Dear Folks,

I write this on the day of the election. I am down in North Carolina making a retreat at a friend’s parish where I have joked that I wanted to be far away from DC this week! However, it has been a great chance to pray for our country, and all that leads us away from Jesus. What will be relevant to say by this weekend? Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Ignorance of Jesus is ignorance of everything necessary.

I am grateful for our parish response to the additional adoration hours around the election, because no prayer is ever wasted. Having a real, enduring, and profound prayer life means embracing the difficult struggle of prayer.

This weekend we celebrate beginning of National Vocations week. We are blessed to have back with us, Deacon Banach to preach about vocations! Additionally, because we have Masses in two locations, we will also host the Dominican Sisters at the two Holy Cross Academy Masses to speak of vocations as well!

I leave the rest of this week’ s column to St. Alphonsus Ligori:

 “Jesus Christ finds means to console a soul that remains with a recollected spirit before the Most Blessed Sacrament, far beyond what the world can do with all its feasts and pastimes. Oh, how sweet a joy it is to remain with faith and tender devotion before an altar, and converse familiarly with Jesus Christ, who is there for the express purpose of listening to and graciously hearing those who pray to him; to ask his pardon for the displeasures which we have caused him; to represent our wants to him, as a friend does to a friend in whom he places all his confidence; to ask him for his graces, for his love, and for his kingdom; but above all, oh, what a heaven it is there to remain making acts of love towards that Lord who is on the very altar praying to the Eternal Father for us, and is there burning with love for us. Indeed that love it is which detains him there, thus hidden and unknown, and where he is even despised by ungrateful souls! But why should we say more? Taste and see. ”

pax,

Father John Mosimann