Our Lady of the Valley Roman Catholic Parish

TODAY'S GOSPEL - Luke 4:38–44

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090424.cfm

REFLECTION (By Bishop Robert Barron):

Friends, in our Gospel today, we see Jesus in action. He is always hurrying from place to place, on the go. Today, Luke gives us a sort of “day in the life” of Jesus. And it is quite a day! Our Gospel opens just after the dramatic expulsion of a demon in the Capernaum synagogue. And after entering the house of Simon, Jesus cures his mother-in-law, and then the entire town comes to his door. Jesus spends the whole evening curing presumably hundreds who were variously afflicted.

In the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries, in an attempt to make Jesus more palatable to rationalists and “realists,” theologians put great stress on Jesus’ preaching, especially his ethical teaching.

But this is not the Jesus that Luke presents. Rather, he is a healer—Soter, rendered in Latin as salvator, which just means “the bearer of the salus” or health. Jesus is portrayed as a healer, a savior. In him, divinity and humanity have come together; in him, the divine life and divine power are breaking through. God’s deepest intentions for his beloved creatures appears—what God plans for us in the kingdom to come is now historically anticipated.

Source: www.wordonfire.org/reflections
Photo source: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-4-38-44-2020/
Jesus Healing the Sick,
Painted by Gebhard Fugel (1863-1939),
Painted circa 1920,
Oil on canvas
© Dommuseum Freising, Bavaria, Germany

Good morning! Here is the link to Day 248 of The Catechism in a Year for those who are following along with us.

Day 248 - The Spread of Sin
We close the section on human dignity and goodness by learning how sin engenders vice. Our readings today discuss the proliferation of sin and how capital sins, in particular, lead to vices that can become rooted in a person or society. Fr. Mike reminds us that while sin is a personal act, it is also possible for us to cooperate in and encourage the sins of others. This can lead to the formation of “structures of sin” that lead others down the path of evil and contribute to establishing “social sins.” Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1865-1876.

Day 248: The Spread of Sin — The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB.📖 Foll...

Matthew 4:4

But He answered and said, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God.’ ”

Good morning! Here is the link to Day 247 of The Catechism in a Year for those who are following along with us.

Day 247 - The Weight of Sin
We can consider the variety of sins in light of their gravity or seriousness. In doing so, we see that some sins weaken charity while others destroy it. The first we call venial sins, the second mortal. Our very freedom makes possible this rejection of God. Yet, God’s mercy has no limits. God can and will forgive every sin of which we repent. Fr. Mike invites all listeners to seek this forgiveness and go to Confession. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1854-1864.

Day 247: The Weight of Sin — The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB.📖 Foll...

Philippians 1:9-10

And this I pray, that your love may overflow still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may discover the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ;

Psalms 94:19

When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your comfort delights my soul.

Good morning! Here is the link to Day 246 of The Catechism in a Year for those who are following along with us.

Day 246 - Mercy and the Mystery of Sin
Jesus reveals God’s offer of loving mercy to sinners. To accept this gift, we must identify and admit our failings. Recognizing our sins enables us to further cooperate in our redemption. Sin can be understood and categorized in several ways, but every sin wounds our nature and damages our relationships with God and neighbor. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1846-1853.

Day 246: Mercy and the Mystery of Sin — The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB.📖 Foll...

ART MINISTRY 🎨

Art Ministry will begin meeting Wednesday, September 11th, in the STR Club Room. Doors open at 12:30 p.m. and projects begin at 1:00 p.m. Critique and cleanup about 2:45 p.m. Open to adult members of either parish. No experience necessary.

Contact Deacon Richard at [email protected] or the office for more information.

TODAY'S GOSPEL - Mark 7:1–8, 14–15, 21–23

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090124.cfm

REFLECTION (By Bishop Robert Barron):

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus exposes the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, who imposed their interpretation of the Law on the Israelites. Keep in mind that the first Christians and the writers of the first Christian documents were all Jews, or at least people formed by a Jewish thought world. They made sense of Jesus in terms of what were, to them, the Scriptures.

Jesus himself was an observant Jew, and the themes and images of the Holy Scriptures were elemental for him. And he presented himself as the one who would not undermine the Law and the prophets but fulfill them.

All of those social and religious conventions that had effectively divided Israel, he sought to overcome and to expose as fraudulent. He reached out to everyone: rich and poor, healthy and sick, saints and sinners. And he embodied the obedience of Israel: “I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me”; “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me.”

Source: www.wordonfire.org/reflections
Photo source: https://mjdasma.blogspot.com/2018/08/reflection-for-sunday-september-2.html?m=1

Good morning! Here is the link to Day 245 of The Catechism in a Year for those who are following along with us.

Day 245 - Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit
As we end our exploration of the virtues, we learn about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts perfect our virtues and increase our ability to respond to God’s guidance and inspiration. The fruits of the Holy Spirit perfect us, are signs of a life lived in the Spirit, and are “the first fruits of eternal glory,” as the Catechism tells us. Our cooperation with the Holy Spirit sustains and perfects our moral life, enabling us to live a more full and joyful life. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1830-1845.

Day 245: Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit — The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB.📖 Foll...

Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Good morning! Here is the link to Day 244 of The Catechism in a Year for those who are following along with us.

Day 244 - The Virtue of Charity
The greatest of all the theological virtues is charity. Fr. Mike explains that charity, or love, is to love God above all things for his own sake and to love our neighbor as ourselves. This includes loving our enemies and also obeying God's commandments, two actions that are not always easy. Most importantly, today's readings remind us that true charity is not loving the Father as servants in fear or as mercenaries looking for a reward but rather as his beloved children responding to him who "first loved us." Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 1822-1829.

Day 244: The Virtue of Charity — The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB.📖 Foll...

Luke 1:37

"For nothing will be impossible with God."

TODAY'S GOSPEL - Matthew 25:1–13

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/083024.cfm

REFLECTION (By Bishop Robert Barron):

Friends, our Gospel today is the parable that compares the kingdom of heaven with “ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.” This is an image borrowed from the customs of the time. The bridesmaids would wait for the groom and, upon his appearance, accompany him.

Well, this is the Christian community, waiting for Christ the groom to arrive. Did Jesus tell this parable because he knew that his Church would be in for a long period of waiting?

We are wise in our waiting if we pray on a regular basis; if we educate ourselves in the faith; if we participate in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist; if we perform the corporal and spiritual works of mercy; if we become people of love. We are foolish in our waiting if we neglect these things.

And here is one of the hardest truths of this parable: the divine life, so cultivated, cannot simply be shared with another at the last minute. The wise virgins are not being difficult and self-absorbed when they tell their friends that they can’t help them. A saint can’t simply infuse his life into another; it just doesn’t work that way.

Source: www.wordonfire.org/reflections
Photo source: https://faithimg.com/matthew-251-13/

Good morning! Here is the link to Day 243 of The Catechism in a Year for those who are following along with us.

Day 243 - The Virtue of Hope
A desire for the Kingdom of heaven and eternal life is at the heart of the virtue of hope. Fr. Mike breaks down the definition of the theological virtue of hope and explains how it protects us from discouragement and selfishness. By placing our trust in Christ’s promises, we are free to love the people around us and endure all circumstances because we know that God is faithful. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1817-1821.

Day 243: The Virtue of Hope — The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB.📖 Foll...

John 1:1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

COLLECTION FOR THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA (AUG. 31 - SEPT. 1)

Since 1903, The Catholic University of America has been blessed by the generosity of parishioners around the country through the National Collection. James Cardinal Gibbons, our first chancellor and the ninth Archbishop of Baltimore, affectionately called the Collection “the people’s endowment.”

Catholic University is the national university of the Catholic Church. Gifts to the National Collection — the only second collection taken for higher education in the U.S. — support students and help the University conduct critical research that will serve parishes and dioceses throughout the country.

Be the light for education
We are all in this together. Catholic University is a community of students, faculty, and staff who are committed to keeping everyone safe and upholding the highest standards of education.

Under the guidance of University President Peter K. Kilpatrick, Ph.D., the University community works tirelessly on behalf of its undergraduate and graduate students to help educate them to serve the Church and nation as the Catholic leaders of tomorrow. This comprehensive educational experience is supported through our 12 schools, 32 research facilities, and more than 250 academic programs.

When you contribute via the National Collection, you help the University maintain its legacy built upon 130 years of education in the Catholic intellectual tradition. You are the light for faith-based higher education.

Help the University renew and heal the Church
Right now, the Church has pressing needs, and Catholic University is responding with innovative research initiatives and training programs.

Support of the National Collection not only provides critical support to students; it also helps the University serve dioceses and parishes through innovative research initiatives and training programs, such as the master’s program in Ecclesial Administration and Management, and a credentialing program that prepares recent graduates to serve as campus ministers.

When you donate to the University via the National Collection, you help to fund this critical work, which improves the Church and the nation.

TODAY'S GOSPEL - Mark 6:17-29

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082924.cfm

REFLECTION (By Bishop Robert Barron):
Friends, today’s Gospel tells of the passion of John the Baptist, and it suggests to me “the Herod principle” that I like to apply to contemporary atheists. The Gospels tell us that Herod Antipas arrested John the Baptist because the prophet had publicly challenged the king. Herod threw John into prison, but then, we are told, the king loved secretly to listen to the prophet, who continued to preach from his cell.

A basic assumption of biblical people is that everyone is hardwired for God. As the Psalmist prayed, “My soul rests in God alone.” My wager is that everyone—and that includes Bill Maher and Richard Dawkins—implicitly wants God, and hence remains permanently fascinated by the things of God.

Though the fierce atheists of today profess that they would like to eliminate religious speech and religious ideas, secretly they love to listen as people speak of God. So I say to Christians and other believers: be ready for a good fight, and get some spiritual weapons in your hands. And I say to the atheists: I’ll keep talking—because I know, despite your protestations, that your hearts are listening.

Source: www.wordonfire.org/reflections
Photo source: https://mjdasma.blogspot.com/2021/02/reflection-for-february-5-friday-saint.html

Good morning! Here is the link to Day 242 of The Catechism in a Year for those who are following along with us.

Day 242 - The Virtue of Faith
The origin, motive, and object of the theological virtues are God himself. Today, we dive into the theological virtues, beginning with the virtue of Faith. Fr. Mike unpacks the meaning and purpose of the virtue of Faith and emphasizes that Faith is deeply rooted in trust in God. Lastly, Fr. Mike reminds us that Faith should be lived out along with Hope, and Love, and also professed to those who do know yet know God. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1812-1816.

Day 242: The Virtue of Faith — The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB.📖 Foll...

Psalms 113:3

From the rising of the sun to its setting, The name of the Lord is to be praised.

BURRITO BREAKFASTS ARE BACK!

The OLV Women's Club will be selling regular and green chile burritos after the 10:00 a.m. Mass on Sunday, September 8th, for $3.00 each. If you plan to purchase 4 or more burritos, please place your preorder by contacting Louise Precosky at (602) 373-1144 by no later than Wednesday, September 4th.

Good morning! Here is the link to Day 241 of The Catechism in a Year for those who are following along with us.

Day 241 - The Cardinal Virtues
A virtuous person is someone who consistently chooses the good. Fr. Mike unpacks the four human or cardinal virtues that are essential in helping us become more like Jesus: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. We learn that these four virtues make possible “ease, self-mastery, and joy in leading a morally good life.” Today’s Catechism readings are paragraphs 1803-1811.

Day 241: The Cardinal Virtues — The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB.📖 Foll...

Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

OLV WOMEN'S CLUB - SEPTEMBER MEETING

All women of the parish are invited to join the Women's Club for their first meeting of the 2024-25 year on Tuesday, September 3, 2024. They will begin with a group Rosary and installation ceremony for the new Board at 6:00 p.m. in the Chapel followed by their General Meeting at 6:45 p.m. in the Social Room. Come and see what they are all about! Ice Cream Social to follow the meeting.

TODAY'S GOSPEL - Matthew 23:23–26

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082724.cfm

REFLECTION (By Bishop Robert Barron):

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus forcefully calls the Pharisees (and us) to change their hearts and behavior.

St. Augustine defines sin as incurvatus in se—that means “caved in around oneself.” To be in sin is to be “caved in” around the ego and its narrow concerns. When the Lord says, “Reform your life,” he means move from that old mind and make him the center of your life.

We must know and feel in our bones what is wrong in us; we must look it in the face and acknowledge it with uncompromising honesty. Without this journey into our own inner hell, we will not feel the compunction to shift our way of being and seeing. And we must awaken to what is godlike in us, what is rich and unbroken, what is united with the saving designs of God. Without this clear sense, we will fall into complacency and see metanoia as, at best, a cruel illusion.

Source: www.wordonfire.org/reflections

Photo Source: https://mjdasma.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-for-august-27-tuesday.html?m=1

Good morning! Here is the link to Day 240 of The Catechism in a Year for those who are following along with us.

Day 240 - Erroneous Judgment of Conscience
It is possible for our moral conscience to remain in ignorance for a variety of reasons. Fr. Mike delves into the sources of errors of judgment in moral conduct and how habitual sin blinds our conscience. As we wrap up this article, Fr. Mike reminds us that a well-formed conscience sets us free and gives us the power to do what we ought. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1790-1802.

Day 240: Erroneous Judgment of Conscience — The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB.📖 Foll...

Galatians 5:14

For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Safe Environment Renewal is HERE!

The renewal video on CMG connect is available. Go to phonix.cmgconnect.org. Once signed in, complete the 2024 Online Renewal Safe Environment Curriculum for Lay People.

Have questions or concerns? Email [email protected].