FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK
Dear St. Mary’s Parishioners:
October is “Respect Life Month”. Every October, the Church asks that we spend some time reflecting more intentionally on the gift and dignity of every life, from the youngest to the oldest. We pray especially for the most vulnerable among us who depend on the protection of others in order to live. One thinks of a pre-born child or an elderly disabled person. We think of the homeless on the street, sex-trafficking victims and the incarcerated. Regarding the importance of protecting and defending the vulnerable, during this “Year of St. Joseph,” it is good to reflect on how St. Joseph was a protector and defender of the Holy Family and how we are called to imitate St. Joseph by protecting the vulnerable. In his 2020 Apostolic Letter, “With a Father’s Heart,” (Patris Corde) Pope Francis wrote of St. Joseph:
Arriving in Bethlehem and finding no lodging where Mary could give birth, Joseph took a stable and, as best he could, turned it into a welcoming home for the Son of God come into the world (cf. Lk 2:6-7). Faced with imminent danger from Herod, who wanted to kill the child, Joseph was warned once again in a dream to protect the child, and rose in the middle of the night to prepare the flight into Egypt (cf. Mt 2:13-14). (PC, 5)
Thirty-one years before “With a Father’s Heart,” in 1989, Pope John Paul II wrote “Guardian of the Redeemer,” (Redemptoris Custos) in which he described all the ways that St. Joseph guarded Jesus, protected Mary and, thus, also continues to protect the Church. During this Year of St. Joseph, it would be good to read both of these beautiful documents.
As protectors and defenders of life, following the example of St. Joseph, it is good to take stock of what we might be doing to protect the vulnerable among us. Recently, along with several seminarians from St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, I prayed in front of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Redwood City. As always, we prayed for the mothers and fathers that go into the building and for the workers that work there. And, we prayed for the unborn children that they would be able to see the light of day. As we prayed the Rosary peacefully on the sidewalk, alongside the busy street, we received a certain amount of feedback from the passersby. Believe it or not, for the most part, the feedback was positive; we received positive
horn honks much more often than negative hand gestures. Still, I had to ask myself: am I doing enough? For me, the answer is “No”. There is always more to do, as long as human life, in all its forms and conditions, is not fully respected and defended. For example, I know that I can certainly pray more. I can pray that we find better ways to reach out to abortion-vulnerable women and help and support them so that they can give birth to their children. I know that I can pray more fervently that we have civil and political leaders who are willing to defend the rights of the unborn and protect the born who are in vulnerable situations. I know that I can be more generous to those in need and be more intentional about praying for and ministering to those in jail and prison. How about you? What can you be doing more of or how can you improve how you protect and defend the dignity of human life? I invite you to reflect upon these questions this week and then do something concrete to protect the most vulnerable among us.
In Christ,
Fr. Berg
