Brothers and Sisters,

When you think about the apparent brokenness of our world, do you ever become frustrated, maybe thinking, why does it sometimes seem that the evildoing of a few wastes our hard work and those of our ancestors? In times like these, what does the Lord expect of us, his servants? When these questions pop up, think about St. Paul’s encouragements from today’s second reading, where he challenges us to be resilient servants, living out the call to remain committed to excellence in all that is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and gracious. We should also consider Paul’s guidance in a larger context, considering our place in society. Our Church is not exempt from fractures due to growing division among those with varying perspectives and opinions. As we attempt to understand the current state of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and our parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, let’s remain unified, assuming a humble attitude of prayer and penance. Let us seek to understand what is happening while never losing sight of the goal of Christ’s Church: the salvation of all people. We must hold fast to this primary mission by living as Christ did and by working to educate others to become disciples of the supreme Teacher —Jesus. And as we do this hard work, like the parable in the Gospel highlights, let’s not abandon the vineyard despite an uprising by those who sought self-gain. Instead, let Jesus’ message inspire us to continue, remembering all our gains and profits come from and belong to the Lord. This way forward will require us to call on the Lord often, asking for the strength to walk the high road as together we work toward restitution and healing.

As we navigate the news and updates from the Archdiocese’s Chapter 11 Reorganization, I encourage all parishioners to stay informed. I believe Archbishop Lori strives to be open and honest with us, providing accurate and accurate news. Check out our website for the information and a prayer for the healing of the victims and survivors: olphparish.org/aob-update.

October is a month the Church puts aside to celebrate and honor life. Even though it requires sacrifice, working for a society where the lives of the unborn, the vulnerable, the ill, and the elderly are respected is critical work for our broken world. In addition to your prayers, consider supporting our local pregnancy centers that help women with at-risk pregnancies by participating in our Baby Bottle Drive this weekend or donating online. Also, join our OLPH Knights for their Living Rosary on Saturday, October 14th, at 4 p.m., located on the grass area in front of the main Church entrance. To find out more about both of these opportunities, visit https://olphparish.org/respect-for-life/

Lastly, I invite all of you to join our OLPH school community for their annual Fall Festival next Saturday, October 14th, beginning at 3 p.m. with fun activities and games for the kids, good food, and fantastic fireworks at 8 p.m. I encourage you to make a day of it and invite a neighbor!