Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist, Sunday, December 27th, 2020

 

                         Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist, 

                        Sunday, December 27th, 2020

Did you ever hear the expression:  "You are like an open book;" or "Your life is like an open book?"  I say to my wife frequently, "I know you like a book."  In other words, when I tell my wife this saying I am telling her that I know her.  I know what she is most likely going to do in a given situation.  I know what she is usually thinking.  I know what she likes and doesn't like.  It means that I know her so well, she is similar to a book that I have read numerous times over and know what the book is about and how it ends.  "I know you like an open book."  On December 27th, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist. The Gospel appointed for this Sunday is the final chapter of the Gospel of St. John . .. . the Twenty-First Chapter . . . . and the end of the Gospel goes as follows:  "I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written."  (St. John 21:25)  Of course, St. John is referring to all the things that Our Blessed Lord did during His life time that were NOT written about.  In other words, his meaning is that if every single thing that Our Blessed Lord did during His life time was written down, there would not be enough room for all the books necessary for such an undertaking.  I suppose that the Evangelist was correct.  You see, there were many things written about in the Bible that Our Lord did during His lifetime:  His preaching and teaching; His miracles; His interactions with people; the places He visited and traveled to; etc.  There are a LOT of things that Our Lord did that we can read about in the Bible.  But what about the ways in which Our Blessed Saviour has affected your life?  How about how He has affected my life?  What about all the ways in which Our Lord has influenced the world in the two-thousand or so years since Our Lord walked the earth?  Each one of us, I suppose, if we sat down and put pen to paper .  . .  . . or fingers to keyboard . . . .  I would say that each one of us could write down an entire book on how Our Blessed Saviour has worked in our lives.  But, of course, we would have to take notice and try to remember all of the details before we could attempt such an undertaking.  A good biographer has to get all the details of a person's life before that person's biography can be written.  Thus, it is good for each one of us to reflect on how God has influenced our life; how He has affected us; how He has guided us; nourished us; strengthened us; sustained us.  How has God influenced your life?  God knows us like an "open book."  He should . . .  He created each one of us.  But the question is, do we know Him?  The only way to be sure of this is to get to know God in a personal way; read Holy Scripture on a daily basis; pray often and frequently; and try to be the person that God wants us to be.

PLEASE NOTE:  St. Margaret Church will NOT meet on Sunday, December 27th, 2020.

St. Margaret Church is still being affected, as is the whole world, by the Coronavirus outbreak.  Specifically, our church is not allowed to meet as we would like due to CDC and State recommendations.  But despite these recommendations, our members still continue to pray to Our Heavenly Father.  Our members still continue to reach out to their neighbors and loved ones.  Our members still continue to be the face and hands and instruments of the Lord throughout these troubling times.  Additionally, Fr. Todd also continues to post his sermons and reflections online.  So, please continue to pray for St. Margaret Church and all the Christian Churches throughout the world that we may continue to stay close to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.   

And please remember that you can still show support to St. Margaret Church by sharing these posts on social media . . . sharing the sermons and reflections of Fr. Todd on social media as well.  In this way, despite any sort of "lock-down," you will help St. Margaret Church continue to spread the Gospel and continue to tell the world about our love for Our Blessed Saviour!

 

Fourth Sunday in Advent, December 20th, 2020

The year 2020 has been something else, to say the least.  For some, it has meant having their business closed down.  For some they have lost their jobs as a result.  For others it has been "business as usual."  For some it has meant sickness.  Whether it be someone in your own family or perhaps it is a friend, we all probably know someone who has gotten sick this year.  For some it has meant that we have even lost a loved one.  Again, it might be someone in your family or a dear friend, but someone has even died during this year.  It seems that it has put a new perspective on things for most people.  Things that we took for granted before are more appreciated now.  We have a new-found appreciation for "essential workers."   These hard-working souls have turned out to be the heroes of 2020.  Whether they be medical staff such as doctors and nurses or hospital staff.  Whether they be police officers or fire-fighters.   Whether they be paramedics or EMT's.  Our military men and women, they truly are essential.   We could also look at truck drivers who bring in the items and supplies we need on a daily basis.  Beginning this year, we have a new-found appreciation for those who work in retail.  Those who stock the shelves in the stores so that we can buy what we need.  For those who work in the nursing homes taking care of those we love so dearly, these are heroes.  And if I could also point out the brave men and women who work for the Department of Corrections throughout our land.  These truly are essential workers.  We could all come up with our own lists but I am sure that each and every one of us has a new-found appreciation for all of our "essential workers."  For, you see, essential workers go about their tasks with little fanfare.  Essential workers go to work every day with little appreciation.  When was the last time you thanked a police officer or a fire-fighter for what they do?  When was the last time you thanked a nurse for the service he / she provides?  When was the last time you thanked a clerk in the store for the service they provide?  The year 2020 has shown that essential workers the world over who go about their duties quietly with little fanfare.  They do what they are called to do and receive little attention for it.  They continue going to work day in and day out because they know the job needs to be done.  

I can think of another "essential worker" in history.  In other words, someone who came to do what needed to be done.  Our Lord came to earth with little fanfare.  He came to earth in the humblest of ways . . .  being born in a stable with common farm animals as witnesses.  He grew up as a little boy unknown to the world at large.  He spent the majority of his years working as a common carpenter working on ordinary projects.  And even when He began His "ministry years" He did not spend this time with kings and princes and influential people, He spent His time with the common, ordinary people He would come across as He traveled.  The only time there was any acclaim or excitement upon His arrival was when He entered into Jerusalem the final time.  This was when He was going there to die on the Cross . . . . to atone for your sins and mine.  But other than that, Our Blessed Lord also did the job of an "essential worker" and did what needed to be done with little fanfare and very little appreciation.  In the eyes of the world, He was not important.  He was not a king or a prince in the  eyes of the world, at least.  He did not have a grand army.  He had Twelve Disciples . . . .  one of whom would betray Him.  He did not have a majestic palace in which He lived.  In the eyes of the world, He was not extraordinary.  In the eyes of the world, He was simply ordinary.  And yet this Man came to save us from our sins and to teach us about God, Our Heavenly Father.  He died an agonizing death on a common, ordinary cross as a common criminal.  But in this way Our Blessed Lord turned the "ordinary" into something truly "extra-ordinary."  

PLEASE NOTE:  St. Margaret Church will NOT meet on Sunday, December 20th, 2020.

St. Margaret Church is still being affected, as is the whole world, by the Coronavirus outbreak.  Specifically, our church is not allowed to meet as we would like due to CDC and State recommendations.  But despite these recommendations, our members still continue to pray to Our Heavenly Father.  Our members still continue to reach out to their neighbors and loved ones.  Our members still continue to be the face and hands and instruments of the Lord throughout these troubling times.  Additionally, Fr. Todd also continues to post his sermons and reflections online.  So, please continue to pray for St. Margaret Church and all the Christian Churches throughout the world that we may continue to stay close to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.   

And please remember that you can still show support to St. Margaret Church by sharing these posts on social media . . . sharing the sermons and reflections of Fr. Todd on social media as well.  In this way, despite any sort of "lock-down," you will help St. Margaret Church continue to spread the Gospel and continue to tell the world about our love for Our Blessed Saviour!

Third Sunday in Advent

 

Third Sunday in Advent, December 13th, 2020

In the Eleventh Chapter of the Gospel of St. Matthew, we hear of the interaction between St. John the Baptist and Our Blessed Lord.  As St. Matthew describes the scenario for us, he tells us that St. John has been placed in prison and he sent to of his disciples to contact Our Blessed Saviour.  And after He had given St. John's disciples the message for St. John, He continued to speak about St. John the Baptist.  Our Lord says in Verse Ten:  "For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee."  (St. Matthew 11:10)  Here, Our Blessed Lord is quoting the Prophet Malachi from the Old Testament.  Our Lord is paying the ultimate compliment to St. John the Baptist by telling all those listening that he is the messenger which was foretold of by the prophets.  

But the question remains what kind of messenger are we?  All of us are messengers.  We all convey messages whether we realize it or not.  At work I convey messages on behalf of my boss.  I pass along messages which need to be  relayed to others.  When we enjoy a fabulous meal at a great restaurant and we tell our friends, we are passing along a message that this is a good restaurant.  "You should try it too!" is the message we convey.  When we are hosting an event such as a dinner or a rummage sale, we send out a message whether that be via announcement, sign or post on social media announcing the details.  In days past we would send messages via letters or telegram.  Now we are more likely to send messages via email or text.  But the point is still the same.  What is the message we are sending?  What message are we trying to convey?  Our Lord said of St. John the Baptist that he was the messenger which was called to prepare the way of the Lord.  Do we pass along any messages when it comes to God?  Do we let others know about God?  Do we allow ourselves to ever become the messenger of God?  Maybe we are too busy to pass along any messages.  Perhaps we do not receive the messages ourselves.  Is it because we are not listening?  Is it because we don't care to receive the message?  At this time of year, Advent provides us not only with the time to wait for the Lord but to also take account of what kind of servant we are.  What kind of messenger are we?  

PLEASE NOTE:  St. Margaret Church will NOT meet on Sunday, December 13th, 2020.

St. Margaret Church is still being affected, as is the whole world, by the Coronavirus outbreak.  Specifically, our church is not allowed to meet as we would like due to CDC and State recommendations.  But despite these recommendations, our members still continue to pray to Our Heavenly Father.  Our members still continue to reach out to their neighbors and loved ones.  Our members still continue to be the face and hands and instruments of the Lord throughout these troubling times.  Additionally, Fr. Todd also continues to post his sermons and reflections online.  So, please continue to pray for St. Margaret Church and all the Christian Churches throughout the world that we may continue to stay close to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.   

And please remember that you can still show support to St. Margaret Church by sharing these posts on social media . . . sharing the sermons and reflections of Fr. Todd on social media as well.  In this way, despite any sort of "lock-down," you will help St. Margaret Church continue to spread the Gospel and continue to tell the world about our love for Our Blessed Saviour!

Second Sunday in Advent, December 6, 2020

 

Second Sunday in Advent, December 6, 2020

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."  (Romans 15)

Did you ever order something or send away for something and the item finally arrived and you open it with great anticipation.  And when you open the package and see what you ordered, the item that arrived does not match up with what you thought it would be.  You were "under-whelmed," so to speak.  "This is it?!?"   "This is what I've been waiting for?!?"   As we have spoken in the past, the faithful Jews were indeed praying for a Messiah to save them.  They were anticipating the arrival of the Messiah.  They knew that God would save them and they were waiting.  But they had a preconceived notion of what the Messiah would look like, I would imagine.  They expected the Messiah to arrive as a great warrior riding in on a powerful horse, surrounded by a mighty army in support with flags waving and banners raised.  They expected this messiah and his army to wipe out their foes and save them from their misery.    And yet we know that, yes, the Messiah did indeed arrive as promised but Our Saviour arrived as an innocent little baby, born to a common family, born in a lowly manger on a cold winter night  because nobody would take them in otherwise.  In fact, the actual arrival itself was so "low-key" that hardly anyone knew about it at all except for the angels and a few shepherds.  I mean let's be honest here.  In regards to anticipating the arrival of the Messiah, I am sure that none of us would picture the Saviour of the world arriving as a small baby, born to an impoverished family, with nowhere else to stay other than in a place for animals.  But, then again, if we look at a dying man hanging on a cross, if we didn't know any better, we wouldn't picture that as "victory," either.  It would seem more like "defeat" than "victory."  And yet we know through our faith that hope was born in that little manger at Bethlehem and we know that victory truly was earned on that Cross at Calvary.  Sometimes, hope is deceiving to our physical eyes.  The important thing for us to always remember as people of faith that we have to look at hope through the eyes of faith if we really want to see how God is working in our lives.  So, use this holy Season of Advent to look at things in a brand new way, the way of faith.

PLEASE NOTE:  St. Margaret Church will NOT meet on Sunday, December 6th, 2020.

St. Margaret Church is still being affected, as is the whole world, by the Coronavirus outbreak.  Specifically, our church is not allowed to meet as we would like due to CDC and State recommendations.  But despite these recommendations, our members still continue to pray to Our Heavenly Father.  Our members still continue to reach out to their neighbors and loved ones.  Our members still continue to be the face and hands and instruments of the Lord throughout these troubling times.  Additionally, Fr. Todd also continues to post his sermons and reflections online.  So, please continue to pray for St. Margaret Church and all the Christian Churches throughout the world that we may continue to stay close to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.   

And please remember that you can still show support to St. Margaret Church by sharing these posts on social media . . . sharing the sermons and reflections of Fr. Todd on social media as well.  In this way, despite any sort of "lock-down," you will help St. Margaret Church continue to spread the Gospel and continue to tell the world about our love for Our Blessed Saviour!

First Sunday in Advent, November 29th, 2020

 First Sunday in Advent, November 29th, 2020

The Thirteenth Chapter of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans is the passage appointed for the First Sunday in Advent.  Personally, if I was forced to "name" this specific chapter, or this specific passage coming to us from St. Paul, I would probably call it the "Challenge Passage."  Why?  Because in this chapter St. Paul tells the Romans . . . . and not just the Romans, but us as well . .. . that we are called to love one another.   In this passage that we hear today, it begins with St. Paul writing:  "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another;  for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law." (Romans 13:8)  And then he continues after that by writing:   ". . . therefore love is the fulfilling of the law" (Romans 13:10)  And, once again you ask, why would I call this particular chapter the "Challenge Passage?"  Well, quite frankly, there are a few people in this world who are very difficult to love, aren't there?  

There are certain people in our life that it proves to be very easy to love.  These people are kind.  They are gentle.  They might be generous to us.  They might show us love first.  They might be fun to be around.  etc.  It's easy to love people described above.  But what about loving those who do not fit the above description?  What about those people who are rude?  what about those people who are mean to us?  What about the people that, quite frankly, could be described as "jerks?"  Truth be known, every single one of us could come up with a list of people whom we consider great . .   . . . in other words, the people that make it easy to love them . . . . and a list of people that we can't stand . . . .  in other words, the people that really make it a difficult challenge to love those folks.  And yet, we know from Scripture and specifically this Thirteenth Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans that " ..  . .  love is the fulfilling of the law."  Why should we do this?  Well, quite frankly, because we are commanded to do so as Christians.  But, in my humble opinion, more importantly, we need to do it because we need to follow Our Blessed Lord's example.  In other words, He did it.  He loved those who did not love Him.  He showed love to those who did not show love to Him.  We don't know why sometimes, but God loves even those who do not deserve love, at least in our way of thinking.  This is proven in the fact that God sent His only begotten Son into the world on behalf of all men . . . . not just on behalf of kind men . . . .  not just on behalf of friendly men . . . .  not just on behalf of men who first do things for us . . . . He sent His Son into the world on behalf of ALL humanity, not just some.  Let us spend this holy season of Advent preparing ourselves for the coming of the Christ Child.  Let us welcome Him into our heart and prepare by imitating Him in our love of others.  Not just love for those who deserve our love  . . . . but working on loving those who do not show love to us because this is what Our Saviour did . . . .  He loved those who did not even love Him.

PLEASE NOTE:  St. Margaret Church will NOT meet on Sunday, November 29th, 2020.

St. Margaret Church is still being affected, as is the whole world, by the Coronavirus outbreak.  Specifically, our church is not allowed to meet as we would like due to CDC and State recommendations.  But despite these recommendations, our members still continue to pray to Our Heavenly Father.  Our members still continue to reach out to their neighbors and loved ones.  Our members still continue to be the face and hands and instruments of the Lord throughout these troubling times.  Additionally, Fr. Todd also continues to post his sermons and reflections online.  So, please continue to pray for St. Margaret Church and all the Christian Churches throughout the world that we may continue to stay close to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.   

And please remember that you can still show support to St. Margaret Church by sharing these posts on social media . . . sharing the sermons and reflections of Fr. Todd on social media as well.  In this way, despite any sort of "lock-down," you will help St. Margaret Church continue to spread the Gospel and continue to tell the world about our love for Our Blessed Saviour!

Sunday next before Advent, November 22nd, 2020

 

Sunday next before Advent, November 22nd, 2020

In some ways the year 2020 has seemed like an eternity but here we are fast approaching December.  This Sunday is the last Sunday before the holy season of Advent, which begins next week.  And this year, just like every other year, people seem to focus on everything but the real reason for the season.  Now, more than ever, we should focus on the what the true meaning of Christmas is.  And Advent does just that.  Advent prepares us, it helps us to focus on the great and wonderful feast of Christmas which will soon be upon us.  But just like every other year, people in society lose sight of the real reason for the season.  They focus on everything but the Divine Child born at Bethlehem.  They focus on getting the latest and greatest gifts they see advertised on TV.  They focus on parties and food and trees and presents and sending out cards and stringing the lights . . . . and . . .  and  . . . and  . . .  All of these things are wonderful, without a doubt.  And in my humble opinion after this year of 2020 we need these things more than ever to get our minds off of a worldwide pandemic!!!!  But the point is still the same, Christmas should remind us of the greatest gift of all time.   It is the day in which God gave the Gift of His Son to humanity!  He gave this wonderful gift to all of us, to you, to me, to everyone!!!  God loved the world so much that He sent His Son into the world to save us from our sins.  And Christ loved us so much that He came to earth as an innocent little baby.  When you think about it things haven't changed very much from two-thousand some years ago until now.  When the Divine Infant was born in Bethlehem so long ago there were very few who took notice . . . . some shepherds . . .  and then the Magi who came in search of Him.  Today few take notice of Him either.  We do not notice because we are not looking . . .  we are not searching.  We are too busy looking for the latest, greatest gift we can give and / or receive on Christmas.  We are too busy looking for bargains on "Black Friday."  We are too busy putting up the Christmas Tree and stringing up the lights.  We are too busy to take notice.   The shepherds took notice because they were searching.  The Magi took notice and searched for the Christ Child.  So too must we search for Christ.  As Christians we need to search for Christ and stay close to Him.  We need to ever stay near to Our Blessed Saviour and never forsake Him.  And Advent helps us to do just this.  Advent helps us to focus on preparing ourselves for the coming of the small, innocent baby born at Bethlehem.  Advent reminds us to prepare our hearts for the Christ Child.  Advent helps us to remember the real reason for the season.  So this year,  . . . . more than ever, . . . .  use this time wisely to focus on the real reason for the season, focusing on God's Gift to the world and treasuring that Gift forever!

PLEASE NOTE:  St. Margaret Church will NOT meet on Sunday, November 22nd, 2020.

St. Margaret Church is still being affected, as is the whole world, by the Coronavirus outbreak.  Specifically, our church is not allowed to meet as we would like due to CDC and State recommendations.  But despite these recommendations, our members still continue to pray to Our Heavenly Father.  Our members still continue to reach out to their neighbors and loved ones.  Our members still continue to be the face and hands and instruments of the Lord throughout these troubling times.  Additionally, Fr. Todd also continues to post his sermons and reflections online.  So, please continue to pray for St. Margaret Church and all the Christian Churches throughout the world that we may continue to stay close to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.   

And please remember that you can still show support to St. Margaret Church by sharing these posts on social media . . . sharing the sermons and reflections of Fr. Todd on social media as well.  In this way, despite any sort of "lock-down," you will help St. Margaret Church continue to spread the Gospel and continue to tell the world about our love for Our Blessed Saviour!

Twenty-Third Sunday after Trinity, November 15th, 2020

 Twenty-Third Sunday after Trinity, November 15th, 2020

"For our citizenship is in Heaven;"  (Philippians 3:17 ff)

Whenever we go somewhere out of town such as on a day trip or we are travelling to another state, my wife is "amazed"  . . . . my choice of word, not hers . . . . at how fast we get there.  She says that I drive fast.  I don't think I drive that fast.  Well, I try not to drive fast because:  A) I'm too scared of getting pulled over and getting a ticket; and B) I can't afford the ticket.  Let's just put it this way:  when I start driving I continue driving and driving and driving.  I keep my mind focused on our destination and I don't let anything get between me and where I'm going.  Well, of course there are things that always show you down no matter what:  slow-down's  due to construction . . . or a crash . . . or a stalled vehicle.  Then there are also detours that might slow you down as well.  And you always have to make allowances for bathroom breaks and getting something to eat while you are on the road.  But to the determined driver such as myself, these are only minor inconveniences on the road towards my destination.  Remember that song "Ain't No Mountain High Enough?"  I like the version by Diana Ross best, I think.  But the lyrics in this song demonstrate the determination in a human being to get to the destination:  "Ain't no mountain high enough .   . . . . Ain't no valley low enough    .. . . . . Ain't no river wide enough . . . to keep me from getting to you."   All of us are determined in something, aren't we?  Some of us are determined to get to our destination far away.  Some of us are determined to get promoted or to get another position where we work.  Some of us are determined to obtain a certain item that we would like to possess; whether that item be a new pair of sneakers or a new appliance or a new house.  We save and we work overtime and we cut corners so that we can earn the money to get what we want.  Again, all of us can think of something where we are determined to get something and we will not let anything or anyone get in our way.

In the Third Chapter of St. Paul's Epistle to the Philippians, St. Paul is reminding the young church who and what they truly are:  "For our citizenship is in Heaven."  In other words, your feet may be here on earth but you need to remember that your heart should be in Heaven.   Let me say that again just so it will sink in:  we need to remember that our heart should be in Heaven and NOT here on earth.  For so many people, their heart is anywhere BUT Heaven.  Their heart is in their possessions . . . their treasures . . . their riches.  Their heart is in their career or getting promotions or getting wealthier.  Their heart is in getting high or drunk.  "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."  (St. Matthew 6:21)  St. Paul is reminding all of us that our true citizenship is in Heaven and we should keep our mind focused accordingly.  Too many of us forget that fact because our minds get too occupied on the latest distraction that the world throws our way.  Do you ever notice that us human beings are never content?   We never seem to be happy . . . at least for very long.  We get focused on one thing and we work and work and work until we get whatever we were working on.  And we are satisfied for about .. . . . . oh, a minute or two . . . . and then our mind gets diverted to something else that grabs our attention for the time being.  St. Paul is saying to each one of us:  "Hey!  You are a citizen of Heaven!  You are a child of the Most High!  You already have a mansion waiting for you up above!  Why are you messing around with this nonsense down here?"  Let our prayer be today that we keep focused on who we are and what we are.  Let us not get our attention diverted from the fact that our true citizenship is in Heaven and keep our minds focused on that fact.

PLEASE NOTE:  St. Margaret Church will NOT meet on Sunday, November 15th, 2020.

St. Margaret Church is still being affected, as is the whole world, by the Coronavirus outbreak.  Specifically, our church is not allowed to meet as we would like due to CDC and State recommendations.  But despite these recommendations, our members still continue to pray to Our Heavenly Father.  Our members still continue to reach out to their neighbors and loved ones.  Our members still continue to be the face and hands and instruments of the Lord throughout these troubling times.  Additionally, Fr. Todd also continues to post his sermons and reflections online.  So, please continue to pray for St. Margaret Church and all the Christian Churches throughout the world that we may continue to stay close to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.   

And please remember that you can still show support to St. Margaret Church by sharing these posts on social media . . . sharing the sermons and reflections of Fr. Todd on social media as well.  In this way, despite any sort of "lock-down," you will help St. Margaret Church continue to spread the Gospel and continue to tell the world about our love for Our Blessed Saviour!

Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity, November 8th, 2020

 Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity, November 8th, 2020

". . . . that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment"
(Philippians 1:3 ff)

The Epistle to the Philippians has been called by some the "Epistle of Joy" because it is in this epistle that St. Paul makes the point that he does rejoice.  As such, he is asking the Philippians the question, "Do you rejoice?"  Being joyful is certainly a human emotion.  We are joyful just as we are sad.  We are happy just as we are angry.  Depending of course on our mood and circumstances, we can experience just about any mood.  For example, I may be anxious and joyful about going to Opening Day of the baseball season and then I find out the weather forecast calls for Storms all day.  As a result I am then disappointed and sad instead of happy and joyful.  Again, human beings have the potential to "love" all kinds of things, don't we?  We "love" food, for instance.  If you would ask me the question as to what kinds of food do you enjoy, more than likely I would respond:  "Oh, I just love fried chicken."  Or I might say that I love to eat German food.  Again, it is not limited to food as to what we "love."   If someone happens to mention a show out of the blue that you like and you jump in, "Oh, I just love that show!"  "I just love that move."  Human beings tend to "love" all kinds of things:  fads . . . . clothing . . . shoes. . . .  food . . . . Hollywood stars . . . . sports teams . . . . hobbies . . . .  We could go on and on.  We love what we are interested in.  We love what brings us joy and satisfaction.  We love the things that entertain us.  St. Paul is telling us though to remember that true love is realized in the things of God as opposed to the things in the world.  Yes, there are things in the world that do bring us joy.  There are things in the world that do satisfy us for a time.  But true love and true satisfaction only resides in our relationship with God.  As such our true joy and contentment will also be found in letting others know about our love for God.  Have you ever been to a wonderful restaurant and you were so pleased with the food, also with the service, perhaps even with the price of the meal.  And you just couldn't wait to tell somebody about your experience.  The same thing happens when you see a movie or a show that you truly enjoy.  You just can't wait to tell others about your experience:  "Hey, let me tell you about a great movie I saw last night .  . . ."   This is only natural for human beings:  to share their experience of life.  Thus, St Paul is telling us as he was telling the Philippians, Let your joy be shared among others.  Let others know why you are joyful.  Share with one another the joy that you have.  And of course our joy as Christians is our love for God Himself.   All the joys . . .  all the satisfactions that this world has to offer are only temporary.   The things we love in this world are not meant to be long-lasting:  either they will wear out . . .  or they will break . . .  or they willl rust away . .  . but the love that God offers us is everlasting.   It is in God Himself that we should  find our true love.  It is the love of God that we should find our real love  . . .  our real contentment . .  our real satisfaction.  So many of us find our satisfaction solely in the things of the world.  This is a mistake because we can not take the "things of the world" with us when we die.  The only thing that we can carry over to the next life is our love of God.  Let us use our time wisely in this world to develop a love for the things of God and not for the things of the world.

PLEASE NOTE:  St. Margaret Church will NOT meet on Sunday, November 8th, 2020.

St. Margaret Church is still being affected, as is the whole world, by the Coronavirus outbreak.  Specifically, our church is not allowed to meet as we would like due to CDC and State recommendations.  But despite these recommendations, our members still continue to pray to Our Heavenly Father.  Our members still continue to reach out to their neighbors and loved ones.  Our members still continue to be the face and hands and instruments of the Lord throughout these troubling times.  Additionally, Fr. Todd also continues to post his sermons and reflections online.  So, please continue to pray for St. Margaret Church and all the Christian Churches throughout the world that we may continue to stay close to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.   

And please remember that you can still show support to St. Margaret Church by sharing these posts on social media . . . sharing the sermons and reflections of Fr. Todd on social media as well.  In this way, despite any sort of "lock-down," you will help St. Margaret Church continue to spread the Gospel and continue to tell the world about our love for Our Blessed Saviour!

All Saints Day, November 1st, 2020

 

All Saints Day, November 1st, 2020

Let's face it, in the secular society in which we are all a part of, Halloween has become a staple of life this time of year.  I remember reading an article stating that money spent on Halloween related items . . . . whether it be costumes, or candy, or decorations, etc. . . .  . has sky-rocketed to Number Two right behind Christmas.  What does this have to do with the feast of All Saints, you are probably asking.  Well, our secular version of Halloween sprung up out of "All Hallows Eve," in other words, the day before All Saints Day, November 1st.  And the only reason we are pointing out this fact is to ask the question:  how many people in our secular society know anything about All Saints Day and yet they all know about Halloween?     Halloween comes and goes.  And yet each one of us is called to be a saint.  A saint, you see, is someone who has given their life to God. A saint is someone who has dedicated his or her life to God.  A saint is someone who,  despite all the struggles in this earthly life, has said to themselves, to God, and to the world that God is "Number One" in their life.  In that sense, the saints are a role model to all dedicated, committed Christians throughout the world.  And this is why the Church celebrates the feast of All Saints every November 1st:   to celebrate those who have fought the battle and have won the prize!  Of course, that prize is eternal companionship with God in Heaven. 

It is sad that many people do not care about becoming saints, quite frankly, because in their own mind they do not consider themselves to be "worthy" of becoming a saint!  They look at the other examples of the saints:  St. Peter; St. Paul; Our Blessed Mother; St. Augustine; St. Monica; St. Gemma; etc., etc.  These people look at the lives of the saints and they see extraordinary people doing extraordinary things.  And they quietly tell themselves that they could never be like that; they could never be holy like that; they could never do extraordinary things like the saints have done.  Thus, we defeat ourselves even before we begin and we never even try.  if would only stop to remember that we are the "ordinary" and God is the "extra."  And when you put the two together, that is how we get the "extraordinary!"  That may seem very simple, but quite frankly, it is as simple as that:  the saints are ordinary people just like you or me but with the help of God, they became extraordinary in their faith.  They were willing, they were committed  . . . . and God provided the rest.  

Dedicate your life to God.  Stay committed to becoming a saint.  Make God the top priority in you

PLEASE NOTE:  St. Margaret Church will NOT meet on Sunday, November 1st, 2020.

St. Margaret Church is still being affected, as is the whole world, by the Coronavirus outbreak.  Specifically, our church is not allowed to meet as we would like due to CDC and State recommendations.  But despite these recommendations, our members still continue to pray to Our Heavenly Father.  Our members still continue to reach out to their neighbors and loved ones.  Our members still continue to be the face and hands and instruments of the Lord throughout these troubling times.  Additionally, Fr. Todd also continues to post his sermons and reflections online.  So, please continue to pray for St. Margaret Church and all the Christian Churches throughout the world that we may continue to stay close to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.   

And please remember that you can still show support to St. Margaret Church by sharing these posts on social media . . . sharing the sermons and reflections of Fr. Todd on social media as well.  In this way, despite any sort of "lock-down," you will help St. Margaret Church continue to spread the Gospel and continue to tell the world about our love for Our Blessed Saviour!

The Feast of Christ the King, October 25th, 2020

 

The Reign of Christ (Christ the King)

October 25th, 2020

The Book of Common Prayer sets aside the last Sunday in October to celebrate the Feast of Christ the King.  This is a good time to celebrate this Feast day, it would seem to me, because it falls right before our election time here in the United States.  As such, during this time we are bombarded with all kinds of commercials, . .  . . advertisements,  . . . . announcements,  . . . . news stories,  . . . . all related to the upcoming election and which candidate we are going to support with our vote.  Every candidate spends his / her time begging for your support.  In the weeks leading up to an election, as I say, we are bombarded with non-stop political advertisements.  They all are intended to convince you to give your precious vote to their candidate.  They want you to endorse them through your vote.    I would imagine that most politicians start out as being genuine in regards to their intentions.  They truly want to help people.  But as time goes on and candidates are involved in politics over a long period of time, it seems that most of them become self-serving and/or more interested in serving their political party, the special interest lobbyists, or their donor's.  These types of politicians get in the mindset that they rule over the people.  They forget that they are actually the servants of the people.  They get used to all the applause and the accolades and the fancy titles.  They get used to making important speeches and voting for laws that affect everyone else.  In so doing, they run the risk of forgetting whom they serve.  They serve the people.  Not the other way around.  

Our Blessed Lord never forgot Who He was.  He never forgot the reason for His coming to earth.  He spent His time on earth healing those in need of God's healing touch.  He spent His time teaching and preaching about the love of God.  He did not spend His time on earth in royal palaces in the presence of servants and attendants.  No, Our Blessed Saviour spent His time on earth being the servant of all.  He spent His time in the presence of common folk, and laborers, and even in the presence of sinners.  He used every opportunity He had to tell the world of His Heavenly Father.  His was not an earthly crown which He desired.  It was not an earthly throne which He sought after.  After all, Our Lord said to Pilate:  "My kingdom is not of this world." (St. John 18:35)  Additionally Our Lord would state leading up to this encounter:  "My time is not yet come." (St. John 7:8)  The "altar" Our Lord sought was the altar of the Cross.  It was there where He wished to be placed in order that He would save us from our sins.  Our Lord came to serve.  Even hanging from the Cross, lifeless and dying, He continued to serve.  He came to save fallen man.  This was His mission.  And we are called to follow His example.  We are called to learn from Him.  We are called to imitate Him through serving our brothers and sisters and telling the world about Our Heavenly Father.  

The Feast of St. Luke, Evangelist, October 18th, 2020

"The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few . . . " (St. Luke 10:2)  These are the words of Our Blessed Lord recorded in the Tenth Chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke.  I was in a store about a week ago or so and the person behind the counter was all by himself and I could see that he was doing every thing himself:  help customers; answering the phones; putting things on the shelves; etc.  I could tell by his reactions that he truly was overwhelmed.  I could just see in his expression his question:  "Where is my help?!? I need some help!!!!"  I would imagine just about all of us feel that way at our jobs.  Things get busy and we get overwhelmed by everything that needs to be accomplished and we begin to question, "where is everyone?!?  I need some help!!!  NOW!!!"    "The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few . . . "  So too when it comes to doing the work of God.  Sometimes it seems as though we are the only ones doing what needs to be done.  Sometimes we begin to wonder where everyone is at in regards to doing the work of God.  Hey!  Where is everybody?!?!   I could use some help here.  Thanks.  And on top of that it can seem like such a thankless job at times.   When you try to be a faithful Christian in the world of ours, you run the risk of:  getting criticized . . . .  getting laughed at . .  . made fun of . . .  mocked . . . . scorned . . .  belittled . . . . overwhelmed . . . . The list goes on and on.  And yet we have comfort in knowing that Our Blessed Lord does not ask us to do anything that He did not do Himself.  Our Blessed Saviour also endured all these things and more.   Have you ever had a boss or supervisor who asked you to do something, expected you to do something, but that same supervisor refused to do that job themselves.  Contrast that with a boss or supervisor who led by example and was not afraid to get in there and also do the job they are asking you to do.  This is Our Blessed Lord.  Yes, the work is hard.  Yes, the work is difficult.  But Christ Himself calls us to do what He Himself did.  And the thing that amazes me is that Christ does not NEED our help.  Rather, He DESIRES our help.  In other words, Our Blessed Lord asks us for our help.  He asks us for our assistance.  Thus, it is up to us.  We are the ones who have to decide and the power, so to speak, is in our hands.  Yes, the harvest is truly great, as we are reminded in St. Luke's Gospel.  God is calling us to assist Him.  It is up to each one of us to decide if we will take on the responsibility or not.  It is up to each one of us to answer the call.  It is up to each one of us to do the work.  Will we be one of the few who answer the call????  It is up to you.

************************ 

The Uncaught Captive

 I heard a wonderful poem recited by Bishop Sheen on a television program originally aired in the early to mid 1970's, I am sure.  Bishop Sheen never stated the name of the poem nor did he state who wrote the words.  But doing a search the poem seems to be attributed to an English poet named Elizabeth Cheney, born 1859.    I am unsure of the title of the poem.  I call it "The Uncaught Captive" because these are the two words which caught my attention the most when I heard Bishop Sheen recite this lovely poem.  

    
"I slipped His fingers, I escaped His feet,
     I ran and hid, for Him I feared to meet.
     One day I passed Him, fettered on a Tree,
     He turned His Head, and looked, and beckoned me.

    "Neither by speed, nor strength could He prevail.
     Each hand and foot was pinioned by a nail.
     He could not run or clasp me if He tried,
     But with His eye, He bade me reach His side.

    "For pity's sake, thought I, I'll set you free.
     'Nay -- hold this cross,' He said, 'and follow me.
     This yoke is easy, this burden light,
     Not hard or grievous if you wear it tight.'

    "So did I follow Him Who could not move,
     An uncaught captive in the hands of Love."

Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity, September 27th, 2020

Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity, September 27th, 2020

In  St. Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians, we read the words of a man desperate to reach out to his spiritual children.  We read in the pages of this epistle St. Paul's earnest plea to the Christians at Ephesus to know of his desire that they do not take the love of Christ for granted.   For you see, St. Paul was writing these words from prison.  He found himself not only to be a man literally bound in chains but also bound by his desire to reach out to his spiritual children.  As such, he poured out his heart and his soul into the words he wrote to the Ephesians to implore them to take seriously not only the love that Our Dear Saviour has for each of us  . . . . for you and for me . . . but also to truly appreciate what Christ has done out of love for us.   He writes:  ". . . that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. "  (Ephesians 3:17-19)  He is urging the members of the young church to do their best to understand, or as St. Paul says, to comprehend exactly what Our Blessed Saviour's love means for each one of us.  How do any of us comprehend truly the love of Christ?  How can we truly appreciate what this means for any of us?  But St. Paul answers that question as best as he can.  He says in verse nineteen that we should be filled with "all the fulness of God."  In other words, St. Paul is urging the Ephesians, just as he is urging us some two-thousand years later, to fill ourselves up with God .  . . . to fill ourselves to the brim with the things of God.  So often we fill ourselves up with the things of the world instead of the things of God.  We fill our time by binge watching TV shows or movies.  We fill our life with material possessions or the quest for those material possessions.  We fill our time searching the internet or social media.  We fill our soul even dwelling on our hatred or our anger at someone who has wronged us.  We can all come up with our own examples but the point that St. Paul is making is that we are called to be filled with fulness of God.  This is because, quite frankly, it is in God that we are complete.  For we hear elsewhere:  "And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power." (Colossians 2:10)   We only find ourselves to be complete when we have a relationship with Our Blessed Saviour.  Let us never forget that fact and let us follow St. Paul's recommendation that we "might be filled with all the fulness of God. "

Fifteenth Sunday after Tinity, September 20th, 2020

Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday, September 20th, 2020

In the Sixth Chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel, we find ourselves listening to Our Blessed Lord preaching what has come to be known as His "Sermon on the Mount."  If you want to read it for yourself, please begin with Chapter Five of this Gospel and continue through Chapter Seven.  In other words, the "Sermon on the Mount" takes up three whole chapters in St. Matthew's Gospel.  As you can imagine, Our Blessed Lord speaks concerning a whole array of subjects.  But in the particular passage which we are covering today (Beginning in Chapter 6, Verse 24) we hear Our Lord state that we cannot have "two masters."   He says specifically:  "NO man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."  (St. Matthew 6:24)  Now, of course the word "mammon" is an Aramaic word meaning "riches."  Thus, Our Lord is warning us not to be so enthralled with the riches the world has to offer that we end up ignoring God.   How true this is, sadly.   How many of us seek the pleasures and the riches of the world while we abandon God and any thought of Him?  We take our relationship with Him for granted.  Our Lord tells us to not to worry about what we will eat or what we will wear and yet this is certainly difficult in the generation in which we live.  I say that because most of us worry about bills.  I know I do.  Most of us worry about paying our rent or our mortgage.  Especially in this year of 2020 with so much uncertainty with businesses being shut down and people being without work, I would say that there are many opportunities to worry about a multitude of things.  But Our Lord assures us that Our Heavenly Father "knoweth that ye have need of all these things." (St. Matthew 6:32)   

But what Our Blessed Lord says in verse 33 is very important because the majority of the world totally misses this point altogether.  He says:  "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."  (St. Matthew 6:33)  You see, friends, most of the world seeks worldly riches first and foremost.  They do not seek the Kingdom of God first.  Most folks seek after worldly riches and pleasures first before anything else.  These folks do not care anything about searching after the Kingdom of God.  In fact, we search for man's approval in our life before we seek God's approval.  Many of us go searching for God only when we need Him.  We cry for God only when we are in desperate need of Him.  We search for Him when all else has failed and we need a miracle.  But Our Lord tells us to first seek the Kingdom of God.  If we just could get in the habit of seeking out God first instead of seeking out the world, the world itself would be a much better place.  "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." (Colossians 3:2)  Set your affection on God and put Him first in your life.  

PLEASE NOTE:  St. Margaret Church will NOT meet on Sunday, September 20th, 2020.

St. Margaret Church is still being affected, as is the whole world, by the Coronavirus outbreak.  Specifically, our church is not allowed to meet as we would like due to CDC and State recommendations.  But despite these recommendations, our members still continue to pray to Our Heavenly Father.  Our members still continue to reach out to their neighbors and loved ones.  Our members still continue to be the face and hands and instruments of the Lord throughout these troubling times.  Additionally, Fr. Todd also continues to post his sermons and reflections online.  So, please continue to pray for St. Margaret Church and all the Christian Churches throughout the world that we may continue to stay close to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.   

And please remember that you can still show support to St. Margaret Church by sharing these posts on social media . . . sharing the sermons and reflections of Fr. Todd on social media as well.  In this way, despite any sort of "lock-down," you will help St. Margaret Church continue to spread the Gospel and continue to tell the world about our love for Our Blessed Saviour!

indyanglican.blogger.com *******

Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity, September 13, 2020

For my part I do not let too many things annoy me.   There really is not too much that "gets under my skin," I have to admit.  But one of the things that really "pushes my buttons," I have to admit, are rude people.  Is it just me or are there less and less manners being put into practice by people in today's society?  For example, I enjoy going to a store that sells used cd's and movies.  Well, they used to sell cd's.  I don't think they even sell those anymore.  I enjoy going to this store to see if they have any movies that I would enjoy watching.  Since the aisles are rather narrow, you have to pass in front of people in order to go down the aisle.  Now, this is not the problem.  Since the aisles are narrow, this is understandable.  What is not understandable to me, though, are the complete lack of manners and total disrespect exhibited by a good percentage of people today.  People will walk right in front of you and never say "Excuse me" or "Sorry" or "Pardon me."    Hold a door open for someone today and see if you get a "Thank you" in return for your efforts.  My parents taught me manners while I was growing up.  They taught me to always say "Yes, Ma'am" or "Yes, Sir" when addressing others.  They taught me to say "Please" and "Thank You."  They taught me the art of something we used to call "common courtesy."  You see, common courtesy is something that  . . . . .  no matter what your station in life is . . . .  whether you are a president of a company or a cook or a janitor . . . .  whoever you are, whatever you are . . .   being respectful and courteous is something that everyone is capable of if they would just put the effort into it.   I am so grateful that my parents taught me to be courteous and respectful.  It is a skill that I have tried to put into practice my whole life.  Sadly, judging from others around me, it seems that this is a "dying art."  Is it a matter that people were never "taught" manners or is it that they were taught, yes, but they just choose not to be respectful?  It's hard to say. 

In the Seventeenth Chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke, we hear about Our Blessed Saviour passing through Samaria and Galilee as He went to Jerusalem.   And as He went, St. Luke tells us, He met ten lepers who begged for healing.  They yelled, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"  Our Lord heard their request and gave them the direction to go show themselves to the priest.  As they went, they were miraculously healed .  . . . all ten of them.  The curious thing of this is that out of all of the ten that were cured . . . . only one of the lepers turned back to thank Our Blessed Saviour.  Only one man who was cured returned to give praise and thanksgiving.  Only one man came back to acknowledge the amazing thing that Our Lord just did for him.  Now in this story it is easy to find fault with the other "nine" who were not courteous enough to turn around and show thanksgiving to Our Blessed Saviour.  But how often do we show thanks to God for all the blessings He shows to us on a daily basis?   Do we thank God for blessing us?  Do we go to God daily in prayer to thank Him for the life He has given us?  The blessings He has bestowed on us?  How often do we thank God for the wonderful things He does for us?  Our Blessed Saviour was impressed with the Samaritan who turned around and gave thanks to Him for the healing he had received.  Let us pray that Our Blessed Saviour will be impressed with us as well when we thank Him for all the blessings He has bestowed on us.

PLEASE NOTE:  St. Margaret Church will NOT meet on Sunday, September 13th, 2020.

St. Margaret Church is still being affected, as is the whole world, by the Coronavirus outbreak.  Specifically, our church is not allowed to meet as we would like due to CDC and State recommendations.  But despite these recommendations, our members still continue to pray to Our Heavenly Father.  Our members still continue to reach out to their neighbors and loved ones.  Our members still continue to be the face and hands and instruments of the Lord throughout these troubling times.  Additionally, Fr. Todd also continues to post his sermons and reflections online.  So, please continue to pray for St. Margaret Church and all the Christian Churches throughout the world that we may continue to stay close to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.   

And please remember that you can still show support to St. Margaret Church by sharing these posts on social media . . . sharing the sermons and reflections of Fr. Todd on social media as well.  In this way, despite any sort of "lock-down," you will help St. Margaret Church continue to spread the Gospel and continue to tell the world about our love for Our Blessed Saviour!

indyanglican.blogger.com

Christ is My Lord and Saviour . . . .

Christ is My Lord and Saviour and My Hope . . . .

I rarely watch television any longer.  One thing I refuse to watch, quite frankly, is the news.  Whether it is the local news or the network news, I have gotten out of the habit of watching the news for quite a while now.  Why is this, you might ask?  It is because I get depressed watching the news.  The local news is filled with shootings and crime and accidents and it is just depressing to see all of this negative stuff.  The network news is again filled with depressing things as stated above but the network news is even worse I have come to discover because it is agenda-driven and the media only shows you news items they want you to watch.  Or they slant stories a certain way in which they show the point they want you to see.  It is the same with the radio . . . . or the internet . . . or even with Facebook. 

Now, why do I point all of this out?  I do it because I think people do look at all of the negativity being thrown at them all the time and it does have an impact on people.  Look, I know just as well as anyone else how easy it is to be all caught up in negative stories and doom and gloom predictions that seem to come from every corner.  But the bottom line is that constantly reading all of this, . . .  constantly listening to all of this (either on the TV or on the radio),   . . . .  constantly looking at controversy after controversy on Facebook or other social media . . . . all of this barrage of negativity takes a toll on people eventually.  Everywhere you look, there is the potential to be flooded with negativity and negative stories.  It is depressing to watch non-stop coverage of deaths due to a virus . . .  riots . . .  looting . … shootings . . . . etc.  It is understandable that people get overwhelmed by seeing this day in and day out.

Death and war and crime and controversy have been with us basically as long as the world has been around.  And it will continue to exist in this old world of ours.  But for the dedicated, committed Christian, we are reminded that God is bigger than all the negativity that the world has to offer.  In the Old Testament Book of Deuteronomy, we hear the following:  "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord Thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." (Deuteronomy 31:6)  And then two verses later:  "And the Lord, He it is that doth go before thee; He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed." (Deuteronomy 31:8)  Now, more than ever, Christians should plant these words of Scripture in their hearts, in their minds, in their souls.  Christ will be victorious and His Kingdom will prevail.  Christians are called to be hopeful and their mission is to spread this hope throughout the world.  The Church does this by giving testimony of Christ.  We can all give our testimony on what Christ means to us.  Christ is my Lord and Saviour.  He is the One Who died for me on the Cross.  He continues to be with me in my everyday struggles . . . . to guide me . . . to strengthen me . . . to lead me.   I need to let those around me know this fact and I can let people know by the words that come out of my mouth, by the actions I take on a daily basis, and the love I show towards others around me.

It is so easy to look at everything that is happening today and get depressed by the senseless murder, the hatred, the anger, etc.  And yet Christ is bigger than any of these things.  Christ endured hardship during His time on earth.  Christ endured the hatred and envy of others while He walked among us.  Christ endured grief, sorrow, pain, and death.  As human beings, we will endure all of these things as well during our lifetime.  But Christ overcame all of these things and rose to a new life!  He overcame death.  He overcame the world.  He overcame the bitterness and hatred of those who sought to destroy Him.  And with Our Lord's help, through His dying on the Cross, we will overcome all of these things as well one day.  This is what we should be focusing on rather than focusing on the latest controversy or evil that the world has to offer.   Our Lord's words have more meaning for our present age than ever before: "Peace I leave with you, My peace I given unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your hear be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (St. John 14:27)  Let Christ be your guiding light.  Let Him rule your life.  Do not conform to the dictates of the world.  Follow Our Blessed Saviour and always look towards Him in hope