August 2, 2026 - Pastor Message
August 1, 2026Two are better than one. They get a good wage for their toil. If one falls, the other will help the fallen one. But woe to the solitary person! If that one should fall, there is no one to help…Where one alone may be overcome, two together can resist. A th
“Two are better than one. They get a good wage for their toil. If one falls, the other will help the fallen one. But woe to the solitary person! If that one should fall, there is no one to help…Where one alone may be overcome, two together can resist. A three-ply cord is not easily broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12).
The Church’s calendar is built, not around the natural seasons or the movement of heavenly bodies like the moon and the stars, but around the events in the life of Christ and of his friends, those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith we call the saints. Because, like them, we too are joined to Christ as his disciples today, we are also joined together with them, companions on our journey toward the same goal - eternal communion with Christ in the kingdom of God.
We call this the communion of the saints, and this past week the Church’s calendar celebrated several saints who can help us on our own journey to the kingdom. Wednesday we celebrated the feast of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, a close-knit family and friends of Jesus who are mentioned in the gospels and who played a key role in his ministry,especially Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead as a foreshadowing of his own resurrection and the the resurrection of all who believe in him. Friday we celebrated the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, a wounded soldier turned spiritual master and teacher and founder of one of the greatest missionary groups in the Church’s history. And Saturday we celebrated the feast of St. Alphonsus Liguori, bishop, spiritual teacher, and moral theologian who has helped shape the minds, hearts, and souls of Christians around the world for generations.
Each of these saints, in their own way, has blazed a trail of sanctity along the way to the kingdom of God. Each shows us a different facet of the many-sided gem of the universal call to holiness. Martha shows us the importance of diligent and tireless work in the service of Christ and his people, while Mary shows us the need for quiet, prayerful rest at the Master’s side. Lazarus shows us the saving power of Christ, even over death, while Ignatius shows us the need for discernment, order, and missionary zeal in sharing the gift of salvation in Christ with others. Alphonsus shows us the light of moral truth in Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life. All of these saints, along with the others who are in glory with God, are our friends as we blaze our own trail to his kingdom. Let us lean on them and their support, especially in times of trouble, confusion, or doubt, that we may find wisdom in their teachings, strength in their grace, and comfort in their companionship. No one makes it through the darkness of this world to the light of the kingdom alone. God has given us the bright light of so many holy men and women so that we may never be alone.
Fr. Marc Stockton
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