday, August 13, Immaculate Heart of Mary School began its 72nd year of offering a Christ centered education.

The devout Catholic family obeys the Lord’s solemn command that He gave us at the Last Supper right before He died and rose for us.

It is our complete trust of God in faith, a response to His love, that moves us beyond darkness to light.

John 6:48 proclaims the very words of Our Lord Jesus Christ: “I am the bread of Life.”

John 6:11 Jesus then took the loaves and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted.

At times life is calm like the sea and we are relaxed, joyful, and at peace. However, with little notice life can become turbulent and unsettling like a ship at sea during a storm, and we may even begin to think that we are going to sink and drown.

We thank our fathers on this special day for all that they do for us, and we pray that all fathers will recognize the dignity of their calling and have the strength to live it courageously in our difficult times.

Instead of my usual letter, this week I am substituting a meditation taken from the June 2024 Magnificat, pp. 133-134, written by Father Gabrielle Amorth, who was the chief exorcist of Rome and the author of four books about the Blessed Mother

The greatest treasure we have as Catholics is the Lord’s gift to us of the Holy Eucharist. 

Matthew 28: 18-20 Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

A Catholic Church is a place of prayer. The atmosphere should always be reverent and sacred.

Mark 16:15-16 Jesus said to His disciples: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.”