The Seven Sacraments
Among the gifts our God has given to us are the Seven Sacraments. A Sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace, an experience of the Risen Lord, Jesus. A Sacrament is a participation in the life of God in our lives. We usually categorize the Sacraments into three groups: those of Initiation; those of Healing; and those of Mission/Commission. The Sacraments of Initiation are Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation. Those of Healing are Eucharist, Penance and Anointing. Those of Mission/Commission are Eucharist, Matrimony and Holy Orders. Over the next few weeks, I will place in the bulletin an understanding of each of the Seven and why they are important to the life of a Catholic.
God Bless you, Fr. Dan

October is Respect Life Month
Each October, the Church celebrates Respect Life month. The sacredness and dignity of each and every human life is at the core of our Moral and Social teachings. The Church teaches that every human life (without exception) is of infinite dignity, value and worth because every human life is created in the Divine Image and Likeness and it was for each and every human being that Jesus Christ died on the Cross to win for them salvation; the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. While we usually associate this with the unborn; this teaching includes every human person from conception to natural death. At conception, we have a unique act of creation, with a unique set of human genetics and a unique human soul. But our respect for life doesn’t stop there. Everyone: man, woman and child, the young, elderly, sick, those who are vulnerable, those who are not like us, those with a physical, mental or psychological disability; those with whom we agree and those with whom we disagree, those who would call us enemy and wish us harm; we are called in faith to love as a Child of God who is made worthy by Incarnation and Death of Jesus for their salvation. This does not mean that we have to like everyone or what they do or say; we never are called to accept falsehood or sin. It does mean, however, that we MUST acknowledge the dignity of each human life without condition or reservation.
God Bless, Fr. Dan

This weekend is HOPE Appeal Weekend! Together, when we pledge our gift to the Annual HOPE Appeal, we are giving thanks to Christ for the innumerable gifts we’ve been given and helping our friends and neighbors who benefit each year from the diocesan good works funded through our annual appeal.

Fr. Dan and Dc. John are asking all parishioners to contribute to this year’s HOPE Appeal. If we all give, we will easily meet St. Francis Xavier’s HOPE Appeal goal, which is our parish share of the support for HOPE Appeal-funded ministries, programs, and services.  If we exceed our target, 100 percent of the excess will be returned directly to our parish.  However, if we do not meet this goal, the shortfall will be taken from our general fund.

Thank you to everyone returning their HOPE Appeal pledge card this weekend!  If you are still prayerfully considering your HOPE pledge, you may bring your completed pledge card to Mass next weekend or drop it by the parish office.  You may also pledge your gift to our parish’s campaign online at www.syrdio.org.

Remembering 9/11
I have no doubt that most of us can remember exactly where we were on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. It was a beautiful clear, September morning and I was at school celebrating the opening Mass for the school year. During the Mass the Principal came up to me as I was just getting ready to say the closing prayer; he silently told me that there had been a plane accident in New York City and asked if we could say a short prayer for all those involved; which I did. By the time the Mass had ended and we had begun the first period, it was obvious that something was terribly wrong. Wherever there was a television or radio, students, staff and faculty were intently listening in stunned silence as the horrific events of that day unfolded. Parents then began to call the school to come and take their child home. At the end of the day we gathered to plan how we, as a school, would unfold the rest of that week. By the time of the evening news, it was clear that something had happened that would change our lives forever. I remember that many people just naturally came to Church where we prayed and sat together for comfort. The next weekend, the Church, and all Churches were full, packed to capacity as we prayed for the victims, the first responders and all who were frightened or simply needed the assurance of faith. In those days, we were one people: without regard to denomination or faith, political affiliation or generation; we were “One Nation Under God.” Of course, in time, people began to get back to the business of living their lives, but nothing would be the same. It is my prayer that we always remember: not only the tragedy and loss of human life, but also the lesson of unity and the need to look past our differences, support and help each other and remember, that there is nothing that we cannot deal with as long as we do so together with our God as our support and guide.

God Bless,

Fr. Dan