I will get up and go to my father – this resolution to return to the father’s home as made by the prodigal son is presented to us by St. Luke in this well-known parable. Although we have heard that account many times, we may listen to it again and find a refreshed meaning. At the threshold of a new pastoral year, we may reflect on how we can live this year, and today’s Gospel gives us a simple but significant answer: get up and go back to the Father’s home. What might this mean? Many of us may be lost for various reasons, some of us may be facing hardship and uncertainty as to the future, some of us may be suffering from a physical and spiritual ailment, some of us may be struggling with everyday toil. Get up and go back to the Father’s – means that it’s time to rise from my spiritual slumber, struggles, from everything that bothers me and return to the One who has never stopped loving me regardless of what I have done. Only with the Father’s embrace may I find compassion, understanding, relief, mercy and forgiveness. How many times Have I tried to handle everything on my own and how many times have I failed? If I truly reflect on those questions, I will find the way to my Father’s.

Among the liturgical celebrations of this week, we observe two Marian feasts and one dedicated to the Lord:

Monday, September 12th we celebrate the memorial of The Most Holy Name of Mary. This feast is a counterpart to the Feast of The Holy Name of Jesus, which is held on January 3rd. Its meaning is to commemorate all the privileges bestowed upon Mary by God and all the graces received through Her intercession and mediation. This feast is connected with the Battle of Vienna, which took place in 1683, and the victory over the Turkish army that invaded Europe.

Wednesday, September 14th we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, which commemorates the Cross used in the crucifixion of Jesus and the discovery of the Cross done in 326 by Saint Helena, the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great during her pilgrimage to the Holy Land. There is an interesting story about how St. Helena discovered the true Cross of Jesus.

Thursday, September 15th we celebrate the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, which refers to sorrows in Mary’s life and her suffering in spiritual union with Her Son. In the Catholic Church there is a popular devotion to The Seven Sorrows of Mary.
Our Lady of Sorrows – pray for us!

God bless,

Fr. Peter