Pastor's Corner

Every October the Catholic Church in the United States celebrates Respect Life Month, and the first Sunday in October is observed as Respect Life Sunday. As Catholics, we are called to cherish, defend, and protect those who are most vulnerable, from the beginning to the end of their lives, and at ever point in between. During the month of October, the Church asks us to reflect more deeply on the dignity of every human life.

Today, throughout the Archdiocese of New Orleans, church parishes are celebrating FAMILY DAY. The purpose of Family Day is to provide the parishes an opportunity to gather their families and encourage them to renew their life together, strengthen friendships, form new ones, and to cultivate an appreciation for the importance and goodness of family life.

Today, we take up the collection for the Catholic Communication Campaign (CCC). Your support helps the CCC engage and build Catholic communities in the United States and around the world using the internet, television, radio, and print media. Half the funds we collect remain here in the Archdiocese of New Orleans to support local efforts. Be a part of this campaign to spread the gospel message.

The liturgical gathering makes Christ present in numerous ways, such as through the proclamation of the Word of God and in the Eucharist. Perhaps the most overlooked reality of Christ’s presence comes through the physical gathering of God’s people, who are instructed to owe nothing to anyone except love. This love between us makes God’s presence visible on earth. In today’s Gospel, we hear Jesus assure His disciples that “whenever two or three are gathered in His name, He is there with them. Our confidence in His promise assures us that Jesus is here with us now as we celebrate the Eucharist—the Mass.

As we celebrate Labor Day on Monday, let us remember in our prayers all those whose labor enhances our lives and the lives of others; we recognize the holiness of the work we do. Whether we labor for an employer, for our own families, or both, we set aside our own desires to expend our time and effort to do something for others. In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells His disciples that they must deny themselves and take up their crosses. We all have crosses that we are called to bear and some of them can be found in the work we must do for others. Let us strive to make the work we do more closely unite us with Christ.