COME TO JESUS THE HEALER

            The second session of our “Come to Jesus the Healer” series is entitled, “Embracing Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Healer”.  Christ came into this world to set us free from our sins, and to bring salvation (healing) to all.  The first step to finding healing in Christ is to come to Christ and consecrating our lives to following him as his disciples.  What do we mean by “accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior (Healer)”?  How do we come to Christ and embrace him?  As part of our time together we will renew our baptismal promises and recommit our lives to Christ.

 

THE NATIVITY OF MARY

            September 8 is the feast of the Nativity of Mary.  We have no idea what Mary’s actual birthday is, but this is the date which the Church has set aside to celebrate her birth.  There are only three birthdays that the Church commemorates.  The first, and most significant, obviously, is December 25, when we honor the birth of Jesus.  The other two births that are part of the Church’s calendar are Mary and John the Baptist.  We celebrate their birthday because their births are such an important part of salvation history. 

            In Genesis 3:15, as God condemns the serpent for leading our first parents into sin, he says, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers.  You will strike at his heal, and he will strike at your head.”  The Church sees in these words the prophecy that the Fall is not the final word.  It will not stand.  God is promising that he will save his people who have given themselves into slavery to the Evil One.  Mary’s birth is the beginning of the fulfillment of this prophecy.  She is the “woman” and her “offspring”, Jesus Christ, will crush the head of Satan, and win salvation for God’s people. 

            Mary is called the Mother of God, and the Mother of the Messiah.  She is also the Mother of the Church.  As such each of us calls her our own Mother, and we honor our Blessed Mother on her birthday.

 

SEPTEMBER 11

            This Saturday will mark nine years since the attack on our country by Al-Quaida.  As it falls on the weekend, Bishop Foys has directed that the Masses for next Saturday and Sunday be drawn from the prayer and readings for Peace and Justice in the Sacramentary and Lectionary.  The readings will be:  First Reading—Micah 4:1-4, Ephesians 4:30-5:2. and Matthew 5:38-48.

            The attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were the beginning of a whole new age for our nation and our world, in which we face a new darkness and a new terror.  As always, we turn to God and to the Gospel to find our way in times and of darkness and fear, and we pray that God will show the world the way to reconciliation, healing and peace.

What IHM Means to Me....

We have found that IHM is more than just a school and a church. It is our family and a 'Home.' We have belonged to other parishes in our travels and none of them compare to IHM. May God continue to bless IHM!

The Wallenhorst Family