Brothers and Sisters,

Do You Believe?

And if you do, are you ready to boldly say, “Amen”?

Unlike many of our leaders today—including myself—Jesus speaks with absolute clarity. He doesn’t mince words, and his message never changes. While it’s easy for us to believe in a version of Jesus that fits our own ideas, we must be careful to listen to the Word made Flesh, the incarnate Son of God. When Jesus tells his disciples and us, “This is my body. This is my blood,” he is speaking plainly and boldly. The question for us is: do we believe his teachings on the Eucharist, the gift he gives for our salvation?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that he will suffer, be killed, and rise again on the third day. The disciples struggled to understand this. They looked for a symbolic or spiritual message as if Jesus were speaking in parables or analogies. But his message is simple, even if it’s difficult for us to grasp. And it’s precisely because these truths challenge our worldview that we should not be afraid to wrestle with them, even when they’re uncomfortable.

The world may be complicated, but God is not. God is simple and unchanging. If you’ve ever read through the writings of an intellectual, you know how difficult it can be to summarize their contributions. Their thoughts and ideas can evolve over time, and you can find contradictory points depending on when something was written. But God’s truth is eternal and does not change. We must resist the temptation to complicate or soften God’s message just because it challenges us. The truth is simple and clear.

Care for Life

Loving God requires us to love our neighbor. Jesus does not mince words here, either. To illustrate his point, he takes a child into his arms, showing us that even the smallest life has immense value and dignity. It’s a call to recognize the worth of every human life. Explanations that try to justify the intentional destruction of life in the womb. Many who argue for this believe they are showing compassion and care, but it’s misguided. As faithful Christians, we are called to stand firmly in the truth, which is simple: from the moment of conception until natural death, every life is precious beyond measure.

This is why it’s so heartbreaking to see the evil of abortion persist. It’s difficult to hear the convoluted arguments and explanations that try to justify the intentional destruction of a life in the womb. Many who argue for this believe they are showing compassion and care, but it’s misguided. As faithful Christians, we are called to stand firmly in the truth, which is simple: from the moment of conception until natural death, every life is precious beyond measure.

The proposed amendment on the Maryland ballot, “Question 1 – the Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment,” is a clear and unequivocal evil. Abortion is already legal in Maryland at any stage of pregnancy, and minors can even undergo an abortion without their parents’ knowledge or consent. So why are proponents pushing this amendment? Because they want to make the right to abortion permanent by enshrining it in the Maryland Constitution, which would severely restrict any efforts to regulate it in the future.

To help us understand this better, I invite you to join us on Wednesday, October 9, at 7 PM at OLPH for an important discussion. We will have a speaker from the Maryland Catholic Conference who will explain the language, intentions, and consequences of Question 1 and how it could further impact the sanctity of life in our state. Please feel free to RSVP at OLPHParish.org/reg-hub. I strongly encourage you to attend this event so that we, as a parish, can be well-informed and stand together in the truth.

I am not here to tell you whom to vote for, but this amendment goes directly against our faith and values. I urge you to Vote NO to Question 1. Let’s redirect our focus to how we can care for the children among us, rather than disposing of the unexpected or unwanted.

Finally, I want to express my deep gratitude. Recently, our St. Vincent ministry was running low on food, as the needs of the hungry in our community have grown. But, as always, you, our wonderful parishioners, responded quickly and generously. Our pantry is replenished, and we are once again able to serve those in need. Thank you for your care and compassion.