St. Michael's Parish

09/08/2026

SEPTEMBER 8 + Today is the Feast Day of the Nativity (Birth) of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Church celebrates the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary on its traditional fixed date of September 8, nine months after the December 8 celebration of her Immaculate Conception.

The circumstances of the Virgin Mary's infancy and early life are not directly recorded in the Bible, but other documents and traditions describing the circumstances of her birth are cited by some of the earliest Christian writers from the first centuries of the Church.

These accounts, although not considered authoritative in the same manner as the Bible, outline some of the Church's traditional beliefs about the birth of Mary.

The “Protoevangelium of James,” which was put into its final written form in the early second century, describes Mary's father Joachim as a wealthy member of one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Joachim was deeply grieved, along with his wife Anne, by their childlessness.

Joachim and Anne began to devote themselves extensively and rigorously to prayer and fasting, initially wondering whether their inability to conceive a child might signify God's displeasure with them.

As it turned out, however, the couple were to be blessed with a daughter as an angel appeared and revealed to Anne and prophesied that all generations would honor their future child: “The Lord has heard your prayer, and you shall conceive, and shall bring forth, and your seed shall be spoken of in all the world.”

After Mary's birth, Anne “made a sanctuary” in the infant girl's room, and “allowed nothing common or unclean” on account of the special holiness of the child. The same writing records that when she was one year old, her father “made a great feast, and invited the priests, and the scribes, and the elders, and all the people of Israel.”

Saint Augustine described the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary as an event of cosmic and historic significance, and an appropriate prelude to the birth of Jesus Christ. The 17th century Franciscan nun the Venerable Mary of Jesus of Agreda details Mary's life - as told to her by the Blessed Virgin herself - in the book The Mystical City of God.

Happy Birthday to Our Blessed Mother - the Queen of Heaven and Earth!

09/04/2026

09/03/2026

Today, we honor St. Gregory the Great, a 'Great' Pope and Doctor of the Church, who famously called himself the "Servant of the Servants of God." The Gospel today, the miraculous catch of fish in Luke 5:1-11, shows us the very nature of Gregory’s mission—and ours. Just as Peter, James, and John were called from their nets to become "fishers of men," St. Gregory answered a similar call to serve, to teach, and to lead the people of God with humility and zeal. Their obedience to Jesus’ word is the pattern of his greatness and our path to holiness.
In our journey of faith, let the name of Gregory and the example of the apostles guide us. Each letter reminds us of how to respond to the Lord's call:
G – Go: "Put out into deep water" (Lk 5:4). We must be ready to step out of our comfort zone when Christ calls.
R – Respond: Like Peter, we respond, "At your command, I will lower the nets."
E – Entrust: Entrust our efforts and failures to the Lord, trusting His word over our tiredness.
G – Gather: Our mission, like Peter's, is to bring others into the boat of the Church. We are called to gather souls.
O – Obey: Obedience to Christ leads to abundance beyond our expectations.
R – Revere: Recognizing our smallness before God, we kneel with Peter and say, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man" (Lk 5:8). Revere God’s grace.
Y – Yield: Finally, we yield our lives to Him, becoming fishers of men through a life of total service.
The miraculous catch was not the end of the story; it was the beginning of the apostles' mission. They left everything to follow Him. St. Gregory did the same, using his immense talents to serve the Church when it was in turmoil. His example teaches us that true greatness is found in service and humility. As we continue this Eucharist, let us yield our lives and talents to the Lord, trusting in His word, so that we too can become instrumental in the 'great catch' of souls for His kingdom. St. Gregory the Great, pray for us.

09/03/2026

⛪️ Happy Feast of St. Gregory the Great! Also known as the “father of the medieval papacy”, this pope instituted many reforms of the Church, was a political diplomat for the protection of Rome, labored hard in the ecumenical field, worked for social justice especially for the Jews, and was responsible for the conversion of England during this time. St. Gregory the Great is one of the four key doctors of the Western Church. St. Gregory, pray for us!

Image: “Saint Gregory the Great” by Jacopo Vignali, ca. 1630

09/02/2026

09/02/2026

Today we pray for the Diocese of Burlington’s Bishop John J. McDermott.

08/31/2026

✝️ 𝗧𝗛𝗘 “𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥” 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗛𝗦 — 𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗖 𝗗𝗘𝗩𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗦𝗘𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗢 𝗗𝗘𝗖𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥

As we enter the final months of the year, the Catholic Church gives us beautiful opportunities to reflect on different mysteries of our faith.

Here is a simple guide:

✝️ 𝗦𝗘𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥 — 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗟𝗔𝗗𝗬 𝗢𝗙 𝗦𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗦

September is traditionally associated with devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows.

We remember the profound sufferings that Mary endured in union with her Son, Jesus.

Her seven sorrows teach us to remain faithful to Christ even in moments of suffering.

Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.

✝️ 𝗢𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗕𝗘𝗥 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗬 𝗥𝗢𝗦𝗔𝗥𝗬

October is traditionally dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary.

The Rosary leads us through the mysteries of the life, death, and glory of Jesus Christ with Mary.

It is not simply the repetition of prayers.

It is a school of contemplation.

Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us.

✝️ 𝗡𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗔𝗜𝗧𝗛𝗙𝗨𝗟 𝗗𝗘𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗗

November is especially associated with prayer for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

We remember our brothers and sisters who have died and commend them to God's mercy.

The month reminds us that death is not the end of the Christian hope.

We believe in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

✝️ 𝗗𝗘𝗖𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥 — 𝗔𝗗𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧, 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗢𝗙 𝗖𝗛𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗧, 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗜𝗠𝗠𝗔𝗖𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗣𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

December is first and foremost marked by Advent, as we prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ.

On December 8, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

And throughout the month, our hearts turn toward the mystery of the Incarnation and the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas.

Mary, conceived without original sin, pray for us.

✝️ 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗘𝗣𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗧𝗛

The final months of the year can become a beautiful spiritual journey:

September — contemplate Mary's sorrows.

October — pray the Rosary.

November — pray for the faithful departed.

December — prepare for Christ and celebrate His coming.

Don't allow these months to pass like ordinary months.

Use them to draw closer to Christ. 🙏🏻

Ignatius Catholicum ✍️✝️