St. Philip the Apostle Church

09/07/2026

Treat Him Like a Gentile

In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives instructions for ministering to those persisting in error. Here’s the CliffsNotes version: If all else fails, “treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.”

In other words? Don’t give up. Tell him the truth. Wash, rinse and repeat.

Technically speaking, I’m a Gentile. I’ve done those mail-in DNA tests, and none of my ancestors were Jewish. So whoever told my family about the God of Abraham, it wasn’t Moses, and it probably wasn’t Jesus himself, unless he spent some time in northwestern Europe that the Gospels fail to mention.

Nope, my ancestors were big old Gentiles living in a big old Gentile world. Lucky for me, someone evangelized them. At first, my ancestors probably didn’t listen. But the evangelist, whoever he or she was, didn’t give up.

I say “lucky for me” because this all means that I was born and raised Catholic. It makes it easier, I think — but it doesn’t make it easy. I’m not an automaton, and I still have to accept the truth of the faith I choose to live. So do you. So do we all.

Inevitably, we falter. What then?

Who are the tax collectors? Zaccheus was one. Matthew was another. Maybe you recognize his name — he’s the guy who wrote this Gospel. And who are the Gentiles? Me. You, maybe. Everyone the disciples decided not to give up on. Everyone the Church is called not to forget about, not to dismiss, and not to take for granted.

So treat them all like Gentiles, and remember that God sees the future, not just the past.

©LPi

09/07/2026

Labor Day Blessing
Dear God, We thank You for this Labor Day. Bless the men and women who serve in our workforce and grant them strength and protection in their work. Bless, too, those who courageously seek to build fairer and more just working environments for all our brothers and sisters. Bless all of us as we gather to rest and recreate during this holiday weekend. Amen.
©LPi

09/06/2026

09/06/2026

Back-to-School Blessing
Dear God, We ask that You bless the students in our congregation, giving them inspirational teachers, studious habits, solid friendships, and Your grace in every moment of this school year. Bless the teachers and school staff in our congregation, too. Fill them with Your love and care so that, as they teach and minister to our young people, Your wisdom and light may be known, encountered, and shared. Amen.
©LPi

09/06/2026

Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Matthew 18:15-20
A few summers ago, my family had a big reunion. It included my parents, my four siblings, and all their many children. One of my favorite moments was simply watching my parents’ contented faces as they took in all of us together, laughing, sharing food, singing, telling stories. They loved seeing their children happily together with each other.
That is something like the heart of God we see in today’s Gospel message about Christian reconciliation. These verses come right after Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep. He is not giving the disciples a cold formula for dealing with conflict. He is revealing the Father’s longing for children who love and reconcile with each other. His heart aches when his children are divided and isolated.
So when Jesus says, “Go and tell your brother his fault,” He is not deputizing us as morality police. He is inviting us into his mission of reconciliation. When he adds, “If he listens to you, you have won over your brother,” we glimpse the real goal. Not winning arguments, but reuniting a divided family.
These days, we often think religion is just between God and me. But the Father’s dream is about a lively family, one in which His children forgive, gather, and rejoice together.
Lord Jesus, give me the courage to seek reconciliation where it is needed. Make my heart resemble the Father’s heart, longing and working for unity among His children. Amen.
— Father John Muir

©LPi

09/05/2026

Christ tells us that “where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Our faith compels us to be in community with one another. No one should be a Christian alone. How can you draw closer to others who love Christ?

©LPi

09/04/2026

To Carry the Cross

Carry the cross? Absolutely. I’m happy to! Hand it over. Here’s the thing: I just might…set it down for a second, from time to time. That’s okay, right?

How else am I supposed to have both hands free to gesture in anger? I can’t do that if I’m carrying the cross. Well, fine, then let me just shift its weight, so I can catch my breath and say what I think about this person who’s got it all wrong — I’ll just lean it against the wall here. No? Okay, fine, I won’t put it down! I’ll keep holding it. That’s better, actually. Then I can use it as a weapon.

What? Am I doing this “Christian” thing wrong?

“Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,” Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel. “But whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

This is not an affirmation of the paradox that if you no longer care about something, you can finally have it once and for all. It’s not a judgment about the worthlessness of life in this fallen world or the futility of trying to preserve that life.

It’s merely a statement about priorities.

When Peter says, “God forbid!” at the thought of suffering, God is not his priority. His own safety is.

When I say, “God forbid!” at anything that comes from the mouth of God, it’s a reminder to look at my hands — because they’ve probably put down the cross.

How merciful is our Lord — he never takes my cross from me, even when I walk far away from it. He always lets me pick it back up. In his dear and sweet goodness, he even helps me lift its weight. And he gestures, in case I’ve forgotten: “This way. Follow me.”

©LPi