Dear Parishioners,

This weekend we celebrate the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. We gather this weekend as the blind person who does not see the suffering in our world. We are the deaf person who does not hear the cries of the poor and the mute who fails to speak up against injustice. We come to Jesus for healing so we may speak out against people and systems that oppress and silence the voices of the least among us.

Next weekend we will celebrate the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Within our Scripture readings next weekend are deep, and at times, controversial questions. Jesus asks his disciples: “Who do people say that I am?” Then he asks Peter, “But who do you say that I am?” Like Peter, all Christian faiths today proclaim that Jesus is the Christ, the anointed one. Despite our common proclamation, the second reading often serves as a proof text that separates Catholics from our Protestant brothers and sisters. Does faith alone save or does faith combined with corporal and spiritual works save us? These questions invite us to delve more deeply into the mysteries of God. May we listen attentively to His Holy Word!

MonicaFest: This is being written early in the week, so I don’t know what the remnants of Hurricane Gordon might have done to our celebration! I hope that we were able to have it and it was a good celebration of our parish. Thanks to all who planned and participated in it!

The Abuse Scandal. If you have a computer and Youtube, please take the time to watch and listen to Bishop Robert Barron, Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles, as he addresses the scandals in the church today. It is about 25 minutes but very, very good.

A report on my workshop with Rabbis, Imams, and Fundamentalist Pastors. As I mentioned last week on August 29 and 30 I was at Todd Hall Retreat and Conference Center just north of Columbia, Illinois.

There were six Jewish Rabbis or Cantors, six Muslim Imams, six Fundamentalist Ministers, and one priest! Also the “original convener” of this program, Pastor Bob Roberts, of the North Wood Church in Keller, Texas, dropped by and gave a presentation. This opportunity came through the good offices of Rabbi Jim Bennett, of Congregation Shaare Emeth, at the corner of Ballas and Ladue. It follows upon the prayer breakfast that I mentioned in last week’s article.

The website for this particular Multi Faith Ministry and discussion is Glocal.net. I encourage you to go look at it.

We spoke of our families, our neighborhoods, our congregations, and the fact that for most of us we had no real dealings with the other people in the room. There were two Imams from the United States (one who went to Parkway North!), but the other four were from Bosnia, Libya, Egypt, and Guinea. All are here in the Saint Louis Area. Of the six Jews, five have congrega- tions in this part of town, while the sixth, from Central Reform Congregation, on Kingshighway in the City, lives in Creve Coeur, and he, too, went to Parkway North!

We had a facilitator from Colorado, who is part of the Glocal.net “team,” but the other five ministers are all from Saint Louis, and most of them are in this part of town too, although one is in Affton (very near the Bosnian Mosque) and the other is in Saint Charles.

Our discussions were very friendly and hopeful. We started by looking at the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, penned by Thomas Jefferson in 1786. That law basically allowed all people in that State to worship as they wished … and to be sure that “no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship place, or ministry whatsoever.” Before that the Anglican/ Episcopalian Church had been receiving support from the government. All were free to worship as they wished!

Then we studied the Marrakesh Declaration, adopted in January 2016, by more than 250 Muslim religious leaders, heads of state, and scholars, which championed “defending the rights of religious minorities in predominately Muslim countries.” This was done in light of the 1400th Anniversary of the Charter (or Constitution) of Medina, which sought to protect non-Muslims in a very Muslim area. There were also Christians, especially both Catholic and Orthodox Chaldeans from Iraq, as part of the discussion in Marrakesh, since ISIS was so “set” on killing Christians, despite what the Quran says! While not signatories to the Marrakesh Declaration, it was adopted and signed only by the Muslims there, the Christians had input as to what it says.

Looking at each other, sharing meals with each other, and discussing with each other we (the people from Saint Louis!) came to the conclusion that not only did we have to be “nice” to each other, but we also had to learn about each other. We were all challenged into visiting each other’s homes, visiting each other’s congregations, and actually spending time together … along with other members of our own congregations.

Please be patient … “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” as the saying goes. I will be getting together with my small group in the next couple of weeks and then, as time goes on, we will be visiting homes of the Rabbis and Imams in our group, and eventually their congregations. “Stay tuned.” We need to be sure that we are working together in this multi faith nation … and area.

May the Lord grant us His peace and Peace in the world.

Faithfully yours,

Fr Joe Weber PS

I mentioned his last week, but it bears repeating: PLEASE put in your calendar Sunday, January 13, 2019, when the Archbishop will be here for a special Week of Prayer for Christian Unity service, beginning at 7:00 P.M. Our own choir will be involved with this service, the theme of which will be following the “official” Week of Prayer for Christian Unity theme for January 18-25, 2019, namely, Justice, Only Justice, You Shall Pursue (Deuteronomy 16:20).