Dear Parishioners of Mary Immaculate and Saint Rose,
During this month of September, our Gospel readings have presented us over and over again with the tremendous love and mercy of God. This love and mercy are so present and constant that we take them for granted, like the air we breathe or the water we drink, until something pollutes them or our supply is threatened. The love and mercy of God are always present, and unlike air and water, cannot be polluted. But our sin and apathy can hamper our awareness of their presence. Like many things that are always present to us, the love and mercy of God are things we seldom consider, and yet if we don’t acknowledge their presence, we are in danger of missing the greatest gift that we have been given.
We know that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, but what does this means for us? Do we stop to realize that Jesus took upon Himself the sin of all humanity? Before Jesus came, the gates of heaven were closed to mankind. Through His death on the Cross, Jesus has now thrown open these gates and given to us the hope of Heaven.
Through our baptism, Jesus freed us from the sin of Adam and Eve. He also gave us the means to free us from our own sins through the sacrament of reconciliation. We have a remedy for the poison and sickness that can infect our souls, if we but make use of it.
When we consider the suffering we have caused through our self-centeredness, our pride, and our greed, this mercy is indeed life-giving! If we consider the amazing depth of God’s love and mercy for us, how can we not rejoice? How can it do anything but lead us to gratitude?
It’s only natural that we grow accustomed to the mercy and love of God. We do it with everything: We don’t think about the generations of Christians who have passed on the precious gift of Faith to us. We don’t consider the sacrifice of so many Americans who worked for and died for the freedoms that we enjoy.  We take for granted  the doctors, nurses, farmers, teachers, and whole host of others who make our lives what they are. We even miss the hard work of our parents to provide a home for us. And the list goes on.
So it is not surprising that we also take for granted the love and mercy of our God. Still, every once in a while, it is good to be called to think how truly blessed we are. Let us take a moment to fall down in humble worship and give praise and thanks to God for His infinite love and mercy.
Msgr. Cox
Carl Vogel von Vogelstein Let the Children Come to Me (1805)