Dear friends,

Well, I’m back from retreat! It was a wonderful time away from the normal routine of ministry, work, and the world. This is the second year that I’ve committed to fully disconnecting while on retreat – no phone, not social media, no keeping up on email or news. 10/10 – I highly recommend it! For one thing, it is quite honestly the only time that I am guaranteed the freedom to do such a thing! But it also brings home how much time I spend browsing the internet, reading social media & the news, and otherwise distracting myself from quiet time, prayer, and sitting with my own thoughts & feelings. Though the retreat is over, minimizing or even eliminating some of those distractions is clearly something worth doing on an ongoing basis.

Another lesson I am learning – albeit painfully slowly – is that I probably shouldn’t stack the weekend I return with events! My goodness, but did we have a lot going on Saturday and Sunday. Meeting with the pastoral council, parishioners, and then confessions & Mass on Saturday. In addition to the normal Sunday schedule, we had a signature drive for I-2081, a volunteer invitation for Saint Vincent de Paul’s Christmas basket program, a bake sale from the Women’s Group, AND four baptisms!

Is it too soon to go on retreat again? 😏

But seriously, it is wonderful to be back and fully into the swing of things. And while there is a lot of busy-ness going on, I would love for you to mark your calendars for some lighter fare: Advent movie nights! Starting on Friday, December 1st, I’m hoping to have several movie nights leading up to Christmas – I’m looking at December 1st, 15th, and 22nd (the 8th is a holy day of obligation, so no movies that night!). There will be a poll for the last two movie nights, but I can already tell you that December 1st’s movie will be Last Holiday – easily the best Christmas movie to come out in a long time. Consider coming to one (or all!) of the movie nights – even if its not a retreat, we can all use a little time away from the crazy of the world.

In the meantime, rest assured of my prayers. May you have a wonderful week.

yours in Christ,
Father Maurer

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November 13 – Today is the memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In 1887 she asked permission to be a missionary to China – but was instead encouraged to go to the United States. Although her work started in New York, she ended up founding 67 (!) missionary institutions to serve the sick & poor. Read more about her at the Cabrini National Shrine website.

November 15 – What makes a saint a ‘great’? Though that has never been formally defined, Saint Albert the Great (whose memorial is today) was so well regarded that even before his death, he was so considered! Named by Pope Pius XII as patron of enthusiasts of the natural sciences, he helped affirm the truth that there is no contradiction to be found in faith and science. Aleteia has a lovely article about him (with links to further reading, for those interested).

November 16 – To the surprise of no one, any saint who is consistently portrayed with cats is going to pique my curiosity a little more than normal. Today’s memorial of Saint Gertrude (also called ‘the great’, interestingly enough) celebrates a saint whose devotion to Christ led her to great personal fervor. As for the cats reference, well, read about that (and her more important characteristics) at US Catholic’s website.

November 18 – Following up the more significant dedication last week, today is the memorial of the Dedication of the Basilicas of Saints Peter & Paul. These two basilicas, though lesser in stature to the Lateran Basilica, are nonetheless important in their own right. It is fitting that the first pope and the greatest apostle – both martyred in Rome – should each have a basilica commemorating their faith in Christ. Read about this memorial and the basilicas it honors at UCatholic.

By Church law, priests are obliged to make a retreat each year and so I am away this week. Rest assured of my prayers for you – please say a pray for me too, that the Lord may do as He wills with this time.

yours in Christ,
Father Maurer

Can you believe that Ordinary Time is almost over?!? It seems like summer was just a few days ago – but recent rain & cold weather has certainly confirmed that fall is here, with winter not too far off! And there’s certainly plenty to enjoy of the season: the bright colors of leaves on trees, the taste of fall flavors (why yes, I will have a pumpkin spice latte, thank you!), and the contrast of crispy air outside with warm fires indoors.

Fall also means fall reading, and recently I had the opportunity to visit a used bookstore for just that purpose. I hadn’t dug into a good series in a while and I was well overdue for a good story. I was delighted to find all three books of a trilogy by one of my favorite authors, Mercedes Lackey. The stories – the Owl Mage trilogy – is set in her world of Valdemar, though later in the chronology. I finished it this last weekend and am greatly anticipating delving into the world she (and her co-authors) have created.

One of the things I especially appreciate about reading is how it introduces me to the interior life of others. How characters process their thoughts & feelings, interact with each other, and grow in the face of various challenges or struggles is often a source of inspiration for consider how I could do so better. Of the authors I enjoy, Lackey’s writing consistently offers this opportunity. One of my favorite series of hers is The Obsidian Mountain trilogy, which I heartily recommend!

Back out here in the exterior world, we’re coming up on a week full of wonderful celebrations. Along with my neighbors, I’ll be be ready for trick or treaters this Tuesday – it is always neat to see the various costumes of enthusiastic children (and their patient parents!). Wednesday has us celebrating All Saints day (from which Halloween – ‘All Hallows Eve’ – gets its name), but it is the celebration of All Souls on Thursday that has a particularly special place in my heart. The candlelight service at 6:30 pm is a high point at the tail end of the liturgical year, when we will gather together in the flickering light to pray for our beloved dead. Though a sober celebration, it is one full of hope, as we commemorate those whom the Lord has called to Himself.

As we come to the close of the liturgical year, may we together consider both our interior lives and join together in exterior prayer & worship! Know that you are in my thoughts and among my prayers daily.

yours in Christ,
Father Maurer

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November 1 – The Solemnity of All Saints, a holy day of obligation, marks the beginning of the end of the liturgical year. Our attention is (rightly!) drawn to our eternal reward: union with the Lord and His saints in heaven. Though we know the names of many of them, we don’t know all of them – thus we have a day dedicated to honoring everyone in heaven (all saints!). At Saint Mark parish, we’ll be celebrating Mass at 9:30 am and at 6:30 pm – come join us as we praise and ask for the intercession of all the saints!

November 2 – The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls) is a specially venerated day in the liturgical year. So highly does the Church value prayer for the dead that She gives all priests special permission to exceed the normal limit of two Masses per day, allowing for three Masses. All Catholics are not only invited to pray for the dead but have the opportunity to receive a plenary indulgence on behalf of themselves or the souls in purgatory. Read more about it at Relevant Radio.

November 3 – Today is the memorial of Saint Martin de Porres, the first black saint of the Americas. He is the patron saint of social justice and race relations – virtues we certainly need more of in our modern time & society! Read more about him at the Vatican News website.

November 4 – Today we celebrate Saint Charles Borromeo, archbishop of Milan and a cardinal. Highly intelligent, he became a doctor of both civil and canon law at the age of 21 and was ordained a bishop at the age of 27. But his greatest asset was his dedication to the interior life – and his desire for the reformation of the Church and her clergy. Read more at Franciscan Media.

This coming week sees the launch of our Confirmation and adult catechesis (OCIA) classes, on Wednesday and Thursday night (respectively). By the way, if you or your child(ren) are planning on attending, please be sure to register – you can use the links above to find the online registration forms. For everyone, please pray for our students. We are excited to meet the youth and adults who come to discover and explore the faith with us. It’s going to be a blast!

Over the last week I’ve found myself in various conversations involving plans for various gatherings of friends. One group of parishioners shared with me that they are starting a D&D campaign (I’m quite jealous!), another shared about their hosting of family over the holidays, and so on. All of these reminded me of how we must actually make time for and actively pursue opportunities like these! And its got me thinking about how we might do that at Saint Mark parish. Expect more on this front soon!

But if you’re looking for a bit of light-hearted fellowship, you don’t have to wait! This week Saint Mark Catholic Classical School is partnering with Domino’s Pizza. From 4pm to 7pm this Tuesday (October 24) 30% of all sales will go to our school. If you’re looking for an excuse to buy pizza, this is it! And what better way to kick-start a gathering of friends and/or family than with a pizza (or two) that you don’t have to cook yourself! I’ll be stopping by the Domino’s pizza at Ballinger Way myself to do just that 😏

Whether you indulge in pizza (or other food that Domino’s offers!), I hope you have a week filled with many blessings & graces. Rest assured of my prayers for you.

yours in Christ,
Father Maurer

P.S. If you’re on Facebook, you may have heard about an accident involving one of our archdiocesan priests, Father Thomas Tran. Happily, he has returned home and is doing the work of recovery. In your kindness, please continue to pray for him and his parish community.

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October 22 – Though Sunday celebrations generally trump lower ranked feasts, today’s memorial of Pope Saint John Paul II is one that I can’t fail to acknowledge. As with so many others of my generation, he was the pope for a significant portion of my life.

This photo of him in his papal cassock while making finger glasses encapsulates the impression he made on so many of us. Contrary to the assertions of the world, Pope John Paul II demonstrated how faithfulness to Christ and His Church went hand-in-hand with joyfully living in the world with Christians & non-Christians alike. Father Billy Swan over at Word on Fire has a lovely reflection on this theme.

October 23 – Today is the memorial of Saint John of Capistrano, a Franciscan friar of the fourteenth century, he turned from secular power struggles and dedicated his life to Franciscan spirituality. As a Franciscan, he worked to return the community to strict observance of the Rule of Saint Francis. Read more about him at Loyola Press.

October 24 – Saint Anthony Claret, whose memorial we celebrate today, was a young man when he turned away from his father’s manufacturing trade to pursue religious life. Though he initially wanted to be a Carthusian hermit, he realized that the Lord was calling him to priesthood – first as parish priest and later as a missionary, work that proved to be specially blessed and fruitful Read more about him and his life at Franciscan Media.

October 28 – Apart from what little is mentioned in the New Testament about them, little is known about Saints Simon & Jude, whose feast day is today. Simon the Zealot (or ‘the Cananean’, which is a translation of the Aramaic word meaning ‘zealot’) would have been one deeply committed to his Jewish identity – even to the point of deep opposition of the Romans, who greatly oppressed his people. Jude – who the scriptures are careful to distinguish from Judas Iscariot – is perhaps best known for his question to Jesus about His revelation of Himself to the world (John 14:22).

Despite what little we know of them now, the Lord nonetheless chose them to be among those He would entrust to proclaim the Gospel to the world! A helpful reminder to each of us that there each of us is chosen deliberately and for a purpose in God’s grand plan! Read a little more about Saints Simon & Jude at the Vatican News website.

Over the last weeks, the conflict between Israel and Palestine has ratcheted up dramatically following the October 7th terror attack by Hamas. As I write this, the world is waiting to see how the latest movements by Israel in Gaza unfold. Even as a full siege of Gaza is in effect – cutting off electricity, food and fuel – rockets continue to fly between Gaza and Tel Aviv. At the time of this writing (Sunday night), Israel is preparing for a major incursion aimed at destroying Hamas.

I don’t have any more insight into the solution to the problems of the Holy Land than anyone else, but during my graduate studies in seminary, I was blessed to spend two and half months there. My class of students was in Bethlehem during Christmas of 2006, two weeks of the new year (2007) in Galilee, and our last month Jerusalem. To be in the land where Jesus was born, lived, died, and rose again was an extraordinary blessing.

It was at times also heartbreaking, as the realities of division and strife were evident even in the holiest of places. Posters calling for jihad adorned an alley just a short walk from the birthplace of Christ. Rundown Palestinian marketplaces with netting to catch garbage – and human waste – throw down from Israeli apartments at people below not far from the location of Christ’s crucifixion and death. Jewish security officers stopping customers to scan for weapons & explosives at Burger King because a bomb had killed several at a fast food place a month prior to our visit. Islamic rioting at the base of the Mount of the Temple because of planned renovations. Machine gun fire in the distance – at any given hour or day of the week – that became an alarmingly normal part of the sounds of the region.

Here in a country where we enjoy relative peace from such terrible conflict and unable to materially assist, our best response is hope and prayer. We hope in Christ and His power to intercede in the hearts of men, knowing that even on the cross He touched that of the good thief so as to elicit his confession of faith and be saved. We pray, knowing that the our intercessions are joined with the cloud of witnesses in heaven who ceaselessly petition before our Heavenly Father. May God touch the hearts of each of us, that we may find true peace here and throughout the world.

As always, know of my prayers for you. May the Lord bless us all this week, with grace, joy, and peace.

yours in Christ,
Father Maurer

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October 17 – Today is the memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch. Patriarch of Antioch, he is one of Apostolic Fathers and among the early Christian martyrs killed in Rome. His writings are considered to be foundational texts in understanding early Christian theology. A portion of one of those letters is part of the Office of Readings for his memorial and can be read at iBreviary – I think you’ll appreciate why it is treasured by the Church.

October 18 – Today’s feast of Saint Luke is one that Catholics everywhere celebrate, but we do so with special joy, ourselves named after one of the evangelists and neighbor to a parish consecrated to his patronage. His Gospel is often depicted with an ox or calf – imagery taken from the book of Daniel and applied to Luke due to the nature of his Gospel. As we celebrate Saint Luke, may we likewise proclaim Christ to the world. Read more about the imagery of Saint Luke at Aleteia.

October 19 – Today’s memorial celebrates Saints John de Brébeuf, Isaac Jogues and their companions – the first martyrs on the North American to be recognized by the Church. Coming from France to proclaim the Gospel to Native Americans in Quebec (properly known as the Huron-Wendat Nation). Though these saints were ultimately martyred – sometimes under terrible torture – their witness led to the baptism of thousands and contributed to great growth of the Christian faith in North America. Read more about them at the Vatican News website.

October 20 – The memorial of Saint Paul of the Cross offers us a timely example of witness to the importance of Christ’s suffering as integral to knowing (and encountering) the love of the Father. During his lifetime, Saint Paul witnessed a growth in the idea that Jesus was simply a good moral teacher (sound familiar?). Holding a great devotion to the passion of Jesus, he committed his life to preaching this devotion to others – going so far as to found the Congregation of the Passion or Passionists. Read more at EWTN.