Miscellany …

I wish to thank all who were the Dedication Ceremony for our newly installed 9/11 Memorial; it was a beautiful and prayerful moment. A special Thank you to Paul Knedusen and the Commodore John Shea Honor Guard who were present at the Mass and gave a distinctive honor to our Dedication ceremony.

I would like to publicly acknowledge those who made the Memorial possible: M/M Barbara & Joseph Campbell, M/M Joelle & Kevin Coughlin, M/M Steffi-lynn & John Dahl, Mr. Michael Donovan, Mrs. Angela Franzone, Mr. Frederick Hess, Mrs. Patricia Johnson, Mrs. Mary Kirby-Harding, Rev. James Patrick Mannion, Mrs. Marilyn Mauersberger, M/M Kathryn & Kevin Noonan, Ms. Rosanne O’Reilly, Mrs. Rosemary B. Ryan, St. Jude Knights of Columbus Council, St. Jude Knights of Columbus Corporation Board, M/M Kathleen & Richard Stueber, The Wading River Congregational Church - ℅ Pastor John Brock Evans, M/M Patricia & John Weider 

The raffle for the handcrafted NYC Firetruck netted $1,640, which was shared ($820 each) between St. Mark’s and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Winner of truck in next week’s bulletin. Thank you for your generous support.

The readings this week continue the challenge of our Jesus discipleship - FORGIVENESS. Peter,ya got to love him, says: Lord I’m willing to forgive the one who hurt me, the situation that burnt me seven times. He must have thought, wow, Jesus has got to be impressed, seven times, is a lot; it’s a number of fullness, what more can be added to it? What does Jesus say to that prideful offer? Peter, you’re not even close! Not seven times but seventy times seven times! Where did Peter, where do you and I, get it wrong? Forgiveness is not an amount; it is a process. It is not seven and done but an ongoing process as well. It is not a ‘look at me and my generosity, it is a call to humility; to see not only the fault of the other but your fault as well; to forgive as we are forgiven.

Maybe that’s the crux of our blindness in forgiving. Do we honestly believe that God has forgiven us? That there is nothing God will not forgive, that there is nothing outside of God’s ability to forgive us of, providing we humbly come and say I am sorry. Only in that humility do we realize love and in that love empowered to share that forgiveness with another; over and over and over …

An inability to do so builds up resentment, anger, hatred; it festers within us when we can’t let it go, especially if we see the ‘offender’ going on with their life and we are stuck in the mud; a growing, darkening cataract that causes an ‘unconscious’ reason for oursinfulself-righteous resentment, rage, hatred, despair, etc. leading to violence and a spiritual ‘nuclear winter’. It eats away at us, our spirit, our joy, our ability to live, to laugh, to be happy, to be with others, to be with God, to be with ourselves and places us in Hell!

Hence the need for the commandment: “… love one another as I have loved you.” we act as we believe … what do you believe?

Pax et Bonum -
Fr. Jim

I will be offering a class entitled: Baltimore Catechism Revisited; which, following the dynamic of the OCIA, will present the content of our faith in a contemporary context. Details forthcoming.

This weekend invites us into a rare moment of stillness.  As Labor Day arrives, we pause to honor the dignity of work, the sacrifices of laborers throughout our history, and the ongoing struggle for fairness, safety, and humane conditions.  Labor Day was born from the labor movement of the late 19th century, when workers marched in New York City in 1882 to claim recognition for the contributions they made to America’s strength and prosperity right up to this day with farmer works, migrant workers, service workers 

But this year, our pause carries added weight; just days after Labor Day, our nation will mark the25th Anniversary of September 11, 2001-a day that reshaped our country and left nearly 3,000 people dead in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania.  A quarter century later, 100 million Americans are too young to remember that morning, and we who lived through it become the storytellers of its meaning.  Labor Day and 9/11may seem like vastly different observances - one rooted in the historic struggle for workers’ rights, the other in national tragedy; yet they share a profound connection:both honor sacrifice, service, and the quiet courage of ordinary working 9-5 people.

 Labor Day honors those who built our nation with their hands, sweat, and often their suffering.  9/11 honors those who ran toward danger- firefighters, police officers, EMTs, and countless ordinary civilians, whose instinct to serve cost many their lives.  Twenty-five years later, we continue to learn how deeply that sacrifice endures, as cancer cases linked to Ground Zero toxins have surged among survivors and responders as well as daily laborers from the likes of mesothelioma from asbestos and other repetitive injuries to the body.

Both observances remind us thatthe strength of a nation / our nation is found in its people -in workers who demand dignity, in first responders who embody courage, in communities who choose unity over division.

 And this year, as families gather for one last summer weekend, I gently encourage all -not to let this moment pass unnoticed.  The weekend after Labor Day will bring solemn commemorations across the country: the reading of names at the 9/11 Memorial Plaza, at the Pentagon and in the field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, moments of silence marking the times the towers were struck and fell, and the Tribute in Light rising once again over lower Manhattan.  These days - Labor Day and the Anniversary of 9/11, invite us to remember who we are when we stand together; a nation of immigrants a people of courage and resolve, a land of the free and the brave.  These men and women call us to gratitude for the laborers who sustain us, and to reverence for the lives and legacies of those lost 25 years ago. They ask us to teach the next generation what these days mean, so that memory becomes mission, history becomes hope and that the historical mission of this nation continues:One Nation under God, with Liberty and Justice for all peoples, especially the unborn!

May this Labor Day weekend be a time of rest, reflection, and renewal and may the days that follow leading us into the 25th anniversary of 9/11 with heartsready toremember, honor, and never forget.  And bringing it to the readings of this Sunday, St. Paul’s reminder to us: Brother and Sisters: Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. … (for the commandments are summed up in this saying …) “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” … hence, love(the effectively willing the true good of the other (Beloved)) is the fulfillment of the law.

Pax et Bonum,

Fr. Jim

The smell of new books and pencils; the sound of the school bus, there’s something exciting happening!  At the beginning of a new school year kids exude excitement as they get to hang out with friends they’ve not seen since the beginning of summer.  Some students will even be eager to learn new things. Parents are super-excited because they can recover from a summer of “relaxing” vacations and the responsibility of constant childcare.  Teachers are glad to be back in the classroom, because, like students, the school calendar and the potential of new beginnings have shaped their lives.

As we look forward to a new year of parish life full of spiritual and social activities, I encourage you to take the time to give one of our ministries or groups a “test run”.  Get involved- meet a new friend, have fun and at the same time, serve others.  We are in need of Holy Boxers, Cut-Ups, Bakers, Peanut butter and Jelly sandwich makers, Lectors, Junior Lectors, Greeters/Ushers, Eucharistic Ministers, Choir Members, Instrumentalists, Altar Servers and ever ready and willing Volunteers!

Hopefully the energy of a ‘new’ year will last throughout the year because like the city, St. Mark’s never sleeps, there is always something going on.  This is also a time to re-focus on what’s most important - Jesus!  So“Dare to Be Different!”  It’s easy to slip into conformity with the dominant culture, that promises us the moon … but Jesus calls us to a different life, a better life, a more fulfilling life; where we pick up the cross and follow him.  Contact me, Fr. Jim atpastor@rcchurchstmark.org orstmarkparish50@gmail.com.

· Faith Formation classes begin onSeptember 21st.  Have you registered your child? Wish to volunteer as a catechist or catechist assistant?  Interested?  Contact Mrs. Lynn Fein at (631)744-2800 x 109.

· Blessing of the Backpacks – All children are invited to bring their backpacks to Mass on the weekend of September 11th /12th for a special blessing.

· Coffee SundayRETURNS- after a summer hiatus, our first Coffee Sunday is on September 20th.

· Parish Calendar- Upcoming events are listed in the bulletin and on the parish website.

· Are You or do you know someone …wanting to join the Catholic Church?  … a baptized Christian wishing to experience the Catholic faith?  … a baptized Catholic wishing to prepare for First Communion and Confirmation?  Then you are invited to participate in theOrder of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA)which is a process where persons considering membership in the Catholic Church come together to share a journey of faith.  We begin by explaining the entire process and answering any questions.  Each person has time to decide if they wish to become part of this faith journey.  Participation is voluntary and may be discontinued at any time.  Contact Mrs. Lynn Fein.

· A class by Fr. Jim will be offered entitled: Baltimore Catechism Revisited; which following the dynamic of the OCIA, will present content of our faith in a contemporary context.  Details to be Announced.

Pax et Bonum,

Fr. Jim