Monday Message, October 10, 2023

KNOW

I hope you had a nice long weekend, though I know some of our parishes do not give time off for federal holidays (not sure why). This week, I wanted to remind you that the meetings for The One begin again this Saturday. All meetings can be found here – where you will also find all the past newsletters, videos, a chance to subscribe if you do not receive the Bishop’s messages, and more. Registration for the deanery meetings can be found in LEAD. Note well, you will only see the meeting for your deanery in your dashboard. Please attend the meeting in your deanery.

More than 130k questions have been submitted so far to Catholic.Chat. Have you played with the site yet?

More than 25k receive the daily prayer from Bishop Caggiano. Do you? Join The Face of Prayer by texting the word pray to 55778.

Season 17 of the Family Bible Challenge is upon us. If your families are not a part of this endeavor, why not?

St. Michael the Archangel in Greenwich is hosting an event aimed at helping keep your children safe online. Read more here.

Adult Confirmation is not a hybrid (online and in-person) opportunity. Registration is open for English and Spanish class. See the top of the home page.

REFLECT

In tomorrow’s Gospel, Jesus teaches his followers how to pray. It was not uncommon for students of any particular teacher to ask this question. In fact, you could often tell the teacher by the prayer of the student.

What made Jesus’ instruction different is the relationship it established between father and son, between God the Father and us. He is made, in this prayer, our father. He is personally, emotionally, and even sacrificially involved with us.

I have been to the spot where it is believed that Jesus taught his followers this prayer. In dozens and dozens of mosaics around the garden, you can read in languages from all over the world, this simple and profound prayer.

That garden is closed today. Visitors are seeking shelter from the bombs and the gunfire.

Let us pray for the innocents on both sides who will fall victim to a battle they did not begin, in which they will not participate, and yet from which they will surely suffer.

Our Father, who art in heaven, bring us peace this day.

LAUGH