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Dear friends,
 
In the Gospel this Sunday we hear Jesus asking the people who they say he is, and Peter rightfully recognized him as “the Christ.” We are challenged to ask ourselves too who Jesus is to us. We are who we are in faith because of Him. Because we follow him, we might face many difficulties, but we should always turn to him as our victorious leader, because his cross is our lifeline. 

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This week on Wednesday we remembered the tragic terror attacks on 9/11/2001. On that day, 23 years ago, this country and the world was shocked with the news of the attacks one moment after another creating an open wound in our world. The images of the toppled Twin Towers, the fiery Pentagon, and the burning wreckage across that grassy field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, reminds us just how destructive evil and hatred is. Many will ask, and especially those who lack the gift of faith, where was God on 9/11? Why did God allow those hijackers, all members of Al-Qaeda, to kill so many innocent people?

 

We know from salvation history, that God made man and woman in his image and likeness, endowing them with the power to create, but also the gift of free-will. Satan, that fallen angel, because of pride, tempted our first parents to sin and disobey God, which was also rooted in pride. The freedom to take life rather than to save it, to hate, rather than to love, still exists, despite the fact that Jesus Christ has conquered sin and death. This is why we wait in hope for the Second Coming of the Lord, the final victory! 

 

In the midst of all that chaos, the goodness of God was made visible on that dark day on 9/11 in the way those first responders rushed to the scene in Lower Manhattan as well as the Pentagon. The sacrificial love of Jesus Christ was made visible in the patriots aboard Flight 93 who stormed the cockpit so that their plane could not be used to attack the White House or the Capitol. 

 

For all those who lost their lives as a result of these horrific 9/11 attacks, their families and first responders and soldiers, we pray for them this weekend. I thank all who joined us in the festival park in Aberdeen to pray and remember the loss and the heroism of the responders. May we too continue to pray for an end to terrorism, gun violence and hatred of any kind in our communities, nations, and world. 

 

Let us keep praying for the Joppa town High School community as the go through this challenging time loss, grieve and healing. 

 

Friends, I continue to invite you all to our Pastorate Picnic that will be held on September 22nd. This picnic will start with Mass at 11:00am. The intention of this Pastorate Picnic is to bring together parishioners both from St. Patrick and St. Joan of Arc for prayer and many opportunities for fellowship, fun, and sharing. Later in the year we will have another picnic on Pentecost at St. Joan of Arc to continue growing together as a Pastorate. 

 

I ask you also to pray for our young people who on September 28th we will be having a Confirmation Mass at St. Joan of Arc with the Bishop Confirming almost 20 of our young people. 

 

Our next Adult faith formation study will be on conversion. We will be offering it starting on October 3rd every Thursday at 7:00pm. Please call St. Patrick office to RSVP. 

 

May God Bless you always. 

Fr. Francis

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