St. Pius the Tenth Catholic Church

St. Pius the Tenth Catholic Church 5 Barbara Street
South Yarmouth, MA 02664
www.stpiusxsy.com
(508) 398-2248

09/07/2026

SEPTEMBER 7 | DO NOT WORRY
Saint Cloud
A.D. 522–560

Take a moment to review your day yesterday. Or, if you are reading this in the evening, review today. What did you worry about most during the day?

Whatever it is, Jesus has the same answer: “Do not worry.” (Matthew 6:25)

Saint Cloud had a lot of reasons to worry during his 38-year stint on this earth, but he learned to turn those worries into prayer.

Cloud was born into the royal family in France in 522 AD. When he was young, his father was killed in battle, and this set off a vicious power struggle within the family. Two of Cloud’s brothers were brutally murdered by their own uncles. Cloud managed to escape this fate by fleeing to bishop Regimus, who would later become a saint. Later, he was able to find protection under his grandmother, Saint Clotilde.

Though Cloud’s life presented plenty of reasons to worry, he continually turned to God in prayer. Each time he did, his trust in God grew.

Eventually, Cloud decided to devote himself totally to God. He renounced his royal claim and chose the monastic life, a radical departure from the pursuit of power and security that had defined his early years. Saint Cloud lived the rest of his life in complete dependence on God. How many worries do you think he surrendered to God in his lifetime?

Most people spend a lot of time worrying. We are anxious about so many things.

It’s natural to have a passing concern about this or that, but as that concern crosses our minds, we find ourselves at a fork in the road.

One fork in the road leads to the land of rumination. Our minds delight in ruminating on problems. We think all our worry and anxiety is working toward a solution, but it isn’t. We think all this ruminating is accomplishing something. It isn’t.

The other fork in the road leads high into the mountains. It is the path of prayer. This is definitely the road less traveled. We would rather worry uselessly about things we cannot change than pray with purpose to the One who can change all things.

When you are anxious or worried, observe yourself, do you pray? If not, why not.

Trusting God is the antidote for worry and anxiety. Prayer is a simple expression of trusting God. Turn your worry into prayer.

—Matthew Kelly

09/07/2026

9/7/26 8am Daily Mass, Father Jim and Deacon Dave

09/06/2026

SEPTEMBER 6 | HUMBLE YOURSELF
The Prophet Zechariah
6TH CENTURY BC

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9)

These are the words of the Prophet Zechariah, and they are the words he is best known for today. Zechariah foretold the arrival of a humble king, starkly contrasted with the current expectations of a mighty, warlike Messiah.

In Jesus, this prophecy is quite literally fulfilled. He is the Humble King who entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday seated on a donkey.

Why was humility so important to the Prophet Zechariah? Why did Jesus emphasize humility over and over again, and live it out himself? Because humility is essential to spiritual flourishing. Yet it seems to be more misunderstood than understood. Humility is highly desirable, and yet, it has been shunned by the modern world for the most part.

Humility is truth. It is false to devalue yourself or your talents. That isn’t humility. Humility is acknowledging the source of your talents. God is the giver of all gifts, the origin of all our talents and abilities, and the source of all goodness and every blessing. You can have exceptional abilities and be humble, you can be an exceptional human being and possess deep humility.

Humility isn’t about pretending to be small and fragile. The humblest people have a very powerful presence. They have a very strong sense of self. They also tend to have a beautiful awareness of reality.

Our desire for humility grows the more we understand what it actually is, and how it differs from pride.

Scratch just beneath the surface and you will discover that pride is small, mean, and scared. Humility is all-encompassing, generous, and trusting.

And here we may have stumbled upon the most important and practical aspect of humility. Only a humble soul can be led. It takes real humility to quiet our desires, and all the distractions of the world, and listen to the voice of the Spirit. And it takes humility to follow wherever that voice leads.

—Matthew Kelly

09/06/2026

9/6/26 10:30 Fr. Miceli celebrating with Dcn. Mike assisting

09/06/2026

Sep 6, 26, 8 AM Mass, Fr. Jim and Dn. Dave

09/05/2026

SEPTEMBER 5 | TRUTH, BEAUTY, GOODNESS
Saint Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa)
A.D. 1910–1997

“We still have it.”

This is ultimately what Mother Teresa's life announced to the world. Christians can still completely captivate the people of their time by embracing the profoundly simple teachings of Jesus in a practical way each day.

Just as the first Christians intrigued the people of their time, Mother Teresa intrigued the whole world in the last quarter of the twenty-first century. Her life announced to all men and women of goodwill, Christian and secular alike, that holiness is possible.

It has been said that people find their way to God via truth, beauty, and goodness. Why were people fascinated with Mother Teresa?

Truth. There was a foundational truth to her life that boldly reminded everyone that people were created to be loved, and that our love of others is not based on what they can do for us or what special talents they have. Rather, our love of others is based on the intrinsic value of each human being and springs from God alive within us.

Beauty. There was also a foundational beauty to her life. Her overflowing joy in the face of life's most desperate situations animated beauty in very real and tangible ways. This was especially apparent when placed side by side with the ugliness and cruelty we hear about every day in the world news.

Goodness. Her goodness became a worldwide symbol of selfless service in a culture obsessed with comfort and self-gratification.

The reason truth, beauty, and goodness are so central to our experience of God is because they are three things people never get bored with. We live in a time when people are gorging on entertainment of every type, and yet we live in an age of boredom. Hundreds of millions of people of all ages are bored.

Mother Teresa was a champion of truth, beauty, and goodness. She didn't have to wake up each day and remind herself to be so. She had a powerful set of routines and rituals that she practiced with unerring discipline. These daily routines and rituals were habits of the heart, mind, body, and soul, and they kept her grounded and focused. They reminded her of what mattered most and protected her from getting distracted, seduced, and mesmerized by shiny illusions.

What are the daily routines and rituals that keep you grounded and focused on what matters most each day? Do you notice the difference between the days when you are faithful to those habits and other days when you neglect them?

—Matthew Kelly

09/05/2026

9/5/26 8am Daily Mass, Father Jim and Deacon Dave

09/04/2026

SEPTEMBER 4 | HELL IS REAL
Saint Rose of Viterbo
A.D. 1233–1251

Jesus unambiguously asserted the existence of hell. There are 162 references to hell in the New Testament, and 70 of these were spoken by Jesus himself. And yet, according to a Pew study, 37% of Christians in the United States do not believe in hell.

Jesus spoke so often about hell as to remind us to fear the right things: “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)

Saint Rose of Viterbo knew what to fear. And God gave her the mission to help others gain the clarity to fear the right things as well.

Born in 1233, Rose's profound spirituality was evident early on. At seven, she experienced a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who called her to preach repentance in order to save people from hell. Rose boldly traveled the streets of Viterbo, urging people to turn from their wicked ways and embrace God’s love. She helped them become deeply aware of the eternal consequences of a life apart from God.

Rose’s fearless preaching drew severe opposition. The Ghibelline faction, which opposed the authority of the pope, forced her family into exile. But Rose remained determined, and eventually returned to Viterbo to continue her mission.

Saint Rose of Viterbo died at 18 due to health complications, but many years later her body was found to be incorrupt.

We fear so many things. Our fears often reveal our values and our standing in the spiritual life. The more we trust God the less we fear. The more we value eternity the less we fear in this life. But when our values and priorities get distorted, we begin to fear the wrong things. And when we fear the wrong things, we make poor decisions.

Hell is real. And if you are going to fear something, fear that.

The saints spent a great deal of time contemplating eternity in the presence of God. They spent time pondering the last things: death, judgment, heaven, and hell. Our unwillingness to turn our minds and conversations toward these things says something about us that warrants further exploration.

Whatever the existential nature of hell may be, Jesus teaches with unmistakable clarity that it does indeed exist, that it is within our power to avoid, and that it is worth avoiding.

Today is a chance to reassess what we value, what we fear, and whether or not we value and fear the right things.

—Matthew Kelly

09/04/2026

9/4/26 8am Daily Mass, Father John and Deacon Mike

Reflection for the Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 6, 2026In this weekend's Gospel, Jesus teaches us how...
09/03/2026

Reflection for the Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 6, 2026

In this weekend's Gospel, Jesus teaches us how to lovingly respond when a member of the community strays from the right path. Rather than condemning the person, He outlines a process rooted in charity and reconciliation. First, speak privately with the individual. If they refuse to listen, invite others to help. If they still remain unrepentant, bring the matter before the Church. Even then, the goal is never punishment but restoration. Those who separate themselves through unrepentant sin are always invited to return through God's mercy.

Jesus concludes with a comforting promise: "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Christ is present not only in prayer but also whenever believers gather to seek His will, exercise faithful leadership, and encourage one another toward holiness. United in His name, we can trust that His wisdom, grace, and blessing will guide our efforts.

Scripture readings for Mass can be found here: https://bible.usccb.org/readings/calendar

-Rick Swenton, Cantor, St. Pius X Church

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