On September 14, the Archdiocese of Boston held their annual Celebration of Priesthood dinner. Each year, they create a video message recognizing a few parishes and highlight the good work that those parishes and priests are doing in their communities through out the Archdiocese. The theme of this year's dinner was "Bringing Light into our Communities."

As we resume our “normal” schedules and routines now that summer is ending, I take this opportunity to encourage each of us to renew our commitment to regular participation at weekend Mass. I’m saying this not only as a reminder to attend Mass every Sunday, but particularly, to renew our commitment to an active, engaged and whole-hearted involvement of our minds, hearts, souls and voices in the worship we are providing to God. What draws me to remark about this is my noticing rather weak spoken responses and spotty participation in the singing from members of our congregation at Mass.

In a homily in May 2014, Pope Francis spoke about the best ways to get to know Jesus. He said we need to open three doors in order to know Him. “The first door is praying to Jesus. You must realize that studying without prayers is no use. We must pray to Jesus to get to know him better. The great theologians did their theology while kneeling. Pray to Jesus! By studying and praying we get a bit closer… But we’ll never know Jesus without praying. Never! Never! The second door is celebrating Jesus. Prayer on its own is not enough, we need the joy of celebration. We must celebrate Jesus through his Sacraments, because these give us life, they give us strength, they nourish us, they comfort us, they forge an alliance with us, they give us a mission. Without celebrating the Sacraments, we’ll never get to know Jesus. This is what the Church is all about: celebration. The third door is imitating Jesus. Take the Gospel, what did he do, how was his life, what did he tell us, what did he teach us and try to imitate him.”

Our Catholic social teaching is a rich resource of wisdom about building a just society and living lives of holiness amidst the challenges of modern society. Catholic social teaching has been articulated through a tradition of papal, conciliar, and episcopal documents. The depth and richness of the tradition can be understood best through a direct reading of these documents. On this Labor Day weekend, I summarize for you one area the Church has addressed: The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers, taken from Themes from Catholic Social Teaching from the USCCB, Publication No. 5-315. “The economy must serve people, not the other way around. Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God’s creation. If the dignity of work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers must be respected – the right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, to the organization and joining of unions, to private property and to economic initiative.”

Warm Summer Blessings!

I share with you a prayer from the book, The Circle of Life, The Heart's Journey Through the Seasons by Joyce Rupp and Macrina Wiederkehr (p. 119 – 120). I hope it inspires within you some helpful reflections on this special season. – Fr. Bob

It’s wonderful to have warmer temperatures and more leisurely time to enjoy a slower pace, to have fun with family and friends outdoors, and maybe to embark on some exciting adventure traveling or just to relax at a favorite summer getaway. Whatever you find yourself doing this summer, why not include becoming a “wandering contemplative” by looking under the surface of the people you encounter, the places you go, and the things you see and do – to make connections with where God’s goodness, creativity and providence seem evident.