Fr. Maassen's Message - 09/24/2023

Dear Missionary Disciples of Jesus Christ,
 
These are some thoughts that I shared with parishioners :
 
God loves you.  Our Father passionately desires our well-being and our salvation. Our Catholic Faith is the way, the path for our well-being and our salvation. We will face hardships; Jesus is clear about this in the Gospels. Frequently, people want to dismiss some part of the Gospel, our Catholic Faith, because it may affect their lifestyle or it doesn't jive with their opinion. Why would Our Lord let His Church teach something wrong? Why would Jesus Christ lie when He promised the Holy Spirit to guide the Church in all truth?
 
We are sinners.  We often need to be corrected. It is obvious that we humans bring upon ourselves most of our misery. God can guide us to better lives than we can ourselves, and most importantly, eternal life. Again, this is why we have the Sacraments and the teachings of the Catholic Faith. Abandon yourself to the will of God; abandon yourself to our incredible Catholic Faith. Let God fly the plane and enjoy the flight.
 
The Church is home.  As baptized, we are sons and daughters of the Father in Christ, and the Church is our home. I think of the Church as my home, this Sacred House we call St. Francis Borgia. The Church is your home
as well. Attending Mass on Sunday takes an hour and a half (which includes drive time). We have 24 hours a day, equaling 168 hours. Loving God by giving God an hour and a half at Mass equals .89% of the time you have in a week-that's not even 1%! Come to praise and worship God; come to give thanks, come to enter the Sacrifice, come to be made holy. Come and let Our Father love you and be loved. Whatever you do, come to Mass.
 
Prayer is essential.  Prayer is crucial to our relationship with Jesus Christ, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit. People think that prayer is easy for me, yet this is not always true. I have struggled with my prayer life over the years. At times, I don't want to pray. At times, I have neglected to pray. I've tried praying at different times, and I've tried various ways of praying. I've attempted other prayers. Never give up. Prayer is our time with God, nourishing our relationship, strengthening it, and fulfilling it. Prayer opens the floodgates of love. So too, the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation - all necessary for relationship, love, and eternal life. I encourage you to persevere in your prayer life to make it a priority. You will never regret it.
 
Thanks for your support and for inspiring me as you live out your Catholic Faith daily. I hope and pray that you all grow in joy and holiness.
 
Peace,
Fr. Maassen