pastor's corner

Sunday, November 20, 2022

Hello folks,

The Lord be with you all! This Sunday, the last of the liturgical year, we celebrate the solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. The positioning of this feast reminds us that in the end, God is in charge! And not just “in the end” but Jesus is to reign in every part and aspect of our lives even now. Pope Pius XI instituted the feast in his encyclical Quas Primas in 1925 at a time of growing and even militant secularism and atheism. The US bishops suggest this is a day when we ought to preach about freedom of religion, which goes beyond private worship but also to how we live in public. Pope Pius noted that Jesus Christ “must reign in our minds, which should assent with perfect submission and firm belief to revealed truths and to the doctrines of Christ. He must reign in our wills, which should obey the laws and precepts of God. He must reign in our hearts, which should spurn natural desires and love God above all things, and cleave to him alone. He must reign in our bodies and in our members, which should serve as instruments for the interior sanctification of our souls, or to use the words of the Apostle Paul, ‘as instruments of justice unto God.’” —Quas primas, 33

As mentioned a few weeks ago, mission is at the center of who we are as Christians; we are all called to make the Good News known to a people in great need of hearing it and trusting in God! If God truly reigns in our hearts and we trust in the Lordship of Jesus, then this will not just make sense but we will want to do it! Now, it is understandable that people might feel reluctant to do this, or feel somewhat unprepared to do so. What can be helpful is more formation in the Faith, which I hope in time will be embraced by everyone in the collaborative.

As a step in that direction, during the coming Advent, Pete and Therese Braudis will lead a study over three weeks during Advent on Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Advent (by Dr. Brant Pitre). This will run at Saint Joseph’s in Pepperell after the 8:30am daily Mass on Tuesdays and for those who can’t make it during normal work hours, after the 6-7pm Adoration and confessions on Thursday evenings. It will take place in the renovated “Blue Room” next to the sacristy at Saint Joseph (unless large crowds suggest moving it to the Hall) (see p. 5 for more information).

This coming Thursday will be Thanksgiving, and we will have the regular daily Mass at 8:30am at Saint James in Groton. I expect that we will take up a collection for the benefit of an organization that helps to feed the poor in the area.

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving and giving thanks to God for all His goodness in Himself and throughout His creation.

God bless,

Father Maher