Discovering hope and joy in the Catholic faith. September 2017 St. Thomas the Apostle Church Rev. Kenneth J. Tatro, Pastor You can change the world Through the gift of free will, Choose the good. Evil can be humans can choose to do good or contagious. Sometimes the best way St. Wenceslaus choose evil. Most choose good, but to live a life of good is to avoid bad Raised by his when we learn of suffering inuences or people that can pull devoutly Christian caused by evil in the us away from God. “... Pursue grandmother, world, we can feel righteousness, faith, love, and Ludmilla, King discouraged and peace, along with those who Wenceslaus powerless. Yet, call on the Lord” (2 worked through God, we Timothy 2:22). The closely with the have the power to bonus? Your good life Church to end the transform the may inspire others. persecution of Christians in world. Sharpen your Bohemia. “The Good King” Don’t depend Sacramental sense. encouraged German on you. “Trust in Sacraments are missionaries, built churches, the Lord with all opportunities to share and cared for the sick and your heart, and in God’s divine life. poor. Political conict do not rely on These supernatural culminated in his assassination. your own insight” encounters with God One morning, led by his (Proverbs 3:5). Fixing this fallen strengthen our will, enlighten our brother, Boleslaus, a group of world is beyond our abilities alone. minds, and inspire us to a closer nobles killed Wenceslaus on God has the power, however, to bring relationship with God. Don’t miss an the doorsteps of a church. He true peace and healing to the world. opportunity to meet Christ at Sunday was immediately recognized as Lay all your concerns at God’s feet and Mass or the Sacrament of a martyr and is one of the then have condence that he is at Reconciliation. His grace will keep patron saints of Bohemia. work. you strong. Pass on the gift In the encyclical, Caritas in Veritate, Pope Benedict XVI said, “Love is God's greatest gift Why do Catholics have to humanity, it is his promise two versions of the Creed? and our hope.” As God’s children, we convey his love to others through acts of charity. The Apostles’ Creed is the proposed that Jesus was not God summary of the beliefs of the but a kind of super-saint. “Behold, I stand at the door early Church. The Nicene Therefore, the Nicene Creed and knock. If anyone hears Creed is the expanded emphasizes Jesus’ divinity my voice and opens the door, form of the Apostles’ and his divine Sonship [then] I will enter his house Creed, stemming from (Catechism of the Catholic and dine with him, two Church councils Church, no.465). The and he with me” (Nicaea, 325 AD; Nicene Creed is common (Revelation Constantinople, 381 AD) to both the Western and Eastern 3:20). intended to combat Arianism, which Churches. © Copyright 2017 Success Publishing & Media, LLC September 2017 Page 2 Maintain your spiritual health Just as visiting the doctor for regular checkups is key to Do whatever is necessary so you can receive maintaining our physical health, consistent Communion. This is key. maintenance is important for good spiritual health. Monthly: When we hold ourselves Try these suggestions to craft a schedule to stay in top accountable, our actions become more pleasing spiritual condition: to God. Seek forgiveness each month in the Daily: Everything we need to know to strengthen Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession). our consciences and make good decisions is in the Annually: In our noisy world, it can be hard to Bible. It is in Scripture that we discover God’s guiding hear God’s voice. Find a Catholic retreat center near voice. Take time daily to pray, read Scripture, and ask the you and get away with God. Or, spend a whole day Holy Spirit to reveal its message for you. in a favorite park or vacation spot praying and Weekly: Attend Mass each Sunday and Holy Day. listening. Center your day around God. Matthew 20:1-16a, If God is everywhere, Better late than never why do we have to attend Mass? In this Gospel reading, Jesus Gentiles were the latecomers. The compared God’s kingdom to a workers also stood for those whom While God is everywhere, he is present vineyard in the charge of a God calls at different stages of in the Eucharist in a special way. When, generous landlord. In the life: from infancy, in the context of the parable, the landlord hired adolescence, adulthood, Mass, the priest speaks groups of workers at different and old age. the words of times of the day: at the start All the laborers received consecration over of the workday, at the same reward. It must the bread and midmorning, noon, have shocked Jesus’ wine on the midafternoon, and nally, at listeners to hear that the altar, they are mysteriously transformed ve o’clock in the evening. landlord paid those into the Body, Blood, Soul, and Yet he paid all the same wage. who worked one hour Divinity of Christ. Although the The vineyard is God’s kingdom as if they’d worked for eight. characteristics of the bread and wine and God is the landlord. Some Bible Still, all were rewarded. Clearly, God’s remain, they are substantially different scholars propose that the earlier groups ways are not our ways. What is (Catechism of the Catholic Church, of workers represented the Jewish important is not how many hours #1376). In that moment, Jesus is as people, who had followed God’s laws we’ve served God, but that we served present as he was to his Apostles in the for thousands of years, while the him when he called us. Upper Room. The Eucharist does for our souls what food does for our bodies. You wouldn’t Emperor Constantine), made a go for weeks without eating and still pilgrimage to Jerusalem, retracing expect to be strong and healthy. From places in Jesus’ life. She discovered the Eucharist, we receive all the graces three crosses, one of which was we need for the rest of the week. Jesus Sept. 4 – St. Rose of Viterbo (1252). thought to be the Cross on which says, “Come to me, all you who labor and Born to poor parents in Viterbo, Italy, Jesus died. On the site, Constantine are burdened, and I will give you rest” Rose used her gift of preaching to teach built the Basilica of the Holy (Matthew 11:28). Our need for strength the women and girls in her Sepulcher. and rest are satised by Christ. The neighborhood about the faith. As a Sept. 21 – St. Matthew the Church commands us to receive weekly young woman, she spoke out in Evangelist (1st Century). Also known what is, in fact, essential for our support of the pope against the as Levi, he was a notorious spiritual well-being. Ghibellines, who supported the tax collector. St. Matthew emperor, Frederick II. She wanted to left everything when To provide practical ideas that promote join the Carmelites, but was refused. Jesus called him to faithful Catholic living. Success Publishing & Media, LLC She died at the age of seventeen and spread the Gospel. Publishers of Growing in Faith™ and Partners in Faith™ was buried at that same convent. He wrote the (540)662-7844 (540)662-7847 fax Sept. 14 – Exaltation of the Holy http://www.growinginfaith.com Gospel According (Unless noted Bible quotes and references are from Cross (300s). St. Helena (mother of to Matthew. the Revised Standard Version and the New American Bible) © Copyright 2017 Success Publishing & Media, LLC.