St. Thomas the Apostle
Catholic Community

PAX ET BONUM, PEACE AND ALL GOOD…These were the words that St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) used as a greeting to those he met, and also when he departed from their company. He wished PEACE to everyone and he sincerely wanted ALL GOOD to be a part of their daily lives as well. Today, October 4, we celebrate the feast of St. Francis. He is the patron of all Franciscans, men and women who have followed his rule of life for over 1,780 years. Many religious communities have come

Today we encounter in our Gospel a parable about two sons that appears only in Mathew’s version and not in any other. The primary feature of this text is clear. God requires productive and obedient living from his people. Claims and concerns for appearance are not enough. There should be no difference between believing and doing. How did people ever get the idea that obedience to the will of God is optional? Many parables, and especially this one, push for integrity of life b

Recently I read a reflection from “The Word Among Us” magazine that reminded me and ALL of us that because of our Baptism we share in being the prophetic office of Jesus. The new catechism writes: “Lay people…fulfill their mission by evangelization…the proclamation of Christ by word and the testimony of life.” And “this is accomplished in the ordinary circumstances of the world.” What does that mean? We have the task of helping direct people to Jesus in our ordinary, everyday

Some of you may be familiar with Franciscan Richard Rohr. I found this from among his writings recently: “The Gospel is not about being nice; it is about being honest and just, and the world doesn’t like those two things very much. Our job is to learn how to be honest, but with love and respect. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. taught us that before we go out to witness for justice, we have to make sure that we can love and respect those with whom we disagree.” I believe that thos