Saints of God…

…the Lord be with you!

As we come to the end of the liturgical year, the readings this Sunday have, for the most part, an ominous tone with just a hint of hope. In the first reading taken from the Book of the Prophet Malachi (3: 19-20) the prophet warns his listeners that, “The day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set then on fire.” (YIKES!)

In today’s Gospel from Luke (21:5-19), Jesus says to those who are remarking on the beauty of the Temple, “All that you see here-the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.” (Another YIKES!) You may be saying to yourself, “I thought the message is supposed to be Good News.” Well, it is. But sometimes you must be attentive and persistent enough to discover it. So where is the Good News in today’s readings?

Well first, the readings remind us that nothing in this life is permanent. Buildings may last a long time, but at some point, even the pyramids will crumble. At some point, we all will die; our bodies turned to dust or ashes. Our spirits/souls live on in because of God’s good grace, but at some point, no one alive in this world will remember us. Although cyclical, at some point, all liturgical seasons come to an end, only to give birth to another liturgical season and another new church year. Maybe the point is “at some point.”

Who are we called to be and what are we called to do until the “at some point” arrives? Ah, now we find the hope! Malachi writes that for those who fear (stand in awe of) the Lord there will arise the “sun of justice with its healing rays.” At the end of today’s Gospel Jesus says, “By your perseverance you will secure your lives.” Our collect (opening prayer) calls God the Father to grant us “constant gladness of being devoted to YOU (Father) and to serve with constancy the author of all that is good.” So, who should we be, and what should we be doing? Continue to be who you are in Christ. Continue to be Christ to one another, in your families, places of work and communities, and in the parish of Sacred Heart. Continue to minister to Christ by feeding the poor, being kind to the unhoused, being an usher at Mass, collecting or giving to the St. Vincent de Paul Society, helping Bikes from the Heart, serving with Hands of Hope, or Giving from the Heart, raising your voices in song by joining the choir…

There is so much we can do, and in the doing we will become more and more like Christ.

– Fr. Steve

“A Journey from Doing to Being”: I thought I’d share some thought from recent small walk in Spain…

There’s a saying among pilgrims: “You don’t walk the Camino; the Camino walks you.” For many, the Camino Inglés — the English Way — begins at the ports of Ferrol or A Coruña and ends, as all the great Caminos do, at the tomb of St. James in Santiago de Compostela. But beneath the miles and blisters, the Camino is not about reaching a place — it’s about being reshaped by the journey.

It’s the road that teaches you to slow down: When you first set out, your mind is full of plans — kilometers to cover, towns to reach, photos to take. But somewhere after the second or third day, the road teaches you something quieter: that haste is the enemy of grace. On the Camino, you learn that the soul moves at the pace of your feet. You cannot rush your healing, your forgiveness, or your awakening.

The Franciscan spirit invites us to this same stillness — to notice the small things: the morning mist, the taste of simple bread, the sound of our breath. In those moments, you realize that God is not only at the destination, but walking beside you in every step.

It’s the Weight of the Pack: Every pilgrim learns that what you carry matters. Your backpack — like your heart — gets heavy when filled with too much. By the second day, you start shedding things: an extra shirt, a bottle, maybe a book you thought you’d read.

This too is Gospel wisdom, “Take nothing for your journey,” Jesus said. (Luke 9:3)

The Camino becomes a living parable of detachment. You begin to see how much of life’s burden comes from carrying what is not needed — old grudges, fears, plans that never were. Every item left behind is a confession. Every lighter step, an act of faith.

It’s the People You Meet: On the Camino, you meet strangers from all nations and even from Tampa! Some walk fast, others slow; some talk much, others walk in silence. You share food, laughter, bandages, and sometimes tears.

Soon you realize that you’re not just walking your Camino — you’re walking ours. The real pilgrimage is not through Spain’s countryside but through the human heart — through the encounters that stretch it open. As Francis said: “It is in giving that we receive.” Every shared loaf, every word of encouragement becomes Eucharist on the road — bread broken and given.

It’s the Blisters of Grace: Every pilgrim knows pain — sore feet, aching shoulders, unexpected rain. But somehow, those hardships are part of the blessing. Without them, the joy at the Cathedral would not mean as much. Grace often wears the disguise of discomfort. What rubs us raw can also make us real.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

In the Franciscan sense, suffering is not to be avoided but embraced as a teacher. The Camino’s blisters remind us that the Christian life is not about comfort, but conversion — a continual turning toward love.

Arrival and Homecoming: When you reach Santiago, you are greeted by a sea of pilgrims. You may feel joy, or tears, or strangely… emptiness. Because what you’ve truly discovered is that the destination was never a place, but a Person — Christ Himself, who has been walking with you all along. And when you return home, the Camino continues — in your patience with others, in your gratitude for simple things, in your new awareness of God’s quiet presence.

As one pilgrim once wrote: “The Camino doesn’t end at Santiago. It begins there — in the way you now live your ordinary days.”

In closing, what I have shared are the simplest of my thoughts along the way. I believe I may have mentioned once before that one need not travel far to embark on a Camino but simply let your Camino be enchantment of the world around with new eyes and a willing heart. I’d like to express my gratitude for all with whom have made this “walk” a reality for me and my companions along the way. We are all the richer from the experience which will stay with us for some time.

Buen Camino!
– Fr. Zack

“I have loved you.” Rev 3:9

“Taking up Pope Francis’ desire “that all Christians come to appreciate the close connection between Christ’s love and his summons to care for the poor”, Pope Leo XIV issued his first Apostolic Exhortation, Dilexi Te, as a call to Christ’s disciples “to recognize him in the poor and the suffering,” wrote Salvatore Cernuzio of Vatican News earlier this month.

Signed on October 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, and released on October 9, the pontiff provides us this teaching document, begun by Pope Francis prior to his death but largely of Leo’s own creation, that asks Catholics to continue to look to the Gospel and Catholic Social Teaching for how we should respond to those on the peripheries, especially the poor or powerless.

“…in continuity with the Encyclical Dilexit Nos (He Loved Us), Pope Francis was preparing in the last months of his life an Apostolic Exhortation on the Church’s care for the poor, to which he gave the title Dilexi Te, as if Christ speaks those words to each of them, saying: “You have but little power,” yet “I have loved you.” (Dilexi Te, Paragraph 3.) Dilexit Nos was the last of Pope Francis’ four encyclicals, published just over one year ago, where he focuses on the human and divine love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and its relevance for a modern world facing various challenges.

Apostolic Exhortations are magisterial documents written by a pope. While not legislative like an Apostolic Constitution, or doctrinal like an encyclical, Apostolic Exhortations are documents or reflections that encourage and inspire the Church to act on a particular virtue or theme.

“The document is a beautiful reflection that outlines the Church’s history of caring for the poor throughout history,” says Fr. Steve Kluge, OFM. “Social Justice is not a “woke” construct, but rather the beating heart of Christianity. The document states its thesis in Paragraph 3, “that all Christians come to appreciate the close connection between Christ’s love and his summons to care for the poor.”

Parishioners who review the exhortation will surely see that many of the assertions or calls to action made are present within our parish community. For those who are not yet participating in ministry, reading this document may inspire you to get involved, whether it’s here at Sacred Heart or with another outreach that assists the marginalized. When asked what he sees in our parish that already answers the call in Dilexi Te, Fr. Steve stated “Here at Sacred Heart, we live Christ’s summons to care for the poor and marginalized through Hands of Hope, our Giving from the Heart drives, Bikes from the Heart, our connection with the St. Vincent de Paul Society, initiatives like our “Socktober” sock drive, and the efforts of our social ministries like the Knights of Columbus Council or Open Doors and more.”

It is no secret that Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost chose the name Leo to connect his papacy to the Leo XIII, whose encyclical Rerum Novarum is largely considered to be the origin of Catholic Social Teaching. St. Pope John Paul II wrote on the 100th Anniversary of Rerum Novarum, ““In the face of a conflict which set man against man” Leo (XIII), for the first time, both established and firmly defended the Church’s moral authority to promote justice in public life and, by so doing, “created a lasting paradigm for the Church”. Dilexi Te takes the baton from aspects of Leo XIII’s encyclical while also reminding us of Pope Francis’ consistent calls to go out to the margins.

There are takeaways in Dilexi Te that call us not only to engage with the poor personally, but inspire us build structures addressing poverty’s root causes. You can read Leo XIV’s exhortation by clicking here.

Saints of God…

…the Lord be with you!

In today’s first reading from the Book of Exodus (17: 8-13), Moses is praying for the defeat of the Amalek who was waging war against Israel. As long as Moses was able to keep his hands raised, the Israelites would be winning the battle. When Moses, growing tired would lower his hands, Amalek would win. So, Aaron and Hur supported Moses’ hands “one on one side and one on the other, so that his hands remained steady until sunset.” I don’t imagine that will holding up the hands of Moses, Aaron and Hur were silent. I imagine them praying and singing to God and offering Moses words of encouragement and hope. With that, Joshua won the battle for the Israelites. This strange yet beautiful story reveals the need all of us have for some kind of community of faith.

In today’s Gospel according to Luke (18: 1-8) we have the parable of the widow and the reluctant judge. Widows, indeed, all women at that time were seen as property, having no legal rights. Yet because of her persistence, the judge eventually yielded to her demand for justice. This woman had no community to support her, no one to help her hold up her hands as she battled an unjust society.

I think both readings highlight a common need for prayer and action as we live in an often-unjust society. I think both readings highlight the very human (and religious) need for community.

In the homily at his inaugural mass back in May, Pope Leo XIV said, “I would like our first great desire to be for a united Church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes the leaven for a reconciled world. In this our time, we still see too much discord, too many wounds cause by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth’s resources and marginalizes the poorest…Welcome his word that enlightens and consoles.”

You may say, “But Fr. Steve, we sang in the responsorial psalm ‘Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.’” Of course, but most often that help flows through the actions of God’s people; men, women, and children of Good Will. As Pope Leo continued, he said, “We are called to offer God’s love to everyone, in order to achieve that unity that does not cancel out differences but values the personal history of each person and the social and religious culture of every people.”

Saints of God, let us each in our own way continue to support each other. Let us continue to be people of justice, and compassion to those who are marginalized. Let us continue to offer God’s love to everyone!

– Fr. Steve