18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

My Dear Parishioners,

We gather for the Eucharist on this the 18thSunday in Ordinary Time to celebrate the Lord’s Day. The Gospel reading, as last Sunday, is taken from the “Bread of Life Discourse” from the 6th chapter of John’s Gospel. Today we hear the crowd which followed Jesus ask, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent. (v. 28-29)”

Faith in Jesus Christ spread throughout the Middle East through the missionary efforts of the Apostles and first Christians. They labored in the “work of God” by spreading the seeds of faith which produced a Church rich in tradition and acts of service to the needy. This area also produced many martyrs, those killed for their faith in Christ.

Today, as in centuries past, Christians are once again being targeted and this time by Islamic extremists whose purpose is to rid the Middle East of Christians. Christians have lived in this area for centuries before the Muslim invasion in the 7th century. I read in last Sunday’s New York Times, an article about the plight of Christians living in the Middle East, and especially in the area now under the control of ISIS or ISEL. The article asked the question, "Why isn’t anyone doing anything to stop this persecution?" Our Holy Father has repeatedly called upon the international community to help the Christians and other minorities in this area, but to no avail. Sorry to say, our country has done little to assist the Christians and other minorities in their sufferings.

Bishop Serratelli has designated this month of August as a special time for us in the Diocese of Paterson to pray for our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters in the Middle East and other parts of the world. The bishop has also encouraged us to fast one day a week and/or to support causes which can help the Church in these areas (visit CNESA website for news and donations). Also included within today’s bulletin is the prayer the bishop is asking us to say each day for our persecuted brothers and sisters. I hope that you will pray this prayer with the entire family, perhaps as you are at the table sharing a meal.

What is remarkable is the strength of the faith these Christians possess. As their lives are being threatened they will not apostatize, they will not convert to falsehood. These Christians are the descendants of the early believers whose roots stretch back to the Apostles. They witness to the words of the first verse of today’s Responsorial Psalm: “WHAT WE HAVE HEARD AND KNOW, AND WHAT OUR FATHERS HAVE DECLARED TO US, WE WILL DECLARE TO THE GENERATION TO COME…”

Next Sunday we will conduct the annual MISSIONARY COOPERATIVE APPEAL. The appeal supports the work of Catholic missionaries throughout the world in bringing the Gospel message. I ask that you be generous in your offering as we recall the Lord Jesus’ instruction to the Apostles, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations… (Matthew 28:19).

God bless you!
Father Zig