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My brother priest and best friend, Monsignor Edward Puleo, struggled with pancreatic cancer for the past three years. Just a few months prior to his diagnosis he buried his elderly father as well as his only sibling. I was with him the day he was told by his doctor in 2021 that he had only three months to live. He immediately prayed that his dear mom, already advanced in years, would pass before him.

October is Respect Life Month – a time given by the Church for us to reflect on our responsible stewardship as recipients of God’s gift of life! We are also reminded during October that we are called to be missionaries of the Gospel. Therefore, we celebrate World Mission Sunday in October to heighten our awareness and our commitment, especially to missionaries as well as the poor and the vulnerable they serve in missionary lands.

On Sunday, October 20, 2024, the Church throughout the world observes World Mission Sunday (WMS). This year the theme “Go and Invite Everyone to the Banquet,” serves as a reminder that we disciples of Christ are to actively invite and encourage others to participate in the great work of evangelization.

We may wonder why we spend so much time asking God to deliver us from evil. The reason we repeat this prayer over and over is that we live in a world of spiritual and bodily evil, which comes forth from the presence of sin. As such, we need continual deliverance.

Over the years, temptation, not without its shame factor, has taken on numerous forms with the introduction of the internet and social media.

We all know people who feel “unable” to forgive or refuse to forgive. Perhaps you are among them. Some people are “unable” to forgive or refuse to forgive for all the wrong reasons. Some cannot reconcile the deep hurt or betrayal they’ve experienced. Others assume that forgiveness (as in “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”) implies that we must resume former friendships that went sour or otherwise spend time with the one who “trespassed against us”. None of this is asked of us in the Lord’s Prayer. In fact, we don’t even have “to like” the person we are called to forgive, certainly not their negative or sinful behavior. In any case, we are not called to like such people, but to love them – to love the person, not their sin or behavior or disposition or immoral deeds; to love the human being made in the image and likeness of God.

We’ve all heard the expression that “charity begins at home.” As noble as this notion might be, the fact is that there are millions of people beyond our homes who would be grateful to eat what we will not, even the food that many Americans, especially American restaurants, dispose of on a daily basis.

Over the years, when praying this third petition of the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy will be done,” even as a child, I always felt that due to my own imperfections, I was falling short of performing God’s Holy Will. Although I always sought to accomplish God’s Will through my words and deeds, I generally felt deep within my heart and soul that it was impossible to properly do so.

The image of a “kingdom” conjures up in the minds of many a king or queen overseeing their vast kingdoms or their realm; that is, the area of the world or the country that they govern. For those familiar with Disney World, you might recall signs like, “This Way to the Kingdom,” meaning this way to Disney’s Magic Kingdom Theme Park.

What keeps you going when challenging, confusing, or even tragic things happen? In nature, sunflowers turn toward the sun, symbolizing unwavering faith and constant orientation toward the light. This is why they are often associated with positivity, happiness, and optimism. Sunflower seeds also have nutritional value and the capacity to remove toxins from the soil. Toward the end of their existence, they bow down, almost in adoration and appreciation for the gift of life. As baptized Catholics, we turn toward the Light of the world, to the Son of God, and bow down in adoration at Holy Mass – regularly, even daily – for the gift of our lives as we receive Christ for our spiritual nourishment in Holy Communion. And, just before receiving Holy Communion, we prepare by praying the words of the Our Father.

One of the many joys of my priesthood has been celebrating the Sacrament of Penance – listening to Confessions and imparting absolution in persona Christi (in the person of Christ). As a young seminarian preparing for the priesthood, however, I often felt a little apprehension anticipating my role in this sacrament. I couldn’t imagine how I could hear so much about sin and darkness, doom and gloom, and then be able to function with a clear mind and heart without being affected by this shadow side of humanity, especially on the occasions when I left the confessional to immediately begin offering a public Holy Mass.

A woman once wrote me a letter describing the priestly kindness and fatherly care that I demonstrated toward her more than 10 years before when I was serving as her parish priest. She and her fiancé had approached me with a “holy” request – to prepare to receive the Sacrament of Matrimony. The woman was in her early 40’s and her boyfriend was in his 20’s when they came seeking marriage preparation. That was not the problem. The problem was that the young man had just gotten out of prison for armed robbery and kept busy spending the hard earned funds of his fiancée while refusing to seek gainful employment for himself. All of these things, coupled with the shabby way this man publicly treated his fiancée, made it clear to me as God’s priest that, in conscience, I could not officiate at their wedding or provide my blessing for them to get married. They left my office that day, screaming and shouting obscenities at me.

The theme for World Mission Sunday 2023, “Hearts on fire, feet on the move,” given to us by Pope Francis, is inspired by the story of the disciples on the Road to Emmaus in St. Luke’s Gospel (24:13-35). Although they are initially confused and discouraged, their encounter with the Risen Christ makes their “hearts burn within them” as they listen to Jesus explain all the Sacred Scriptures and reveal Himself to them “in the breaking of the bread.” Suddenly, “their eyes were opened” and, their hearts were consumed with a holy enthusiasm to proclaim that the Lord Jesus had risen from the dead — as they made their way to Jerusalem.

What people often miss when reading or reflecting on the Priestly Prayer of Christ in Saint John’s Gospel (17:1-26) is the fact that it contains, unlike the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus’ longest recorded prayer. Highlighted by scholars as one of the most profound theological and spiritual documents in the entire New Testament, Jesus prays this prayer after He finishes His final instructions to the disciples and before He is betrayed, arrested, and crucified.

The Catechism explains: “The great figures of prayer of the Old Covenant before Christ, as well as the Mother of God, the saints, and he himself, all teach us this: prayer is a battle,” a battle “against ourselves and against the wiles of the tempter who does all he can to turn us away from prayer, away from union with God” (CCC 2725).

Have you ever wondered who was ultimately responsible for setting you on the path of your Catholic faith? I don’t mean just your parents or even your grandparents. I am referring to that mysterious family member who first acquired the faith and passed it on. How many generations would you have to go back in order to find that first special person? How many people (with your DNA) lived sacrificial, holy lives so that you would be the person you are today with the beautiful faith in Jesus Christ that you have?

Prayer is the way we communicate with God. The way of prayer for Christ’s followers is to imitate Him by praying as He did to God Our Father in Heaven. In Matthew’s Gospel, we are counseled by Jesus: “This is how you are to pray: Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name” (Mt 6:9).

We have all heard it said that prayer does not work, especially prayers addressed to God requesting his help or intercession. Such prayers, according to some, are “a total waste of time.”

Growing up in Canada, the first and closest affiliation I had with the United States was the old Air Force Base, Fort Pepperrell, that the Americans left behind following World War II. The base was a stone’s throw from our family home. Another reminder of the United States was the weekly rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner” played before the NHL hockey game. My dad often lamented that the American national anthem did not make any reference to God. He felt strongly that “God Bless America” would have been a more appropriate acknowledgment of the God-given rights cherished by American patriots. I agreed with my dad back then. However, I later came to discover that the fourth verse of the “Star Spangled Banner does make reference to God with the words: “And this be our motto – ‘In God is our trust’.”

Former prisoner of war and U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Doug Hegdahl reports that fellow U.S. captives in the Vietnam War would authenticate a new prisoner's U.S. identity by using “Shave and a Haircut” as a shibboleth, tapping the first five notes against a cell wall and waiting for the appropriate “two note” response.