Sangre de Cristo Parish

09/06/2026

The Gospel of Creation: why soil is so important

Creation and Mortality

In Biblical scripture, soil serves as both as a literal foundation for life and agricultural Stewardship, and a rich theological metaphor for the human heart, mortality and divine order. One of the first mentions of soil comes from Genesis 2:7 “Then the lord formed a man from the dust of the living ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.” Once man was formed he had to survive so “ By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it your taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return” Genesis 3:19.

This description of creation states that soil is the basis of all life from creation, to death. Human cultures throughout the world have built their homes from the earth beneath their feet and have toiled in the fields to produce food.

Stewardship and Agricultural Care

Once man was formed, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work and take care of it” Genesis 2:15. Work meant tilling the soil so it could produce food and ecological stewardship. In Leviticus 25:3-4 “For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and harvest their crops. But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of Sabbath rest, a Sabbath to the Lord.” In Luke 13:8 there is a doubt from a farmer as to whether let the land should rest, “Sir the man replied, leave it alone for one more year, and I will dig around it and fertilize it.”

Productive agricultural land needs nutrients and a pause from farming for better future productivity. Adding manure or compost will enrich the soil after annual depletion of nutrients. Agriculture requires diligence and hard work, “Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense” Proverbs 12:11.

Metaphor for Receptivity and Faith

There are many metaphors of how we interpret our faith based on real world examples as mentioned in Mathew 13:3-8 (Parable of the Sower). Here a comparison of the human heart to four soil conditions is made: Packed path (hardened), rocky ground (shallow faith), thorny ground (distracted, choked), and good soil (where it produced a crop-a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown”).

A remedy for how to properly till the soil is offered in Jeremiah 4:3/Hosea10:12 :”Break up your unplowed ground and do not sow among thorns”. For those farmers who till good soil and not sow in thorns, the seeds will only sprout where there is moisture, “Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God” Hebrews 6:7.

Mud Brick Production and Straw Binding
Throughout the ancient Near East, unfired sun-dried mud brick (adobe), rammed earth, and earthen plasters were the primary building materials for everyday domestic housing, city walls, and store houses. Scripture contains numerous direct and indirect references to earthen construction techniques, materials, and structural characteristics.

In Exodus 5:7-8,14 one of the most descriptive accounts of earth construction mentions, “You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. But require them to make the same number of bricks as before”.

Straw is required for tensile strength, preventing excessive shrinkage, cracking and warping during the drying process in the hot sun. Instructions describing the labor of preparing for earth construction are given in Nahum 3:14- “Draw water for the siege, strengthen your defenses! Work the clay, thread the mortar, repair the brickwork”.



The elements of clay, sand and straw are blended to make adobes, for mortar and wall plasters. The first shelters for the settlers in the Rio Culebra Villages were simple adobe dwellings built using all natural materials of stone, earth, and wood bound with adobe mud for stability and weather protection. Adobes are excellent for moderating high temperatures in the hot weather while remaining warm during cold weather occupation. Many of these buildings are still in use and should be restored or repaired whenever possible. They are truly sustainable and embody the ancient wisdom of our ancestors.

09/03/2026

REFLECTIONS by Father Emmanuel—

Self-examination Comes First.

A Chinese proverb teaches: Think of your faults the first part of the night when you awake, and of the faults of others the latter part of the night when you are asleep.

This is an affirmation of Jesus’s teaching that it is vital to remove the plank in one’s eye first then one will see clearly to remove the speck in the neighbor’s eye, (Matthew 7:3-5). We are in a world where everyone has flaws and shortcomings, but the approach to overcoming our flaws and helping others to overcome their flaws must be positive and never negative.

Those with negative judgmental tendencies would ordinarily like to focus on other people’s mistakes and quickly react to such, with negative reactions like destructive criticism, condemnation, character assassination and fostering avenues to have others well battered and disgraced, rather than look at their own shortcomings and look for ways to overcome such.

The right approach in any way does not suggest turning blind eyes to people’s errors and when needed to be objectively corrected, that is left undone because we do not feel like creating an impression of judging people’s fault. Rather, it is an invitation to appreciate the culture of self-evaluation as a credible step in helping oneself and others in overcoming shortcomings and flaws.

It is looking at one’s faults and mistakes and making efforts to get that corrected day by day as a standard to help others to make right choices even if we are to bring them to the table of correction in a loving manner. One cannot be guilty of an offence and then still have the audacity to be correcting co-offenders; such correction has no credibility and can never yield any positive outcome. It must be a reality of coming to equity with clean hands.

It should not be a case of covering up one’s faults and then focusing on those who make little mistakes as the demons to be crucified and never having a disposition to make them feel loved and supported in any way. The journey to better living begins with self-examination, self-evaluation, discovering one’s shortcomings and accepting the wholistic strategies to become better day by day.

The quest for self-examination is never geared towards condemning oneself but to know and accepting the reality that nobody is perfect overnight or holiness/wholeness is a continuous journey not a destination reached at once. It is a reality of continuous journey that will be on-going as much as one is alive not just once- for -all event or process.

With the process of regular self-examination, one discovers how far one is going in the right direction and how one’s pitfalls or flaws can hinder progressive development in one’s journey of life. It is never aimed to put the lens on our mistakes to make us feel dejected or depressed but to discover our shortcomings as hindrances to our desire to objective happiness, thus desiring to keep working on such flaws with the grace of God so that we get them rooted out of our being.

Some of the vices in us have their connections to our backgrounds and we are not even fundamentally responsible for them having a place in our being, but as we grow, they become negative habits that constitute obstacles to our desired goal/ happiness. It is through regular self-examination, we discover such negative traits and how they really affect our character and reputation and with frantic efforts, we progress regularly in rooting them out expectedly.

Putting the lens on oneself rather than always principally looking at other people’s conduct destructively will help us in molding ourselves to become better in conduct and choices, thus becoming inspirational for others, even for those who have reputation of chronic bad choices. What matters in changing people who opt for bad choices is to have good models who set the pace in good choices. People really learn from good exemplary lifestyles of those around them rather than from the culture of destructive criticism and outright condemnation.

One cannot objectively correct others of their wrong choices when the one correcting is also immersed in wrong choices and hypocritically hiding such. The courage to correct others lies in the reality of not being guilty as the offender. The clarion call to remove the plank in our eyes is just to present us with the standard of correcting flaws in others, that is, a good reputation, a good character is what makes correcting ills in others for wrong choices plausible, acceptable and fruitfully possible.

Becoming a credible pacesetter for others in good choices becomes a vital aspect of our religious experience and not just living a double standard life and being quick to jump aggressively on others for their shortcomings. True Christian experience will never accept hypocrisy and destructive criticism of others as the ideal of Christian conduct.

We are to keep working on ourselves day by day so as to be credible sources of good conduct for all and sundry. That is only possible through regular self-examination and upholding the daily culture of examination of conscience. According to a philosopher: A life unexamined is not worth living.

2 Corinthians 13. Galatians 6.

Fr. Emmanuel Alao.

09/01/2026

🙏As we begin this new month, let us join our Holy Father in prayer.

May those who manage the water use discernment to ensure the equitable use of water and as we use water in our daily lives, may we continue to water wisely.

09/01/2026

“They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.” — Isaiah 2:4

On this World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, Pope Leo XIV invites us to reflect on the deep connection between peace and the protection of our common home.

War scars the land, destroys resources and leaves lasting harm for generations to come. The prophet Isaiah offers another vision: instruments of destruction transformed into tools that cultivate life.

Lord, make us instruments of your peace and faithful caretakers of all you have made.

Read Pope Leo XIV's message here: https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/messages/creation/documents/20260815-messaggio-giornata-curacreato.html

09/01/2026

🙏 Madre Dolorosa Ora Por Nosotros. Have you ever wondered why September is dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows? 💙

The Church places before us the Sorrowful Mother, reminding us that Mary did not flee when suffering came. She remained. She trusted. She stood faithfully beneath the Cross.

As September begins, may we bring our own sorrows to Our Lady and ask her to teach us how to remain close to Jesus through every trial.

Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us. 🌿 Mater Dolorosa Ora Pro Nobis 🛐

08/26/2026

A single word that has a big meaning.

08/26/2026

If you are going to College this year check out your local Catholics on Campus, and keep your faith alive. At Adams State, Sacred Heart has a Campus Ministry called Catholics on Campus. Grow your faith, community, prayer, and more.

What a great way to welcome a new school year at Adams State University!

On Tuesday, August 25, Fr. Carlos, our Catholics on Campus team, and several of our students spent the evening welcoming incoming freshmen and sharing what Catholics on Campus is all about: faith, friendship, and belonging. We were grateful to meet so many new students and received several new sign-ups for the year ahead.

Students also went home with rosaries, Miraculous Medals, and giveaways provided by the Knights of Columbus. A very special thank-you to Antojitos Mexicanos for generously providing mangonadas, sweet and tangy chile-spiced treats, and two delicious aguas frescas. They were an absolute hit with the students!

Most of all, we ask our Sacred Heart parish family to keep these young people in your prayers. Please pray that God continues to work in the hearts of the students we met, especially those who may be searching for faith, friendship, community, or simply a place where they know they belong. May they have the courage to take that first step and know there is a place waiting for them here.

Thank you to everyone who continues to pray for and support Catholics on Campus at Adams State University. Your support helps us be present for students at such an important season of their lives.

08/26/2026

🏞️ REFLECTIONS by Father Emmanuel— Taking the First Step 👣

This is very true since the journey of a thousand miles must begin with a step and when the first step is not taken, there is no way the journey, no matter how long or how short, will ever be made. We cannot get to the point of desired destination if we refuse to take the first step in the journey.

It is the first step that will showcase onward movement or continuous progression. If the necessary step is not taken, what you see in life is static retrogression. If one is never ready to start, there is no way one can be talking about ongoing progression or development.

The path to greatness is by starting to move along the course that leads to greatness, step by step and as much as one is ready to keep moving, even if the journey is difficult or burdensome, the desired goal will be met one day. But if one keeps making excuses not to start the journey until one gets a perfect condition, realistically, that perfect condition may not exist and it will just be a case of life that is conditioned to go a downward slope even if the plans for greatness are grand and strong in one’s mind.

Plans on their own cannot come to fruition or realization except executed by those who have the plans and the reality of ex*****on begins with a start or taking the first step.
It is really a path of wisdom to keep moving step by step, day by day in executing our noble plans to be better, to make wonderful choices in all dimensions of life, even if all the conditions to motivate us are not perfectly in place. Even if we think it is not the perfect time as we expect, we can make the present time the suitable time to take the first step.

Starting the journey leads to a destination of greatness at the end of the day even if we make mistakes along the way. One cannot get to the destination without beginning the journey and persevering in the journey. We should not make excuses not to take the first step and when the first step is taken, the journey must continue.

Take the first step to be a better version of yourself.
Take the first step in walking the path that leads to true success and growth.
Take the first step in redirecting yourself on the path that leads to true happiness.
Take the first step in opening yourself to the real plan of God for you in life.
Take the first step in making yourself have a responsible relationship with the world.
Take the first step in making healthy choices in all ramifications.
Take the first step in living a wholistic life and inspiring others to emulate that pattern.
Take the first step in forgiving the mistakes of the past and start facing the future graciously.
Take the first step in connecting with the principles of onward movement to progress.
Take the first step that continuously leads to a happy ending.
Take the first step today and keep going along the positive track.

Proverbs 2:1-22, Proverbs 3:1-35. Matthew 4:18-25.

Fr. Emmanuel Alao

08/25/2026

👑 El Dia de San Luis! Today, is the Feast Day of Saint Louis. San Luis is the Patron Saint and namesake for the Town of San Luis. It is also Colorado’s Oldest Town and home of the Sangre de Cristo Parish. San Luis ora pro nobis🙏

Saint Louis of France’s Story:
San Luis was a leader of leaders, humble and a servant of God! At his coronation as king of France, Louis IX bound himself by oath to behave as God’s anointed, as the father of his people and feudal lord of the King of Peace. Other kings had done the same, of course. Louis was different in that he actually interpreted his kingly duties in the light of faith. After the violence of two previous reigns, he brought peace and justice.

Saint Louis of France “took the cross” for a Crusade when he was 30. His army seized Damietta in Egypt but not long after, weakened by dysentery and without support, they were surrounded and captured. Louis obtained the release of the army by giving up the city of Damietta in addition to paying a ransom. He stayed in Syria four years.

Louis deserves credit for extending justice in civil administration. His regulations for royal officials became the first of a series of reform laws. He replaced trial by battle with a form of examination of witnesses and encouraged the use of written records in court.

Saint Louis of France was always respectful of the papacy, but defended royal interests against the popes, and refused to acknowledge Innocent IV’s sentence against Emperor Frederick II.

Saint Louis of France was devoted to his people, founding hospitals, visiting the sick, and like his patron Saint Francis, caring even for people with leprosy. He is one of the patrons of the Secular Franciscan Order. Louis united France—lords and townsfolk, peasants and priests and knights—by the force of his personality and holiness. For many years the nation was at peace.

Every day, Louis had 13 special guests from among the poor to eat with him, and a large number of poor were served meals near his palace. During Advent and Lent, all who presented themselves were given a meal, and Louis often served them in person. He kept lists of needy people, whom he regularly relieved, in every province of his dominion.

Disturbed by new Muslim advances, Louis led another crusade to North Africa in 1270. Within a month of their landing at Carthage, the army camp was decimated by disease. Louis himself died there at the age of 56. He was canonized 27 years later.

08/25/2026

🙏 O My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen. 🛐