Two-thirds of the Catholic people living in the boundaries of the typical parish in the U.S.A. don't regularly go to Mass on Sunday. Most of those who do go on Sundays don't go on other days. Many people who even go to church regularly don't know many fellow parishioners. They often are alone in enduring such tragedies as divorce, family breakdown, serious sickness, addictions, or bereavement. Our people desperately need pastoring. This doesn't mean the priest tries to become the Messiah, but that:
If you love Jesus, do your part in caring for His sheep (Jn 21:16). "God's flock is in your midst; give it a shepherd's care" (1 Pt 5:2). "When the chief Shepherd appears you will win for yourselves the unfading crown of glory" (1 Pt 5:4).
| PRAYER: | Father, may my heart be moved with pity for the sheep without a shepherd who lie prostrate from exhaustion (Mt 9:36). |
| PROMISE: | "It was He Who sacrificed Himself for us, to redeem us from all unrighteousness and to cleanse for Himself a people of His own, eager to do what is right." –Ti 2:14 |
| PRAISE: | Heroic trust in God was Mother Cabrini's charism. She was a missionary to the poor, the orphans, and the sick. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College