September 18th, 2022

twenty-fifth Sunday in ordinary time

by Fr. Boniface Endorf, O.P.

Dear St. Joseph Parish Family,

Br. Martin, who was in residence here, has moved uptown to St. Vincent Ferrer. At the Provincial Chapter this past June he was appointed Treasurer of the Province. Our Provincial headquarters are in the Holy Name building, which is next door to our Priory at St. Vincent Ferrer parish (65th & Lex). Thus, he moved uptown to be closer to his office. We’ll miss his presence in the parish, but he’s still in the city and may be around from time to time.

Tomorrow St. Joe’s Men’s Group restarts for the Fall. After our series on historical battles and what they teach us about defeating vices in our lives, this Fall we’re going to talk about the virtues that strengthen and sustain us. All men are invited to join us on Monday the 19th at 7pm in McGuire Hall. 

Mass Tidbit:

The most common (at least at St. Joe’s) form of the Penitential Act we use is called the Confiteor (I confess…):

         I confess to almighty God

         and to you, my brothers and sisters,

         that I have greatly sinned,

         in my thoughts and in my words,

         in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,

    [striking their breast, they say:]

         through my fault, through my fault,

         through my most grievous fault;

    [Then they continue:]

         therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin,

         all the Angels and Saints,

         and you, my brothers and sisters,

         to pray for me to the Lord our God.

Here we confess the sins we want forgiven before we enter more deeply into the worship of the Mass. We confess first to God, for sin damages our relationship with God, and then to our brothers and sisters, because our sins also hurt those in our community. Sin always spirals beyond ourselves and harms others. 

We admit sins of thought, word, deed, and omission. We often don’t think about sins of omission, but we certainly are aware of actions we should have taken but failed to do. 

We then amplify our admission, even striking our breasts three times when admitting our fault. The striking symbolic, so there’s no need to strike with force! 

We then ask the community of the Church for prayers on our behalf: Mary, the Angels, Saints (so those in heaven united with us through the Church), and our brothers and sisters within the Church here on earth. We ask their prayers because we know that although sin is real, it never has the last word: God’s mercy does. We recognize that prayers are powerful and that in praying for each other we’re assisting each other in our call to holiness. The Confiteor thus ends on a note of hope—that God will hear and answer our prayers for each other.

God Bless,

Fr. Boniface