After the last several weeks’ gospel stories and this week’s celebrations of All Saints and All Souls, I feel as though I am being really challenged. Jesus has been trying to educate the disciples as to what is coming.  He will be handed over, killed, and three days later will rise. The disciples don’t get it. Instead they argue over who is the greatest. They ask Jesus for a prominent seat in his kingdom. And then there is the rich young man, who, challenged to not only obey the ten commandments, but also, to sell what he had, turns away sad because too much was being asked of him. A lot is asked of all of us, too.

Whether we are rich “in the eyes of the world” or scrimping to make ends meet, all that has been given to us (time, talent, or treasure) is a gift from God for us to share with those in need. That can be difficult to hear. We might want to hold on to what we have in order to be sure we have enough for a rainy day. We might be reluctant to share our talents because they don’t seem as spectacular as the talents of the person next to us. We might want to protect what free time we have because we see no space for ourselves in the near future. Or, maybe we just are afraid we don’t have enough to share. It is precisely then that generosity and trust are called for.

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians provides insight into this dilemma we face when he says: “Glory be to God whose power at work in us can do infinitely more than we can ever ask or imagine.” God can do in and through us what we can never do on our own. God is the personification of generosity. God gives God’s own self to us each time his voice rings out in sacred scripture. God gives God’s self each and every time we approach the altar of sacrifice to receive the Body and Blood of Christ. God gave God’s self when dying on the cross Jesus cried out: “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” In comparison, what we have to offer is paltry. And yet, the gift of our time, our treasure, and our talents is what God asks of us and what God can work miracles with, if we are willing to turn over what we have for the sake of others.

Moving from the theoretical to the concrete, the feasts celebrating saints and souls this week brought “Nana ‘ran” (Moran) to mind. She was in her forties when her husband died, leaving her a widow with eleven children, one with cerebral palsy. She never complained, often said “God is good,” and always had a grateful heart. The little she had, she shared, and in doing so created a positive force of goodness around her. I also thought of Sister Eustace Caggiano, who died this fall at the age of 102, after having been a Sister of Saint Joseph for over 80 years. In the 1960s Sister Eustace was assigned to provide meals for the sisters in the Cathedral convent. She provided meals as well for children who came to school with no breakfast, for the homeless of the South End, and the new immigrants who came to the back door hungry and in need of assistance. For decades she worked at the Cardinal Cushing Spanish Speaking Center, providing clothing, shoes, and food for those in need. Eustace had little to offer by way of material possessions. What she did have—love in her heart and an appreciation of the dignity of the human person—she shared generously. God did the rest. God multiplied Eustace’s generosity and Bridget Moran’s faith, and with that, much good was generated. Can we trust that God will use what we give and create something good with it? 

~Sr. Kathleen

Take your next step: Think about the people you have known who have given freely of the gifts God has bestowed on them. Consider what gift God is asking you to share.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our live survey at Masses this past weekend. I was very excited to be the pastor of a collaborative doing such a creative and hi-tech project. If you were not at Mass this weekend, it’s not too late to participate--take the survey here. See the results from this weekend below, and then add a comment to let us know what you think.

1. I consider myself a member of the New Roads Catholic Community. (717 responses)

3. I believe that God’s vision for this community is for us to make disciples for Jesus Christ in our area. (726 responses)

4. I currently participate actively in one or more ministries in our community. (705 responses)

​I invite you to add a comment to this post with your answer to any of the following questions:

• What did you notice about the experience?
• What stood out for you in the live results?
• What conclusions do you draw from the survey results?

~Fr. Thom
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Take your next step:
Pray about the New Roads Commitment Card, fill it out if you are ready, and submit it online or bring it back with you next week to place in the offertory as an act of worship, an offering to God.

This week, as part of our Building New Roads message series, twenty-one members of New Roads Catholic Community share what they love about serving, in two sentences or less!

I love the good feeling I get each week welcoming the parishioners I know and those who may be new. I leave with a smile and the hope that I made a difference in someone's day.
Nancy Mitchell, greeter

I love that being a Eucharistic minister makes me feel like I am somehow helping to feed the community.
Sheryl Teti, Eucharistic minister

I love meeting families with new babies and remembering what it was like to have a baby--and how welcoming everyone at the parish was.
Paul Aloisio, baptismal ministry team

I love leading CLOW, as it is my way of sharing my love for God with others. Each Sunday, I hope to make a difference for just one child--if I reach more, even better.
Christine Regan, Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) leader

What I love most about being part of the bereavement ministry is praying for souls!
Jill Shanley, funeral-planning minister

In visiting needy families, two by two, I am reminded of my calling to be a disciple of Jesus. For me, it is always a very humbling experience.
George Kenrick, St. Vincent de Paul Society

I so enjoy helping with the children's liturgy because it helps me connect with the simplicity of the Gospel. Simple messages, reinterpreted by the kids, help me to hear and see the Word of God.
Mark Healy, Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) leader

I love seeing the faces of the congregation and knowing Jesus is present in each one. His presence will leave the building with every one of those people and work through them--that is powerful.
Kathleen Kim, Eucharistic minister

I like volunteering at the Reconciliation and Eucharist workshops, because my family enjoyed these workshops last year and I want to help others have the same experience (plus there are several workshop times, which makes it easy to find a time that works).
Jennifer Loebach, Reconciliation and Eucharist workshop volunteer

When I lead Scripture reflection, I am very aware that I am facilitating God's work. We breathe in God’s Word and it illuminates us in places where we need light.
Suzanne Robotham, Scripture reflection leader

I love having the opportunity to witness young Catholic teens realizing that spirituality and important good daily choices entwine in all they do.
Tim Stratford, Confirmation small-group leader

Lectoring allows me to experience the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit, who has been a dear friend throughout my life. It is something on which I rely wholeheartedly and unhesitatingly, and I cherish our journeys together, in particular as we ascend the pulpit.
Karen Young, lector

Serving in Bereavement Ministry gives me the opportunity to sit with grief-stricken families and offer my support, compassion, and assistance while preparing a beautiful individual Mass for their beloved deceased.
Janice Christo, funeral-planning minister

There's a couple of things I love about hosting Coffee Hour--one is having my kids help with setting things up and organize things (makes them feel needed and appreciated). Another is to have a sip of coffee just before Mass!
David High, Coffee and Donuts host

I love being a Confirmation leader because it gives me an opportunity to share my faith journey with Confirmation candidates while also helping to foster their faith journeys through dialogue at meetings, retreats, and service projects.
Caitlin Corrieri, Confirmation small-group leader

Most all the patients I see at Mt. Auburn Hospital are worried and afraid, and my presence reminds them that they are not alone, that the larger Catholic community is joined with them, praying for them and supporting them at a difficult period in their lives.
Michael Quinn, Eucharistic minister at Mt. Auburn Hospital

Teaching and helping the children of New Roads Catholic Community has been an inspiration and a joy. Through my work with them, I have felt a deeper connection to God in my own life; the true path to Him is through the service of others.
Jodi Walker, Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) leader

​The people I visit are elderly and live alone, so they really enjoy my weekly visits and receiving the Eucharist and feeling that they are still a part of the parish. It really is a pleasure for me to be able to do this for them.
Gerry Hermansen, Eucharistic minister to the homebound

I have just started lectoring and find myself learning or relearning each time something fresh, powerful, and helpful from the Word of God and hope that I can convey some of what God wishes to be conveyed by the readings to the members of the community.
Tony Leccese, lector

Obviously the kiddos are very cute--their conversations during our one-minute reflections are sweet and adorable. But more than that, I love being able to give the parents a one-hour respite to reflect and pray in peace--as the mother of two young ones, I know time is a true gift, and so I feel a sense of service in giving time to other parents.
Kristen Zecchi, Tiny Disciples volunteer

What I love about CLOW is the opportunity to help spiritually guide some of the youngest and most impressionable members of our parish.
Alex Casale, Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) leader
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If you serve in a ministry, please feel free to add a comment to this post with one or two sentences about what YOU love most about serving.

Take your next step: Find ten minutes of quiet once or twice this week. Thank God for whatever you are feeling grateful for in your life. Then ask God to show you his will for you by praying: “God, how do you want me to give, and how do you want me to serve, in your community?”

In the morning and in the evening, there is a nip in the air that, coupled with the splash of color that has begun to show itself, signals the change of season. It has always been my favorite season. I remember as a child kicking the fallen brittle leaves as I walked home from school, with the scent of burning wood in fireplaces filling the air. Today, I think I would name the mix of sensory perceptions “home and hearth time.” It conveys a sense of warmth and induces an inclination to reflection. Passage of years has added the dimension of time passing quickly, too quickly, and questions about what is important that I don’t want to neglect and fail to do. The transition from one season to another, especially now that they seem to pass very quickly, is something of a wake-up call for me. And so, this fall I ask myself some questions in the hope that I don’t waste the time and opportunity to live life, and especially my faith life, fully.
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I wonder…

• Am I content with the growth I have experienced in my faith?
• Am I satisfied with my relationship with God? What’s missing?
• Have I let the various concerns in our world and society touch my heart and move my feet to action?
• Do I acknowledge my dependence on God?
• When was the last time I took an active step in response to a social justice concern?  
• Have I forgiven those who have hurt me?
• Have I asked for forgiveness from those I have hurt?
• In what way(s) have I seriously considered my responsibility to reach out to those no longer affiliated with our community?

The questions could go on and on. There are a lot of transitions in life, but ultimately, there is a finite number, and so it is important to ask ourselves: What is this transition calling me to do, to be, or to become? Before long this autumn will transition into the winter of 2016, and we may find ourselves asking what that shift will ask of us. We will never again have the opportunity of this unique moment to assess how God is challenging us to live the life of grace that has been given us. It is an opportunity to flourish under the wing of God’s goodness. Just as I don’t want to miss the nip in the air, the crunch of brittle leaves, the colorful palette, and the scent of burning wood, I also do not want to miss God’s invitation to move closer to God as I respond to the people, circumstances, and challenges God lays before me.

~Sr. Kathleen
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Take your next step: Consider in your prayer: Am I willing to create space in my heart for the people God has put in my life, for those who are in need and for those who differ from me?

In recent months, I have been amazed at the frequency and diversity with which expressions that end in “matter” appear on television or in print media. The phrases vary and include: “after school matters,” “home matters,” “better matters,” “minds matter,” “food matters,” “literacy matters.” Some of these expressions are a means of attracting attention and gaining a competitive edge. Others, in my opinion, are meant to awaken us to the importance of and need to cultivate the valued reality, such as “your mind matters.” So don’t waste it. When facets of life begin to multiply and try to edge out other facets of our experience, we do well to ask the deeper question: “What truly matters?” Asking that question this past week as Pope Francis arrived in Cuba and the United States, the answers that suggest themselves are clearly related to Francis’s message to the people and governments of Cuba and the U.S.

What truly matters? Faith. Hope. Relationship to God and to one another. Mercy. Forgiveness. Compassion. Joy. Trust. Humility. Justice. We need only to look back a week to the readings for Mass on the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time to see that indeed it does matter that we be willing to be servants of one another, especially of the “least among us.” Or, we can look to the reading from the Letter of Saint James for the 26th Sunday and hear the warning and judgment: “Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers who harvested your fields are crying aloud.” All these virtues matter. They matter because they forge a world that recognizes the dignity and worth of each and every person. They matter because they point to the way God has directed us to live our lives in harmony with one another and in union with God’s desires for our world.

We have been blessed this week by the presence and testimony of Pope Francis. He has given us reason to be proud, and he has challenged us on multiple occasions to live our lives in fidelity to core values and virtues, not the least of which is the care of our brothers and sisters most in need. If all we come away with from his visit is a memory of a warm presence, a lovely smile, and outreach to the throng that came to see him, we will have missed his message. As his visit concludes, may we all pay attention to the deeply challenging messages that he offered us, and may we take steps day after day to respond to those challenges. What truly matters? It matters that relationship with God demands that we build lasting bridges with one another, bridges that acknowledge that I am my brother’s, my sister’s keeper. It matters that faith exacts action. It matters that I must pay attention to my relationship to God, to you, to the earth, and to myself. When I see and act in a way that reflects that reality, then all the other parts of life will fall into their rightful place.

~Sr. Kathleen

Take your next step: During the coming week, consider which of the virtues enumerated above you most need to cultivate in your life. Ask God to give the grace of that virtue to you and help you to live it richly and fully.

Have you noticed? Change can be uncomfortable. It can be unwelcome and life altering. I’ve noticed, and I don’t like it. I have been camping for years and thoroughly enjoyed being outdoors, delighting in the fresh air, the gifts of nature, the ability to let instincts instead of a clock dictate when to get up, when to eat, when to sit still or be on the move. I have just spent a week in the White Mountains sleeping on the ground, cooking over an open fire. At the end of the time there, my friend and I found ourselves saying: “This might have been the last time.” Nature is the same; but we are older, stiffer, slower to move. These are not welcome changes. We will need to find new ways to enjoy God’s gifts of creation.

The Gospel for this weekend tells the story of a person’s life being radically changed by Jesus’s engagement with him. People brought a deaf man whose speech was impeded to Jesus and asked him to lay hands on him. Jesus responded to their request, taking the man aside, touching his ears and tongue, and saying: “Be opened.” And they were opened. Imagine what that was like: being unable one minute to hear the sound of another’s voice, to hear the sounds of nature, to know when something is dangerously close or safely distant. Imagine what it is like to speak for the first time in a manner that people readily understand what you are saying. How would you respond to this double transformation? I expect I would be excited, enthused, grateful, and very much wanting to sing from the rooftops. And that is how the once-deaf man responds. Touched by Jesus, he will never be the same.

I have known any number of people in my life who have been touched by God, transformed really, and they have been hesitant to proclaim the greatness of God in their lives. They have felt awkward about seeming to call attention to themselves. Lost in this false humility, an opportunity to give honor and credit to God was ignored. The chance to make known God and God’s goodness was overlooked. The rite of baptism has a prayer in which the person’s ears and mouth are touched while the priest or deacon says: “The Lord Jesus made the deaf hear and the dumb speak. May he soon touch your ears to receive his word, and your mouth to proclaim his faith, to the praise and glory of God the Father.” The prayer makes clear that the word received as gift is meant to be shared through our proclamation of praise and glory to God. This is meant for all of us. We who have heard God’s word and been transformed by it are to praise and glorify God.

In the past, many of us have left the proclamation of the Good News to professional preachers and been content to do so. But that is not what our baptism calls us to do, nor is it what Jesus commanded us to do when he said: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” This is a change that can make us uncomfortable; but it is one we must respond to and act upon. There are many people we interact with who need our voice, who need to hear our testimony to the way in which God has touched and transformed our lives. Without our witness, they may never learn the multiplicity of ways that God invites us to come to know him. If we won’t share with others the goodness of God as we have experienced it, who will?

~Sr. Kathleen

Take your next step: Think about the ways in which God has touched your life and changed you. Consider what would help you to speak of the transforming impact God’s love has had for you. What would free you to be able to speak openly about your relationship with God?