October Feasts

by Rev. Gabriel Baltes, O.S.B.  |  10/09/2022  |  A Message from Our Pastor

Dear Parishioners,

Who doesn’t love October? The temperatures are moderate. The trees are in colorful splendor. The earth is yielding its autumnal harvest of grapes, apples, squash and pumpkins. Excitement is peaked among people of all ages, but especially our youth, because of football games, homecomings, tailgate parties and the many preparations for Halloween. The sights and sounds of Christmas are beginning to emerge along with its prelude celebration of Thanksgiving. October is simply a month of abundant beauty and promise that delights the human heart.

However, in this very same month, there are also some very bleak realities that bespeak anything but beauty and promise. The war in Ukraine still rages as more atrocities get discovered revealing a shocking and terrifying depth of inhumanity. Unbridled forest fires have devastated homes and cities. Hurricane Ian has left a legacy of destruction, death and despair in Florida and the surrounding area. Political unrest, at home and abroad, continues to weaken people’s trust in political systems and government leaders.

So while there is much that we traditionally love about October, currently, this month also has a darker side that can tarnish its beauty and diminish our hope. But such is the drama of life – a narrative of light and darkness that results from the ancient battle between good and evil.

In the face of this reality, we can draw strength from the church’s liturgy and its cycle of feasts that punctuate this month. On October 1st we keep the memory of St. Therese of Lisieux whose “little way” calls us to become, once again, dependent children on a loving God. October 2nd is the feast of the Guardian Angels reminding us that every human life is of such inestimable value to God, that he assigns an angelic protector to watch over it. October 4th commemorates St. Francis of Assisi, beloved by Catholics and non-Catholics alike. His profound love for God’s creation led him to sing about brother sun and sister moon as though they were siblings, thus reminding us of our responsibility to reverence the earth and not exploit it selfishly. October 7th is the feast of the Rosary. This time-honored prayer directs our meditation on the fundamental mysteries of salvation. Its peaceful rhythm soothes the weary soul and witnesses to power of Mary’s intercession. October 19 th , the memory of the martyrs Sts. John de Brebeuf and St. Isaac Jogues, who came to this land to spread the Gospel, calls to mind the sacrifice that so many people were willing to make so that our Catholic faith could flourish. October 28th celebrates the apostles Simon and Jude. Simon was a zealot – a member of a fierce and rebellious sect who sought to overthrow the Roman government. His conversion to the gentle way of Jesus shows the power of grace. St. Jude, the patron saint of hopeless cases, is a heavenly reminder that there is no such thing as hopelessness for Christians. Finally, October 31st , All Hallows Eve, announces that there is a great multitude of Holy Ones who have preceded us into heaven, and who from that place, accompany us in our pilgrimage of life in this world.

These are some of the liturgical feasts that we devoutly recall in the weeks of October. Perhaps they can be especially helpful for us this October when the temptation to become overwhelmed by sadness and fear is strong. May the liturgy of the church and the Communion of Saints keep our hope fixed on Christ, the eternal Light who came into this world so that the darkness could not overcome it.