From Father Carl
Our Pastoral team is here to serve you; we/I are only ever a phone call away – 215-836-2828. Be assured of my continued prayers and support for you and your loved ones.
The Office of Social Justice and Respect Life of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe found here, https://archdiosf.org/social-justice,offers a yearly calendar called Days of Life, Dignity, Justice and Peace. Under Services Offered, the first is Education where the calendar link can be found. I have learned so much from using this calendar over the years.
It seems every 4 years during election cycle for a few months, these issues become front page news and then fade from the national conversation after the election. Please remember, the needs of those being served do not go away.
As we know, there are committed disciples of Jesus Christ dedicating their lives to these various issues every day; working to build up God’s Kingdom of Justice, Peace and Love.
I am very grateful for the number of St. Gen’s parishioners who dedicate their time, talents, and treasures to these efforts locally, nationally, and internationally. Please feel free to tell me about your involvement; I love these stories. If you want to be involved and are not sure where to start, please ask. Together we might find an organization that could use your assistance. In God’s kingdom there is a place for everyone.
Having served alongside many committed individuals on my various service and mission trips, a key take-away for me is how alive these people are in their prayer life.
In his book Crossing the Threshold of Hope written in 1994 to prepare the Church for entering the 21st century, St. John Paul II offers this definition of prayer: “Prayer is a search for God, but also a revelation of God. Through prayer God reveals Himself as Creator and Father, as Redeemer and Savior, as the Spirit who ‘scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God’ (1Cor2:10), and above all ‘the secrets of human hearts’ (cf. Ps 44:22). Through prayer God reveals Himself above all as Mercy – that is, Love that goes out to those who are suffering, Love that sustains, uplifts and invites us to trust. The victory of good in the world is united organically with this truth. A person who prays professes such a truth and in a certain sense makes God, who is merciful love, present in the world.” (pgs.25-26)
When people have asked me why pray? This is the passage I begin with because the world needs people of prayer, who in that certain sense, are making God’s merciful love present.
St. Genevieve pray for us!
God bless,
Carl
(Rev. Carl Janicki)
A Glance at the Daily Mass Readings
Continuing with our first readings from Ephesians, we begin on Monday with Paul reminding us we are saved through faith and it is a gift from God. And we end with his urging to live in a manner worthy of the called received from God “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love …” (Eph 4:1-6) As with many great Scripture passages, we read the “what” of virtuous living and determine daily through prayer and the community of faith the best “how.”