In the Gospel this Sunday, Jesus addresses a parable to “those who were convinced of their own righteousness.” In this short parable he gives the example of a Pharisee who prays, “O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity -- greedy, dishonest, adulterous.” It reminds me of some confessions I have heard over the years in which someone very ably confesses the sins of their spouse, children or neighbors before (if ever) getting around to their own faults. In contrast to this, Jesus presents the tax collector, who “would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’” Jesus says it is the tax collector who went home justified, not the Pharisee. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was once asked in an interview, “How does Pope Benedict pray?” He answered, “As far as the pope is concerned, he too is a simple beggar before God.” Similarly, in an interview at the beginning of his pontificate Pope Francis was asked, “Who is Jorge Mario Bergoglio (his given name before being elected pope)?” After a pregnant pause he responded simply, “I am a sinner.” I suppose in both cases this could be false humility, meant to ingratiate themselves to the people of God, but I don’t think so. I think each of them meant what they said. If those holding the highest office in the church see themselves as beggars and sinners, we may want to take our cue from them. We need not ever fear approaching God in our weakness and sin, because God is loving and merciful. But we should do so with an attitude of genuine humility, not presumptively or comparing ourselves to others. And so, if you want to know how to pray, pray like the popes: like beggars and tax collectors. --Fr. Thom
All Faiths are welcome! Mass will include a blessing for families. Then stick around forcoffee & doughnuts after Mass!
Family Weekend Service Project: River Bend Food Bank - Backpack Party! Saturday, November 2 Pick from two times: 8:00am - 10:00am (Meet at Chapel Gathering Space at 7:45am) 10:30am - 12:30pm (Meet at Chapel Gathering Space at 10:15am)
The River Bend Food Bank has a volunteer activity for a family or group of friends. This is an assembly-line style activity to put together bags of food for schools within our service area to send home with students in need to feed them throughout the weekend. The food bank is trying to get the entire month's worth of menus made in one day! All ages are welcome.
Find yourself too busy? Need to take a break, but can't find the time? Join in our Busy Student Retreat! Commit to four days of just two 1/2 hour periods per day, one spent in prayer, and one in discussion with a spiritual guide, built around your schedule. We encourage you to sign up for a simple, yet powerful, retreat experience!
On October 28th at the Cinemark Theater in Davenport, there will be a limited showing of "Love and Mercy: Faustina," a new film about St. Faustina Kowalska and the message of Divine Mercy. Showings are at 7:00 and 9:45 p.m., but seats are going fast! Tickets can be ordered through the Cinemark Davenport website.
Have a question about a program or event going on in Campus Ministry? Got an idea for something you'd like to see happen? EMAIL US at ministry@sau.edu.
Follow us online for news, events, prayer and spiritual resources, plus much more:
In the Gospel this Sunday we find one of two parables in Luke in which Jesus urges his listeners to be persistent (maybe even annoying) in their pleading with God. Several chapters earlier he gives the example of a man who goes to his friend at midnight to ask for bread. He says, “I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.” In this Sunday’s parable it is a widow who is demanding justice from a judge. After much insistence eventually the judge relents and says, “Because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her.” Jesus then comments, “Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night?” All of this means we have permission to bother God. Often we think that somehow our prayer is not “worthy” of God or that somehow the all-powerful and eternal God of the universe doesn’t have time for our requests. While I often remind our students that prayer is not about bending God’s will to our own, God does hear and answer our prayers (often in hidden or in better ways), and there is merit to our persistence in prayer, as Jesus himself confirms in these parables. At the very least persistent prayer helps us to focus or hone our prayer, in time bending our often rigid wills to God’s. Also, prayer is always in itself an act of faith and trust in God, which is itself pleasing to God. So go ahead and bother, beg, nag, and plead away! But don’t forget the example of Jesus himself, who concluded his own prayer to the Father in his hour of greatest need by saying, “still, not my will but yours be done.” --Fr. Thom
Have nothing to do next Thursday night? Want to get out of town and meet some students from the University of Iowa? Join Fr. Thom as he travels to Iowa City for the Thursday Night Mass at the Newman Catholic Student Center on October 24th. Mass is at 9:00 p.m., so Fr. Thom will be leaving from the chapel at 7:45 p.m. We will plan to stay for a little of their social after (like our “Mass & More”) and then head back to campus. It will be a late night, but should be a lot of fun. If you are interested in going, RSVP to Fr. Thom by Tuesday, Oct. 22.
On October 28th at the Cinemark Theater in Davenport, there will be a limited showing of "Love and Mercy: Faustina," a new film about St. Faustina Kowalska and the message of Divine Mercy. Showings are at 7:00 and 9:45 p.m., but seats are going fast! Tickets can be ordered through the Cinemark Davenport website.
Have a question about a program or event going on in Campus Ministry? Got an idea for something you'd like to see happen? EMAIL US at ministry@sau.edu.
Follow us online for news, events, prayer and spiritual resources, plus much more:
In the Gospel this Sunday, Jesus addresses a parable to “those who were convinced of their own righteousness.” In this short parable he gives the example of a Pharisee who prays, “O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity -- greedy, dishonest, adulterous.” It reminds me of some confessions I have heard over the years in which someone very ably confesses the sins of their spouse, children or neighbors before (if ever) getting around to their own faults. In contrast to this, Jesus presents the tax collector, who “would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’” Jesus says it is the tax collector who went home justified, not the Pharisee. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was once asked in an interview, “How does Pope Benedict pray?” He answered, “As far as the pope is concerned, he too is a simple beggar before God.” Similarly, in an interview at the beginning of his pontificate Pope Francis was asked, “Who is Jorge Mario Bergoglio (his given name before being elected pope)?” After a pregnant pause he responded simply, “I am a sinner.” I suppose in both cases this could be false humility, meant to ingratiate themselves to the people of God, but I don’t think so. I think each of them meant what they said. If those holding the highest office in the church see themselves as beggars and sinners, we may want to take our cue from them. We need not ever fear approaching God in our weakness and sin, because God is loving and merciful. But we should do so with an attitude of genuine humility, not presumptively or comparing ourselves to others. And so, if you want to know how to pray, pray like the popes: like beggars and tax collectors. --Fr. Thom
