BIG C CATHOLICS

It is the duty of every man to uphold the dignity of every woman. — St. John Paul II The culture of life extolled by the Church is in every way superior to politically correct sentimentality. The former demands that persons be loved. The later treats persons as objects of use — to be thrown away (abortion) or discarded (euthanasia) at will, according to the capricious determinations of others.

September 22, 2016 Saint Therese of Lisieux, you said that you would spend your time in heaven doing good on earth. Your trust in God was complete. Pray that He may increase my trust in His goodness and mercy as I ask for the following petitions… (State your intentions) Pray for me that I, like you, may have great and innocent confidence in the loving promises of our God. Pray that I may live my life in union with God’s plan for me, and one day see the Face of God whom you loved so deeply. Saint Therese, you were faithful to God even unto the moment of your death. Pray for me that I may be faithful to our loving God. May my life bring peace and love to the world through faithful endurance in love for God our savior. Amen. St. Thérèse of Lisieux Novena Day One Loving God, you blessed St. Therese with a capacity for a great love. Help me to believe in your unconditional love for each of your children, especially for me. I love you, Lord. Help me to love you more! O

Here is a reflection on this Sunday's Gospel reading from the Gospel of Luke: SCRIPTURE: “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, “Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.” Luke 16:19-24 (NIV) TRANSITION: As a means to bring home a lesson from this scripture I would like to ask a couple of questions. Do you use or have used an alarm clock to wake you up in the morning? A lot of alarm clocks have a button on them called a snooz

September 22nd is the first day of the novena to Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, more popularly known as St. Thérèse of Lisieux, "the Little Flower." This beloved saint is the patron of foreign missions, missionaries, against tuberculosis, AIDS sufferers, illness and loss of parents. Her perfect trust in God, deep faith and patient suffering is an example for us to follow. Saint Pius X called St. Thérèse the "greatest saint of modern times." She is a powerful intercessor whose help is sought by many. Join thousands of others around the world in praying the novena to St. Thérèse of Lisieux. O God, who opened your Kingdom to those who are humble and to little ones, lead us to follow trustingly in the little way of St. Thérèse, so that through her intercession we may see your eternal glory revealed and spend eternity with you in heaven. Click for more about this novena and daily email reminders sent to your inbox .

September 21st, is the feast of Saint Matthew, the Apostle and Evangelist, best known for the Gospel bearing his name. Information about his early years is scarce. In the New Testament, he is referred to variously as "Levi" and the "son of Alphaeus." He received the name Matthew upon becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. (Matthew in Hebrew: מַתִּתְיָהוּ‎‎ means "gift of God.") As a publican for the Roman authorities, he collected taxes in Capernaum where Jesus is known to have resided in Peter’s house. Tax collectors typically overcharged and pocketed the difference — a universally acknowledged practice. Moreover, they collaborated with the occupying Romans in handling money deemed impure from those foreign to the People of God. Matthew was despised by fellow Jews, especially the Pharisees who likened tax collectors to sinners, prostitutes and extortionists. As such, Jewish publicans were forbidden from marrying a Jewish woman, worshiping in the synag

Saint Andrew Kim Taegon was the first native born Korean Catholic priest. For his life of heroic virtue in imitation of Christ, he suffered greatly. Imprisoned for his Catholicism, he was brutally tortured and condemned to death when he refused to renounce his faith. These are his last words: This is my last hour of life, listen to me attentively: if I have held communication with foreigners, it has been for my religion and for my God. It is for Him that I die. My immortal life is on the point of beginning. Become Christians if you wish to be happy after death, because God has eternal chastisements in store for those who have refused to know Him. St. Andrew Kim Taegon, pray for us, that we may be faithful as you were.

September 20th, the Church celebrates the memorial of Saint Andrew Kim Taegon and Saint Paul Chong Hasang and companions, courageous Korean martyrs from the 18th and 19th centuries. Andrew Kim Taegon (1821–1846) was the first native born Korean Catholic priest. As converts, both Kim's parents were harshly persecuted. His father, Blessed Ignatius Kim, was martyred in 1839, for practicing the Catholic faith. At 15, Taegon was chosen by a visiting priest to be a seminarian. He journeyed thirteen hundred miles to the seminary in Macao, China where he studied theology. Six years later, Taegon left Macao to serve as an interpreter for a French admiral, after which he was ordained a deacon in 1844. The following year, he was ordained a priest. Taegon returned to Korea where he successfully catechized his home town and the surrounding villages until being summoned to Seoul. There he assisted French missionaries from China ministering to the Korean faithful. For these efforts, Taegon