St. Augustine Catholic Church     314-385-1934

I am celebrating my spiritual life this year or my spiritual journey

Dear Church Family,

As I begin my 78th birthday, my 79th year of living in the Lord, I am encouraged to respond to the people that I meet when they ask me, “How you are doing?”   I am going to tell them, “I am celebrating my spiritual life this year or my spiritual journey.” Today, I would like to challenge you to something very positive that each of us should do regularly. I am asking you to enjoy your spiritual life, especially your prayer life. As you reflect on it, be encouraged. St. Paul said these words, “Encourage your hearts” and so we encourage our own hearts by talking to the Lord about how we are doing in our prayer life. It is something to be celebrated. It is something to be aware of and to do more and more. Alleluia!

With the theme of belief in resurrection after death, we are being very sensitive to everybody that has lost a loved one in the crossing over to the kingdom. So all month long and especially today, we remember those who have died and maybe “encourage your hearts.” Jesus is there to encourage.  Even though there is sadness in the parting, there is joy and peace in knowing and believing that the Lord will raise them eternally. So enjoy all month long praying for deceased loved ones from our parish family and friends and also anyone else in your own life.

I have just come back from my annual retreat and it was certainly very refreshing and uplifting. I was especially uplifted by my atmosphere of borrowing a cabin in the woods, staying there morning, noon and night and Getting together with my priest friend, Fr. Don Buhr, whom I have gone on retreats with for 49 years. Truly I am blessed with a soulmate whom I have been able to enjoy this spiritual time with every year. One day I dedicated to my relationships with the Father, then to the Son, then to the Holy Spirit, then to Mother Mary and then to my awesome gift that has been given me of the priesthood for going on 53 years.  This is the awesome challenge I have of spreading the good news in my ministry as I begin again by telling people that I am celebrating my prayer life, my spiritual union with the Lord. So how can I go wrong? How can you go wrong, if that is what you feel challenged to as you reflect on these words I am sharing? Allelluia!

 

Love, Fr. Bob

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