Pastor's Corner

In addition to being the Month of the Rosary, October is designated Respect Life Month- beginning today with Respect Life Sunday. Life is a gift. A gift bestowed by God who created us. As the Church, we proclaim a consistent ethic of life; holy from conception until natural death. As Pope Francis reminds us, “All life has inestimable value, even the weakest and most vulnerable, the sick, the old, the unborn and the poor, are masterpieces of God’s creation, made in his own image, destined to live forever, and deserving of the utmost reverence and respect.” 

We are always in need of reminders. Respect Life Month reminds us of our call as the Church to be champions, promoters, voices, and defenders of human life in all stages. We live in a world where life is often cheap and easily disposable. Abortion is on the ballot in many states, Kansas has become a destination for abortion, the invention of a “death chamber” was recently in the news as a means to end one’s life, capital punishment still happens, innocent people are victims of senseless shootings and victims of war around the world, etc. In light of this reality, we recognize our call as the Church to be prophets who cry out against atrocities committed against human life – prophets who work to proclaim and build a culture of life. 

Respect Life Month calls us to pray, calls us to put on the vision to see the image and likeness of God in every person, calls us to form our conscience for our civic duties and put our faith into action, calls us to charitable work in support of life and so much more!  I am very proud of our Nativity Gospel of Life Ministry and the work that is done to build a culture of life. Please see the list of ministries on the following page that are a part of our Gospel of Life efforts. We invite you to become involved and participate in the mission! Our Gospel of Life Ministry is highlighting a different aspect of human life to care for, love, support and protect during each week of October. 

October is designated the Month of the Rosary. The rosary is a powerful prayer that leads us through the story of our salvation in the life, passion, death and resurrection of Christ. It is a prayer of intercession and friendship with the Mother of the Lord and our Mother, who prays for us and points us to Christ. If the rosary is not a regular part of your prayer, perhaps the Month of October is inviting you to discover it anew.  Maybe come 20 minutes before the 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Mass on Sunday to pray the rosary. The rosary is also prayed daily before the 6:45am Mass and after the 8:15 am Mass.  Maybe turn off the radio and cell phone and pray it in the car, maybe a family rosary after dinner (some families still do this and they know the value!) We can join our prayers for building a culture of life with the Rosary, trusting our Mother who nurtured the life of the Savior from His conception in her womb, to pray for us and help us live the Gospel of Life! 

We had a fabulous Fall Festival last weekend. We gathered for a packed Mass, where our young people ministered as servers, lectors, gift-bearers, and our children’s choir led us in song. The weather was perfect for an outside gathering to enjoy good food, bingo, basket raffles, beer garden, inflatables, music and dancing. The festival showed community spirit at its best. The complexion of our parish family was well represented, from beautiful babies in their parents’ arms to our beautiful elders. Yes, how beautiful the Body of Christ at Nativity Parish! Putting on the Fall Festival takes lots of work! Thanks to Kelly Samuelson, who coordinates the festival. We appreciate every person who stepped forward to volunteer in any way to make the festival happen. Please see in this bulletin the pictures capturing the festival as well as an extended list of thanks to those who chaired various aspects of the festival. We are grateful! 

Autumn Blessings, 

Fr. Mike

It’s a great week in the Liturgical calendar, which I invite you to celebrate in faith and prayer.
-Monday is the Memorial of St. Jerome. He reminds us to dust off our Bibles and immerse ourselves in God’s Word. Jerome says: “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.”
-On Tuesday, we remember St. Therese the Little Flower. She reminds us that holiness can be found in the ordinary by doing the little things with love.
-Wednesday, we remember our Guardian Angels. They make us remember our loving God who gives each of us our own special angel. They remind us to pray, “Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here. Ever this day be at my side, to light to guard, to rule, to guide.”
-Friday, we remember St. Francis of Assisi. We will have the traditional blessing of animals, and you can bring your pet to be blessed. We love the prayer of St. Francis. “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life."
-And on Saturday, we celebrate St. Faustina. Jesus spoke to Sr. Faustina about His bountiful mercy for those lost in sin or broken by anxiety or suffering and commissioned her to be a herald of His merciful love. It’s a good day to celebrate God’s merciful love for us in Christ. A preview of walking with the Church this week makes me say: “It’s good to be Catholic!”

It’s good to celebrate the Saints because they remind each of us personally, that we are Saints in the making! Saints in the making live day to day acts of generosity, compassion, forgiveness, patience, and honesty that often goes unnoticed. But they make all the difference in bringing the ways of God’s Kingdom to their families, neighborhoods, parish communities, and workplaces. Saints in the making go from Mass to Mission – as Pilgrims of Hope!

The Month of October is the Month of the Rosary! If you are not in the habit of doing so, perhaps part of your prayer this month is a rosary or even a decade of the rosary each day. The “rosary priest,” Fr. Patrick Peyton promoted the family rosary with his famous words: “The family that prays together, stays together.” He said often, “A world at prayer is a world at peace.” With the lack of peace in today’s world, and all the people suffering from war and violence, let’s bring the intention
of peace to our rosary. In all the apparitions at Fatima, the Blessed Mother called us to pray the rosary as an instrument for peace in the world. The hymn, “Our Lady of Fatima,” that I grew up singing on First Saturdays said this: “You promised at Fatima, each time that you appeared, to help us, if we pray to you, to banish war and fear.”

Our Minister of Evangelization, Michael Sanem has decided to take a job in the inner-city, as part of the leadership team at St. Francis Xavier Parish. Michael has also taken the position of Director of the Ignatian Center for Spirituality. We are so grateful for Michael’s time at Nativity, the gifts he has shared, and the fruit of his work as our Minister of Evangelization. Michael is a talented, faith-filled leader in the Church. We ask God’s blessings upon Michael, his family, and his new ministry. Deacon Jim Mullin has accepted my invitation to serve in the Christian Formation
Office as interim Minister of Evangelization.

May the Lord bless you and keep you.
Fr. Mike