St. Augustine Catholic Church     314-385-1934

TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

A WORD FROM FR. BOB

 

Dear Church Family,

I have decided to revisit the reason I put the Joyous Family of St. Augustine on my car nine years ago.  I have a deep identity with all of you.  Some of you know that I put lettering on my car and identified myself with you, so that wherever I go, I belong to you and the people see the words, “The joyous family of St. Augustine, come worship, Alleluia.”  So obviously, I think and I believe that we are the joyous family of St. Augustine.

What I would like to do right now is reflect on the word, “joyous”.  Usually if you say joyous, you think of expressing happiness, laughter and good feelings.  But I think that there is a lot behind anyone’s joy.  And I feel that the joy that I am trying to express by intentionally putting that word on my car is that deep in our souls, we each feel an inner peace because of right living, and right loving.  We feel that we are blessed, abundantly blessed in knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus and trying to grow in that relationship by deep prayer, worship, receiving the sacraments, reading the Holy Word, then celebrating love and good relationships with others.

The joyous, victorious word of God is proclaimed today Church.  Isaiah says he has not turned back because God is his help and He has set his face like flint.  There will be victory.  A powerful message is being said, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but does not have works?  Can that faith save him?  If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day and one of you says to them “Go in peace keep warm and eat well, but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it for also faith of itself if it does not have works is dead.”  So St. James continues to feel joy by making his faith, his works, and flow from his faith.  Finally, Jesus tells us that the way to real joy is to take up our cross daily and follow him.  Somehow, expending our life in love and service is what brings that lasting joy, Alleluia!

Church, that to me is what joyous is.  We might express it in hospitality for those around us.  We might express it in going out and witnessing to our faith and always inviting others to join our faith.  We certainly have been known as a friendly, loving Church Family.  So I just want to check with all of you, if that’s what the word joyous means, because I am calling our Church joyous.  Is that you? Alleluia! Amen.

Love, Fr. Bob

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