need to address you who are not part of them…”You touched me,
and I burned for your peace.’”
How can I, on this Memorial of Saint Scholastica, and in my commitment to Care for Our Common Home, reconcile the deep pain of my accusations at St. Mary’s Cathedral—where Bishop Zurek dismissed my concerns, allows a memorial by a convicted pedophile priest, and refuses to cover Father Tony’s 7 AM Mass—with my personal journey of early morning “praygging” at The Glenn as I pray for a miracle for my son Daniel and his family, all while holding on to the hope that divine grace will ultimately reach me, so that I might one day reach out in faith and, with trembling conviction, say, “and begged him that they might touch❓”
Gospel
After making the crossing to the other side of the sea,
Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret
and tied up there.
As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.
They scurried about the surrounding country
and began to bring in the sick on mats
to wherever they heard he was.
Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered,
they laid the sick in the marketplaces
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak;
and as many as touched it were healed.
Lectio Divina Reflection on “touch“
There are moments in my life when I have longed for God’s touch, yet I have felt abandoned instead. When I spoke out about clergy abuse at St. Mary’s Cathedral, I did not expect applause, but I also did not expect condemnation. Bishop Zurek turned his attention away from the suffering of victims and instead sought to comfort those untouched by the scandal. His words made me feel isolated, as though I were an outsider looking in on the faith I have loved my whole life. But I cannot deny what I have seen, nor can I pretend that the wounds of others do not touch my heart. So I keep searching—searching for a God who does not turn away from the brokenhearted, searching for a Church that does not merely preserve its image but instead touches the truth with honesty and courage.
Each morning, as I as I do what I call “praygging” through The Glenn, I see a lamplight breaking through the fog, and I am reminded that light, too, must reach out to touch the darkness. My prayers mingle with the morning air, and I lift up my son Daniel, his wife Kristen, and their three young children, Heidi, Stella, and Dawson, as they bear the unbearable weight of his stage-four pancreatic cancer. I wish I could take away their suffering, but I can only touch it with my prayers, my love, and my hope for a miracle. I think of those in the Gospel who reached out to touch the hem of Christ’s garment, believing in the healing power of that simple act. Their faith was enough. Is mine❓
on the relationship between Bishops, consecrated life, and ecclesial
associations.”
I reflect on how Bishop Zurek allows a convicted pedophile priest’s memorial to remain standing, as if the victims he harmed do not matter, as if the past cannot touch the present. Meanwhile, he will not even touch the inconvenience of saying an extra Mass for the faithful who gather at 7 AM at his own cathedral. Instead, he permits a Communion Service, offering the faithful not the touch of Christ in the hands of a priest but only the remnants of what should have been. How can the Church claim to call for more priests while making it so easy for laity to take their place in moments of inconvenience❓ Where is the touch of true pastoral care❓
items for the auctions or maybe you’d like to purchase tickets get in touch with Dr Jack Al
23:18
provided if you’re interested in volunteering get in touch with Larry gray is telephone number 806
24:25
in touch with sister Elizabeth an dri with a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ she’s the executive director there at
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getting in touch with Patty linman you can find out much more about that dinner by going to our dossas and website Amarillo diy.org or see the
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fundraiser get in touch with Father Alvin schuma Betty Aragon and Stephanie Wilhelm at the Catholic Student Center
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please get in touch with Oscar Guzman 806 383
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get in touch with Jayla Wilhelm 86690
Saint Augustine once wrote, “You touched me, and I burned for your peace.” I long for that touch of peace, for a Church that listens instead of silences, for a shepherd who leads with compassion instead of neglect. I long for God to touch my own wounded heart, so that my anger does not consume me, so that I do not become as hardened as those I lament. I want my faith to be more than frustration—I want it to be an open hand, reaching out to God in trust, even when the answers are unclear.
So I wonder—if the people in the Gospel, in their desperation, reached out for Christ’s healing, should I not do the same❓ Even when I feel forsaken, should I not stretch out my hands, in hope, in faith, in longing, just as they did when they fell at his feet…
I will begin by briefly reviewing several aspects of the present ecological crisis, with the aim of drawing on the results of the best scientific research available today, letting them touch us deeply and provide a concrete foundation for the ethical and spiritual itinerary that follows.
FROM PARAGRAPH 15 of ENCYCLICAL LETTER LAUDATO SI’ OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME