Weekly Update from Fr. van Dooren 9.11.26

Dear members and friends of our parish family,
 
I write with love and deepest care on this sacred day of 9/11 remembrance. Our bells tolled twenty-five times at 8:46am this morning, and we will lift our country, along with the thousands who lost their earthly lives on that day and in these succeeding years, at our noon mass today. We will have special prayers for the 9/11 commemoration as the Prayers of the People today and on Sunday. We also will remember our Jewish brothers and sisters today as they begin Rosh Hashanah. 
 
As our nation comes together in heart for this remembrance, we reach across all political and religious differences to embrace one another in compassion. May our country find ways, small and great, to extend kindness to one another as we did in the initial hours that followed that horror of that day. 
 
May I ask that we join as a parish family to prayer this prayer for our country (p. 820 of the Book of Common Prayer) at some point today? It doesn’t explicitly voice the loss of those who died, but it captures a most honorable intention for our nation.
 
Almighty God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favor and glad to do thy will. Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion;
from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Perhaps it is hauntingly fitting that our scripture passages for this upcoming Sunday center upon forgiveness. Our Old Testament lesson concludes the story of Joseph when his brothers fear that their brother will take revenge upon them following their father’s death (Genesis 50:15-21). Joseph assures his brothers that he has forgiven them and that he will provide for them and their offspring.  
 
Our Gospel passage from St. Matthew imparts the famous dialogue between Jesus, Peter, and the disciples over the question of forgiveness. Peter famously asks our Lord how many times one should forgive: “As many as seven times?” Jesus answers with an impossible amount, infinity! “Seventy times seven!” He then iterates his answer with the parable of the Unforgiving Slave (Matthew 18:15-20). From the story of Joseph to Matthew’s famous parable, may this Sunday grant us courage and wisdom in our life long journey to understand and practice the miracle of forgiveness.  

Please join us for a special Christian Education Hour on Sunday, September 27th at 1:00pm in the Family Chapel featuring a talk “How do I follow Jesus?” in which Rick Hamlin will explore ways in which we can embody Jesus’ invitation to follow him in our 21st century, and how we hear His blessed advice in today’s world. 
 
Rick Hamlin is the author of numerous books on prayer, including Pray for Me, Ten Prayers You Can’t Live Without, Finding God on the A Train (a Book-of-the-Month Club alternate selection) and novels such as Reading Between the Lines and Mixed Blessings. A long-time editor at Guideposts magazine, he’s written several op-eds for the New York Times and the Washington Post. His wife, the writer Carol Wallace, wrote the book To Marry an English Lord, which became the inspiration for the series Downton Abbey. His most recent book is Everlasting Jesus: 40 Days of Divine Wisdom for Modern Living.
 
Thank you so dearly for the outpouring of generosity and response to our restoration of the St. Joseph of Arimathea Chapel.  How privileged we are to have stewardship of this treasured and historical space! Click here to read more about this current project. 
 
The Holy Rosary will be prayed in the Family chapel at 9:30am this Sunday. We will pray the Sorrowful mysteries this Sunday in honor of our nation's commemoration.       

We continue to live-stream each Sunday’s mass at 11:00am, and a link is sent out each Sunday morning at 8:00am. We live-stream on Facebook and YouTube. Please email the parish office (parishoffice@littlechurch.org) if you would like to pray the morning and evening offices with us by Zoom. 

Thank you for your continued faith, support, and love for the parish.  

Fides Opera

With loving wishes,
Fr. van Dooren