Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

     With the first Sunday of Advent we initiate the new liturgical year.  Year B in the three year cycle of Mass readings will feature the Evangelist St. Mark but because it is the shortest of the four Gospels we will from time to time draw from the other three Evangelists as well, especially during the Paschal Season.  Daily Mass readings will be from Year 2.  Though Mark was not one of the Twelve, i.e. Apostles, he was closely associated with our Lord, most likely as a teenager and eventually became the “secretary” for St. Paul and St. Peter, primarily.  He had both a Hebrew (John) and a Greek (Mark) name so he was fluent in both cultures and ended up writing from the words of St. Peter.  His Gospel was especially directed to the gentiles.  It is always important to know the background of our Evangelists because it puts in perspective to whom the Good News is oriented.  We as Gentiles appreciate Mark’s focus towards us.

     The beginning of Advent, which is a mere three weeks and a day for us this year, emphasizes watchfulness and joyful expectation.  Put yourself in the “shoes” of those living in the time of our Lord.  There is the feeling, as we glean from the Scriptures, that God is up to something.  Jew and Gentile alike are anxious because there is something in the air.  If we are childlike, as our Lord reminds us we must be, then like our little ones we are waiting with excitement for what is to come.  Rather than get ourselves bogged down with unimportant things we should take the time to focus on preparing for the coming of the Lord.  We can either look at Christmas as: ” Oh no it’s here again and I have so much to do”, or ” this year I am going to prepare by imitating the Blessed Virgin Mary with an interior joyfulness awaiting  a baby’s birth.”  Which will you choose?  

     Of course one and perhaps most importantly in our preparation is making a good and thorough Confession.   There are always daily opportunities for your convenience but also special Penance Services locally which are available.   As we go to great lengths to have a clean house to welcome visitors, how about a clean soul to welcome The Visitor, Emmanuel?

      I would like to take this opportunity to express profound thanks to all who contributed in making our recent spaghetti dinner a tremendous success.  From Chefs to servers, in particular our Knights of Columbus and our Youth Group, to our beautiful basket committee and those who donated them we commend you on your dedication, hard work and love of your parish.  Well done good and faithful servants.

      And finally a special thanks to  Hessling-Murray for the 2024 liturgical calendars  They are strikingly beautiful and are available at the entrance ways of our churches.

Let us watch and wait with joyful hearts,

Father Langan 

Pray this novena anytime of year, but especially from Friday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time until Saturday of the Thirty–Third Week in Ordinary Time (Nine days prior to the Solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe).

For 2023: Novena prayed daily from November 17–25, 2023

Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe: November 26, 2023

Daily Novena Prayers:

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Almighty and merciful God, you break the power of evil and make all things new in your Son Jesus Christ, the King of the universe. May all in heaven and earth acclaim your glory and never cease to praise you.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Our Father…

Hail Mary…

Glory Be…

Let us Pray:

O Lord our God, You alone are the Most Holy King and Ruler of all nations.
We pray to You, Lord, in the great expectation of receiving from You, O Divine King, mercy, peace, justice and all good things.
Protect, O Lord our King, our families and the land of our birth.
Guard us we pray Most Faithful One.
Protect us from our enemies and from Your Just Judgment
Forgive us, O Sovereign King, our sins against you.
Jesus, You are a King of Mercy.
We have deserved Your Just Judgment
Have mercy on us, Lord, and forgive us.
We trust in Your Great Mercy.
O most awe-inspiring King, we bow before You and pray;
May Your Reign, Your Kingdom, be recognized on earth.

Amen.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

        We may be caught off guard!   Thanksgiving comes a wee bit early this year and perhaps you, like me, thought we had another week before the feast.  Being caught unawares is like the unproductive  steward in today’s Gospel.  He did not know when the master would come and rightfully demand his recompense.  His fear kept him from risk taking and left him in a most embarrassing predicament.  Why did he fail?

       First we look at the master who put his trust in his servants.  He ”blessed” them with his own possessions.  He had confidence that each one would produce in the measure to which he was entrusted.  The master determined the capabilities of each, not too much to those who could not handle it.  The first expected response from the stewards should be that of gratitude that the master thought so highly of them.  Secondly, there would have been respect for the master’s expectation and, thirdly, devotedness in the task assigned.  The unworthy steward failed in all of this because he lacked gratitude toward his master. His primary goal was to save his own skin.  

     As we prepare to celebrate our annual national holiday we first recognize that we have but one master–God.  We ponder the gifts he has bestowed upon us, never in comparison with others but knowing that the Lord has given us what is necessary for our well-being.  We offer Him our thankfulness and commit ourselves to use well what He has given.

A Blessed Thanksgiving,

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

     Readiness and vigilance are the order of the day in today’s Gospel message. And what are the reasons for the practicing of these virtues?  The coming of the Lord of course.  Our Lord always keeps His promises and if it seems that He has been tardy in making His return in glory we need only look to the promises of the past that were fulfilled in God’s time and not our own.  Soon we will begin the season of Advent and even though it wizzes by, especially this year, it represents the many thousands of years that mankind awaited the Savior.  The operative phrase here is that: “we know not the hour nor the day.”  Hence the need to be ready and vigilant.

      Some erroneous sects have in the past and indeed presently think they have the inside scoop on when the Return will take place.  Some even have given it a name. i.e. the rapture.  There is no Biblical or Traditional foundation for such a concept.  No particular revelation has been given although some think they have been privileged to receive it.  Sorry, it is complete fiction.  God does not deal with us using scare tactics.  Rather the Lord in His great mercy wants to give us every opportunity to repent of our sins, to walk with Him and be prepared for that time when He comes to bring us Home.  

    Both the Scouts and several military bodies have preparedness as part of their motto.  Let us always make it our own as we wait joyfully for the Lord to come.

With Blessings,

Father Langan

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

     Today begins National Vocation Awareness Week (Nov. 5-11).  Specifically the Church is referring to vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life.  This is a vocation/calling to serve the Lord in imitation of His life for the good of the Church.  The Catholic Church and Orthodox Church have their existence in the abiding Presence of Christ through the Sacraments most especially in the Holy Eucharist.  Our Lord promised to remain with the Church He founded through the celebration of the Seven Sacraments which convey the grace of His Presence:  ” I will be with you always.”  This He promised and fulfills daily.  But how and through whom does He fulfill His promise?   Through His Apostles (the first bishops) and through His bishops and priests to this very day.  

     The power and authority to administer the Sacraments has been passed down for two thousand years beginning with the Apostles who ordained (empowered) their successors, who ordained their successors, who ordained their successors etc.  Thus, the unbroken chain of Apostolic successions continues until the end of the world.  But always this continuous succession has depended upon men responding to the Lord’s call freely and humbly.  When a possible vocation candidate is approached about being a priest the general reaction is: “surely not me!”  But indeed one may see something in that young man that indicates that the Lord may be calling him but he doesn’t want to acknowledge it.  Well to quote a familiar phrase these days: “if you see something, say something”  Vocation awareness is the work of all of us, not just your priests.  If you desire to be fed with God’s Holy Word and His life-giving Sacraments then take up the mission of steering young men toward the priesthood.  Your reward will be great.

     The end of this week we commemorate Veterans Day.  There are many veterans in our parish and community.  Let them know how grateful we are to them for the sacrifices they have made to preserve our freedom and the God-given virtues that we cherish.

Finally remember to set your clocks back as we return to standard time.

With Blessings,

Father Langan

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

    The justice of God is always based on the love of God and of our neighbor.  We know as best we can Who God is by way of His revelation to us, One yet Three.  And He, of course, is a perpetual cycle of love: Father for Son and Holy Spirit, Spirit for Father and Son, Son for Father and Spirit, an endless movement of each for the other.  We can only glimpse the mystery of God’s nature and essence but we are called in our own limited humanness to imitate He Who made us.  We act upon that imitation of God by our relationship to one another.  First we recognize that we are all relatives.   It is  very hard to imagine when we see the horrific strife and inhumanity in the world today. But it is true and genetically the warring factions in the Middle East are descendants of Abraham! The consequence of Original Sin that cascaded from Adam and Eve to Cain and Abel and beyond sadly continues to this day in spite of the fact that the Father has sent His Son to reverse and end the schism between brother and brother.  When will it end?

   It will only end when all cry out: Jesus is Lord! He is the Way, He is the Truth, He is the One Who shows us the promise of a better, happier and fulfilling life on earth in preparation for the fullness yet to come.  And yet, by so many, ignored. Only when people stop thinking of themselves first will there be a restoration of the order ordained by God.  Is God first? Are our neighbors second, are we the last?  If not disaster in one form or another is sure to fall upon us.  It’s a simple easy formula; 1,2,3, and it will bring the peace and justice for which we long.

      Remember that  Wednesday, November 1st is All Saints Day, a Holy Day of Obligation for which we are bound to participate in Holy Mass.  It is sinful not to participate in Mass that day.  The following day is All Souls, not a Holy Day, but rather a devotional day wherein we earnestly pray for our neighbors who are in purification before entrance into the Kingdom of God.  They are in need of our prayers and sacrifices for they are unable in this state of life to accomplish anything for themselves.  It is a great act of charity on our part to pray for them, most especially by the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and the Rosary, that their purification may be accomplished and their entrance into sainthood be complete.

With Blessings,

Reverend and dear Father:

At his General Audience in Saint Peter’s Square last week, Pope Francis called for this Friday, October 27, 2023, to be a Day of Fasting, Penance and Prayer for the intention of peace in the world, especially in Israel and Palestine.

In making his announcement, the Holy Father said that “war does not solve any problems, it only sows death and destruction. It increases hatred, multiples revenge. War erases the future.”

I encourage all clergy and lay faithful throughout the Diocese of Scranton to observe this Day of Fasting, Penance and Prayer for Peace. All parishes are encouraged to spread the word of this day on their websites and social media channels (using the attached graphic) and are welcome to highlight any local plans for observance, especially with the praying of the Holy Rosary and the celebration of Holy Mass.

Parishioners in the Diocese are especially encouraged to join in person, or via our televised and livestream Daily Mass celebration from the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton on Friday at 12:10 p.m.

Let us ask Our Lady, Queen of Peace, to intercede for us as we pray for peace in our world.

Faithfully yours in Christ,

†Joseph C. Bambera

Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L.

Bishop of Scranton

…

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

Duplicity seems to be a perfected art form in our day and time. What is it? Simply saying one thing  and meaning another. There is a certain amount of  cunning associated with it and it is quite obvious in  today’s Gospel as our Lord once again is confronting those who seek to trap Him in His speech. Of course, it is all about speaking the truth. Jesus, of course, is the Truth and until we all start imitating  Him in word and deed there will continue to be tampering with reality and what is absolutely necessary  for honest and respectful dialog. 

Speaking the truth always involves humility. But we  know that pride and the desire for attention may  cause us to twist and finagle what the truth can so  clearly convey. Again, as we see in the Gospel our  Lord is always straightforward and uncompromising  when He says what has to be said whether it is  accepted by others or not. So not only is humility  a necessary virtue when speaking the truth but also  courage.

As we examine our own lives may we always pray for the humility and courage necessary to speak the  truth even when we know it may not be received  well by others. People just need to hear the truth  and then it is up to them to accept and embrace the  Truth that will set them free.

In 2024 we will be celebrating the  100th anniversary of St. Bernard Church in Beach  Lake.  Bishop Bambera has graciously accepted the  invitation to be the celebrant of the Mass which will  take place there at 10:30AM. We shall begin our  planning for the day’s festivities on Thursday, October  26th. We will meet in the Church at 6:30PM. All are  welcome to come and assist in our preparations. 

  With Blessings, 

  Father Langan

Dear Brothers and Sister in Christ,

      Much is going on in the Church these days and I believe it is most important to keep you informed of developments that will very  seriously affect your Faith and spiritual life.  First we consider the local Church or also understood as the diocese.  This past week all the priests of the diocese that are presently active, i.e., not retired, were gathered together to review the projections of the diocese from now until the year 2030 (certainly not that far off).  Today’s active priests for 110 parishes number 87 diocesan priests.  Within the next 7 years there will be only 60 priests to serve the entire 11 counties of Northeast PA., that is if none become sick or incapacitated.  Our Bishop is being very proactive in addressing this issue since it means fewer priests will be responsible for more parishes.  It obviously is not a matter solely for  the clergy but for the lay faithful as well.

     The week of the 16th October to the 19th, all priests will be with Bishop Bambera on the annual convocation to deliberate the consequences of the future lack of priests to serve our parishes. Please accompany us with your prayers.   Because of the convocation there will be no Masses celebrated on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  

    Regarding the Universal Church, you surely are aware of the Synod on Synodality presently taking place in Rome.  Four hundred fifty delegates from all over the world are meeting with the Pope to address numerous Vocations to the priesthood being one of them.  Because this is such an important time in the life of the Church many voices pro and con are swarming around and the information that is being disseminated is not always accurate and in fact some is quite spurious.  Be not easily swayed.  This is only part one of the two part Synod which will conclude next October, after which the information will be released to the public.  Let us always be careful and not too quick to reach any conclusions about what emerges from these meetings.  

     As Catholics, we believe that the Holy Spirit will always guide the Church in Truth and we pray that those who are gathered in Rome will be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.  Opinions and feelings are of no consequence but the search for Truth and conforming our lives to it advances the growth in holiness because we surrender ourselves to the Divine Will of God.  In it we find true happiness and peace.

With Blessings,

Father Langan

Due to the inclement weather being predicted for Saturday, the Rosary Rally will be held in St. Mary Magdalen Church.