Last weekend my homily was inspired by our youth ministry’s current annual theme: Building Peace: what piece will you be? You saw this past weekend, and will see again this weekend, puzzle pieces floating above the sanctuary of the church. These puzzle pieces are inscribed with real life action steps comprised of the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy which are ingrained in both Catholic theology and in Catholic social teaching.

Reconciliation: is the great gift of God’s love—His forgiveness and mercy—and ultimately of His restoration of us back into right relationship with Him, providing us with His friendship. Last weekend as Franciscan Mission Father Emmanuel offered his homily on the Lukan Gospel of the Prodigal Son, we heard of the father’s mercy, love and forgiveness for His wayward son—and we also heard the son asking for his father’s forgiveness.

As we begin the new academic year here at St. Catherine of Siena we see new beginnings ahead for our Religious Education program, our Youth Ministry program, our Music Ministry program with its choirs and special liturgies and so many more. I look around and see all the ministries come back into full swing and I see hundreds of faces of wonderful people who make our parish so lively.

Continued from last week...The Roman Catholic Church has seven (7) Sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ Himself, no council or synod nor committee of the Vatican created these Sacraments. Christ created them in Divine Wisdom because He and God the Father determined that we need them in our flawed human condition. The Sacraments provide us with God's grace so that we may journey toward salvation.