Notes from the Pastor’s Pen – May 1, 2022

Dear friends,

First Holy Communion will be celebrated at the 11:00 a.m. Mass this Sunday, May 1, at Saint Joseph Church for members of our Parish and surrounding Parishes who are enrolled in the Saint Joseph Parish School of Religion Program. Those who will be receiving their First Holy Communion recently celebrated the Sacrament of Confession in preparation to receive the Lord Jesus really and truly present in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.

On this special occasion, we call to mind that the Lord Jesus instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist at the Last Supper with His disciples; that in the celebration of the Eucharist the bread and wine really and truly become His Body and Blood; and that the Lord Jesus commanded us to celebrate the Eucharist in memory of Him.

As Saint Paul the Apostle reminds us, “For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes” (I Corinthians 11:23-26).

A special word of gratitude goes to all those who were involved in preparing those who received the Sacrament of Confirmation last Sunday and for those who were involved in preparing those who will be receiving their First Holy Communion this Sunday. Here I think especially of their parents who are the primary educators of their children in the ways of faith and the catechists who teach in our Parish School of Religion.

In Christ,
Father Bené

Notes from the Pastor’s Pen – April 24, 2022

Dear friends,

We warmly welcome the Most Reverend Mark S. Rivituso, J.C.L., Auxiliary Bishop of Saint Louis, who will celebrate the 11:00 a.m. Mass this Sunday, April 24, at Saint Joseph Church and confer the Sacrament of Confirmation on members of our Parish and surrounding Parishes who are enrolled in the Saint Joseph Parish School of Religion Program.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that “Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace; it is the sacrament which gives the Holy Spirit in order to root us more deeply in the divine filiation, incorporate us more firmly into Christ, strengthen our bond with the Church, associate us more closely with her mission, and help us bear witness to the Christian faith in words accompanied by deeds” (1316). On this special occasion, we pray for all those who will be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation that the Holy Spirit will strengthen them in their vocation as followers of Christ.

May I take this opportunity to thank all those who were involved in the preparations for the liturgical celebrations of Holy Week and Easter Sunday. A lot of work goes into helping contribute to their prayerfulness. Please be assured of the gratitude of all the members of Saint Joseph Parish.

In Christ,
Father Bené

Notes from the Pastor’s Pen – April 17, 2022

Dear friends,

On Easter Sunday we celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus. As we do so, we call to mind this central truth of our faith. Here we recall the words of Saint aul the Apostle who wrote what may be one of the earliest accounts of the Resurrection, namely, “I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures; that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve” (I Corinthians 15:3-5).

Our faith hinges on the historical and transcendent reality of the Resurrection, for as Saint Paul also tells us, “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain…but now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firs fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead came also through a human being. For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life…” (I Corinthians 15: 17, 20-22).

By His Resurrection, the Lord Jesus provides each and every person of every time and place the opportunity of sharing in His life. By faith and Baptism, we are incorporated into the life of the Most Holy Trinity and by our lives we are called to announce the Good News. As our Holy Father Pope Francis recently explained, “Every Christian is called to be a missionary and witness to Christ. And the Church, the community of Christ’s disciples, has no other mission than that of bringing the Gospel to the entire world by bearing witness to Christ. To evangelize is the very identity of the Church” (Message of the Holy Father Francis for World Missionary Day 2022).

As we celebrate Easter Sunday, let us ask the Risen Lord to help us become like His early disciples who, as the first witnesses to the Resurrection, spread to others His message of hope in eternal life.

In Christ,
Father Bené