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

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

    Has this ever happened to you?  Not too long ago when dining out at a famous Italian restaurant I ordered a glass of wine with my pasta.  Taking a sip I gagged. It had turned to vinegar and when the owner, who had suggested the vintage, saw my reaction he zoomed to my table and wanted to know what was the matter.  He thought it went down the wrong way.  Have a sip, said I, which he didn’t have to do because he could smell the pungency of elixir gone rogue.   It begs the question how could something so good become so bad?  Such is the query made by prophets, psalmists and our Lord in today’s Scriptures. And again we are faced with the conundrum of God’s  fairness.  What’s God to do?

       Sadly, those who are “in the know” and profess to know the right answer cannot see beyond the length of their nose… everything is about them except when it comes to understanding the truth Jesus lies before them. In their mind His words refer to somebody else.  They are the branches that on the Vine have gone rogue.   They are the ones who have soured the sweetness of the Lord.  But still they cannot see.

      Whenever we hear the Word of the Lord proclaimed we must not think it was for just a later time and a particular crowd.  His Words are for us and though we may not have really soured on the Lord there is always the danger that we might miss the point of God’s  call to conversion and regeneration in His grace. We are the branches grafted on the Vine and sometimes we need that health-giving pruning that revitalizes our faith and the desire to do good.

      One of the ways to put into practice our faith is to let it shine.  We have the opportunity to do that at our Rosary Rally this coming Saturday, October 14th in Central Park.  Following Mass at 11 A.M. we will make our way down to the Park and joyfully offer our prayers to God through the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  If the weather turns bad we will continue in St. Mary Magdalen’s but hopefully it will be a radiant Fall day.   Please join us.

With Blessings,

Father Langan

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

October is the month dedicated to Our Lady of  the Rosary and as devoted children of our heavenly  Mother it would do us well to heed her guidance  and pray the Rosary every day. St. Padre Pio, whose  feast we celebrated this past week, often referred to  the Rosary as our weapon against the prevailing evils  of our day. The skeptic may ask, “how can the multi plication of words and seemingly monotony of recitations bring about any good?” That’s because they  cannot see beyond their nose. They are ignorant of  the power of prayer to change hearts and minds and  reset our moral compass to follow the teachings of  our Savior. 

The Sacred Scriptures, today’s Readings, speak about  the changing of minds and it begs the question of  who has that influence to change our minds for the  better. There is a strange new phenomena of this  present age that singles out persons of influence –  “influencers”- that have as peculiar “power” over  decision-making. Who are they and who gave them  such prestige? The only One necessary to influence  is the Son of God, Jesus our Lord. Who can question  the real power and authority that His Words convey?  Sadly, many turn a deaf ear to the saving message He  brings, and would rather heed the nonsense spewed  from self-appointed egalitarians. And what do they  have to offer? Christ the Lord offers us eternal  happiness that begins right now when we surrender  our whole being to Him just as our Mother Mary did.  That’s why praying and meditating on the mysteries of  the Rosary dispose us to the happiness found therein.  Even the Sorrowful Mysteries are laden with hope in  the midst of great suffering, reminding us that this too  will pass. 

Some years ago, a study was conducted on the  physical effects of prayer. Volunteers were instructed to pray and even to pray the Rosary. In doing so  researchers discovered that people’s blood pressure  decreased and a feeling of euphoria came upon them,  i.e. its healthy to pray the Rosary though that is not  its primary purpose. And we do not in prayer try to  change the mind of God, but rather change ours to  conform with the plan God has for us. Hence, Peace!  

 Mary, Mother of the Rosary, pray for us.

 With Blessings, 

Father Langan

O God, who founded all the commands of your
sacred Law
upon love of you and of our neighbour,
grant that, by keeping your precepts,
we may merit to attain eternal life.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity
of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

Here’s a tricky question for you: “How do I think like  God?” As we explore the Scriptures of the day that  query comes immediately to mind. Not too many  years ago there was a popular phrase not dissimilar:  “What would Jesus do?” As we attempt to answer  either one, we may find ourselves in a quandary  trying to discern what is charity and what is fairness.  Our sense of fairness is based on the work ethic  equal pay for equal work, but the parable in the Gospel seems to upset that equilibrium. So again: “How  do I think like God?” The answer is not to be found  in our rationalizing, but rather in our surrender to  the power and inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  

The best example of that is to be found in the response of St. John the Baptist: “He must increase  and I must decrease. The “He”, of course being Jesus.  Therein lies the almost constant struggle and interior  tension of discerning what the Lord wants, not me.  How then to arrive at the balance and serenity that  comes with surrendering to God? Prayer! And there  is no better place than to seek the Will and know  how to respond to it than in being in the Presence of  the Lord Himself. If you have not ever or been too  preoccupied with the things of this world to know  and appreciate the Holy Presence of Christ in the Eucharist now is the time to do so. We as a parish have  been so very blessed to have Eucharistic Adoration for  nearly four decades. The Lord is going nowhere, but  He is ever waiting for you to be somewhere, namely  in His Presence. Come to be with the Lord. Listen  to Him in the quiet (as it should always be in the  Chapel) and solitude and allow the: “still, small voice”  speak to your heart. That is the beginning of learn ing how to think as God thinks and you will begin to  transcend the limits of this world’s notion of fairness  and appreciate and act upon the way of the Lord. 

 With Blessings,

 Father Langan

Look upon us, O God,

Creator and ruler of all things,

and, that we may feel the working of your mercy,

grant that we may serve you with all our heart.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity

of the Holy Spirit

God, for ever and ever.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

Numbers are very important in the transmission of  the Word of God, both in the Old Testament and the  New Testament. Numbers in Jewish thought have a  mystical quality which may not be understood very  readily, since in Hebrew letters and numbers are the  same. Depending on the compilation of letters they  convey a particular sum and a particular meaning. We  find that in today’s Gospel. Dear Peter, bumbling as  usual, is trying to put a restriction on the dispensing of mercy and forgiveness. Of course, he is in for  another shock. What he thinks is appropriate is  dismissed by Our Lord and replaced with an astronomical sum, i.e. infinite!

We may also find ourselves in the “generously apportioned” mercy and forgiveness that Peter wants to  dispense, but Christ has a different proposal and like  other things our Lord drops in our laps “It Ain’t Easy.”  How then do we imitate our Lord when He gives  us a challenger like this? For myself, I try to always  recall the words that Jesus spoke when He was on  the Cross: “Father forgive them for they know not  what they do.” From His soon to be pierced Heart  the Savior forgives from His Heart those who have  so maliciously put Him on it.

Because we are His disciples, we strive to do our  best in following the example He gave. But it takes  time and God is patient with us. Most often, we have  to take “baby steps” when it comes to forgiving from  our heart, and we know that with God’s grace all  things are possible. Be patient with yourself and be  patient with God and in time the forgiveness that  seemed impossible will happen. 

Today at the 10:30 Mass we will commission the  Catechists who give so very much of their time  and teaching expertise to guide the children of our  parish in the ways of Faith. Their own personal Faith in Christ spurs them on to evangelize the innocent  hearts and minds that hunger for the Lord. Let us  always support, encourage and be grateful to them  for this most important ministry in our parish. May  God, Who began the good work in them, continue to  bring it to fruition. 

With Blessings, 

Father Langan

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

     No doubt you are familiar with the term, “walking on eggs.”   Where these shibbollets come from I have no idea but this one certainly conveys the challenges expressed in our Scriptures today. Namely, fraternal correction.  Risking volatile reactions or downright rejection is something we all shy away from and yet our Blessed Lord reminds us through prophets, and Apostles, and Himself that it is a serious obligation for those who profess to follow Him.   Our late Holy Father Benedict, of loving memory, also reminded us of speaking the truth in love.  And thus preparing ourselves for feedback that may indeed unsettle us.  

     How very much we need to employ those gifts of the Holy Spirit promised us at our Baptism, specifically courage and fortitude.  We strap ourselves up with these shields and say to ourselves, “here goes!”  (Were we not, after all, reminded at our Confirmation that we are to be soldiers for Christ?).  Fortified by prayer we enter into the fray always hopeful for a peaceful turnout but realistic that our good efforts may be unwelcome.  Nonetheless,  we have been faithful to the Lord’s commands.

     Seared into our memories is the horror of 9/11, which occurred 22 years ago.  We must never forget nor will we ever forget the pain and suffering of that day and the many who in these latter days continue to suffer the effects of that violation of our sovereign land.  We must always be vigilant and ever grateful to those who protect us and put their lives on the line for our safety.  God bless America and those who defend our nation.

    Throughout the course of the year, we have several important fundraisers for our parish.  Aside from the well-responded-to increased offering last Lent, we have the annual calendar sales, the spaghetti dinner and beautiful baskets, the penny social, and the labor day weekend flea market, and the St. Joseph golf tournament.  All have been a tremendous success due to the hard work done by so many individuals working in beautiful harmony and selflessness.  These events are absolutely essential for the financial stability of our parish  As pastor and parishioners we are grateful to all who have participated in anyway by donations, service and support.  Makes a pastor proud.

Thank you all

With Blessings,

Father Langan

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

   In the midst of His disciples and particularly aimed at Peter Our Lord asks the fundamental question: “Who do you say that I am?”  Peter’s response is immediate and accurate but he does not comprehend the magnitude of his response.  His concept of the Messiah is ascue.  It is his vision of what he thinks the Messiah should be, in order to satisfy his own aspirations, rather than Who Jesus is.  As we make headways in the growth of faith that same question should challenge if not haunt us.  Who do you think Jesus is? And by extension what do you think His Church should be?

     Very often we ask ourselves: Why can’t it be like—————–? (fill in the blank)  Surely, we have our opinions and desires of how we think things should be, wishful thinking.  Perhaps in some circumstances that is ok.  However, when it comes to matters of faith the humility test comes and the conflict arises between what I want and what God wants.  Isn’t that what happens between Our Lord and Peter AND between the Lord and us.  Discernment of God’s will is not easy but when we arrive at compliance of the Divine will life becomes more peaceful and stress diminishes.  SO , who do you say Jesus is?  Your answer will determine the rest of your life.

     FYI: In October of 2024, I will be leading a pilgrimage to Sicily and Malta for 12 days under the auspices of ProRome tours.  Already 10 have registered even before formally advertising.  If you have an interest in journeying with us please contact Father Langan or go to the website for ProRome which covers all the details.

     As our children and teachers and administrators return to the classroom we pray that they have a fruitful academic year growing in wisdom and knowledge for their own personal growth and for the betterment of the world in which they live.

With Blessings,

Father Langan