Did You Know? Have you ever wondered what a "Patron Saint" is? Do you know who your Patron Saint is? Please click on the article title for a great article from uCatholic that gives an excellent explanation of Patron Saints - what they are, how they "become" Patron Saints, and more!

This Sunday's first reading from the Old Testament and Mark’s Gospel share a very important theme that is as relevant today as it was to the ancient Israelites and the early Christian community. In the first reading, Moses is urged by Joshua to stop two elders from prophesying because they were absent when the Lord sent His Spirit on the other 70 elders. Joshua was saying these two were not “righteous” and therefore should be stopped. Prophesying in this sense did not mean foretelling of the future but proclaiming with great enthusiasm one’s exaltation and love of the Lord. Moses rebukes Joshua for jealousy, saying it would be great if all the people of the Lord were prophets. In the Gospel, a similar scenario unfolds. Jesus is told by John that the disciples tried to stop someone driving out demons in the name of Jesus. Like Moses, Jesus rebukes John telling him that the man should not be stopped because he’s performing a mighty deed in the name of Jesus. Jesus says that even someone who just gives another a cup of water will be rewarded. Both scripture passages highlight the danger of exclusion, intolerance, and jealousy. The followers of Moses and of Jesus viewed these “outsiders” as not one of “them” as they were acting and speaking incorrectly. Yet both Moses and Jesus reminded these critics that God sometimes looks at things differently and works through these “outsiders” too. God was sending His Spirit to them also as they performed faithful and righteous deeds. They were not to be excluded because God was leading them on a different path. Still, today, how many times do we immediately dismiss or exclude others because they do not follow the path or journey of faith that we think is right? The scripture message is clear that what flows from the heart - through the work of the Holy Spirit- is what matters, not what we may personally judge as proper and acceptable practices. How can we help heal divisions, even within our own Catholic faithful? Read more about this Sunday's scripture at https://www.loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/liturgical-year/sunday-connection/26h-sunday-in-ordinary-time-b-sunday-connection.

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Pio of Pietrelcina (aka Padre Pio), one of the most extraordinary saints in Church history (Sept 23). An Italian Capuchin priest, he suffered joyful penance - as a "stigmatist" for fifty years (1918-1968), during which time he wrote tens of thousands of letters, and heard well over a million confessions. St. Padre Pio, pray for us!

While we may have hoped that headlines concerning COVID-19 would've died down by now, everywhere we look is proving this is not the case. So today, Ali-Marie addresses an incredibly pressing issue of our time: Are we, or are we not, to get the COVID-19 vaccine? What does the Church teach about it? What would Jesus do? All this to say, this is not a divisive video. This is a conversation that says, "We are all on the same side... The Devil just wants to steal our joy, kill our communities and ultimately destroy our lives." Ali-Marie offers tips on how to converse charitably with others to help diminish the animosity felt on both sides of the vaccine debate. Let us know your response to the video in the comments here on Facebook or leave a comment on YouTube! We'd love to hear from you! https://youtu.be/vr7XBHfXfIg

Have you ever looked carefully at a Crucifix and seen the letters 'INRI' inscribed there? Do you know what it means and why it is there? Click on the article title to read a brief article from uCatholic to find out more!