Homily for Feast of Birth of Blessed Virgin Mary

Homily for the Feast of the
Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Sept. 8, 2026
Rom 8: 28-30
Collect
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph Residence, N.R.

Madonna & Child with angels & saints (Ottaviano di Martino Nelli)

“Those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Rom 8: 28).

We celebrate the birth of the Blessed Virgin 9 months after we celebrate her immaculate conception.  Our celebration is about her, but even more it’s about “her Son, the dawning of salvation” (Collect).

St. Paul writes of God’s purpose, which is the salvation of the human race.  For that purpose he foreknew, predestined, and called a chosen woman.

In Mary’s immaculate conception we acknowledge that God justified her from the beginning of her existence.  The divine choice and justification are in light of the divine purpose.  God “conformed to the image of his Son” (Rom 8:29) her who would bear the Son “so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers” and sisters (8:29).  The 1st of the Lord Jesus’ many brothers and sisters, in a marvelous Christian paradox, is his mother.

“Those he justified he also glorified” (8:30).  He glorified her with the gift of the Holy Spirit thru whom she conceived her Son (Matt 1:20).  He glorified her by her Son’s giving her as a gift, from the cross, to his beloved disciple (John 19:26), thereby rendering all his disciples his brothers and sisters, and his mother our mother too.  He glorified her by assuming her into heaven when her earthly life was complete.

The birthday of our Blessed Lady becomes, in a sense then, also our birthday.  It foreshadows our birth by water and the Holy Spirit (cf. John 3:5), for we also have been called according to the divine purpose, called to be conformed to the image of the Son, predestined by God’s choice to be justified and glorified along with his mother, our mother.

Salesian Response to Nepal's Devastating Flood

Salesian Response to Nepal’s Devastating Flood

(ANS – Mugling, Nepal – September 7, 2026) – On August 26, a sudden surge in the Bhote Koshi River, on the border between Nepal and Tibet, triggered by the collapse of a glacial mass and an ice avalanche, caused a devastating flood in the districts of Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, and Chitwan. The force of the water, accompanied by mud and debris (with some waves reportedly reaching heights of 25 feet and more), swept through the town of Mugling, destroying entire villages, roads, and infrastructure. Faced with this emergency, the Salesians were quick to provide a concrete response.

The conditions in which they are operating are far from straightforward. Rescue workers, hampered by the destruction, continue to search for survivors. To date, the death toll stands at over 1,200; more than 4,200 people are still missing, according to the latest figures released by the Nepalese disaster management authority. Thousands of people have lost everything. The lack of safe water and adequate hygiene further increases the risk of disease and infection, particularly in places where displaced people are forced to live in overcrowded conditions. Two pupils from a Salesian school have lost their parents, and many other families are in the affected areas. Fortunately, the Salesian communities have not been directly affected.

The Salesian response

From the outset, the Salesians mobilized a team from the Nepal Don Bosco Society to tackle the emergency and coordinate aid for the displaced, beginning to collect food and relief supplies to store them in local collection centers and distribute them as quickly as possible. The team met with local authorities, secured the necessary coordination and approval for emergency response activities, carried out a rapid assessment of emergency needs and beneficiaries, and established a mechanism for delivering immediate assistance to the most vulnerable families.

Currently, the missionaries have managed to reach Bidur Town Hall in Nuwakot, but have been unable to continue on to Timure and Rasuwa due to a sudden rise in the river level, which has further damaged the already compromised road. For this reason, the army is organizing the distribution of relief supplies to inaccessible areas, using helicopters where road transport is no longer possible. The Salesians are working on a strategic and operational plan to coordinate emergency response, future reconstruction, and the socio-economic recovery of the affected area.

For further information, including on how to support the displaced population in the wake of this immense tragedy, please visit the “Missioni Don Bosco” website.

Homily for 23d Sunday of Ordinary Time

Homily for the
23d Sunday of Ordinary Time

Sept. 6, 2026
Collect
Rom 13: 8-10
Villa Maria, Bronx
St. Francis Xavier, Bronx
Our Lady of the Assumption, Bronx

John Paul II w Card Wyszynski in Poland, 1979.
Wikipedia, public domain

“O God, … may those who believe in Christ receive true freedom and an everlasting inheritance” (Collect).

When Pope John Paul II in 1979 made his 1st trip back to Poland after his election, tens of thousands of Polish factory workers, miners, farmers, housewives, and students gathered to celebrate Mass with him and to hear him preach.  To the great embarrassment of the Communist party bosses, they took up the chant, “We want God!” repeated over and over.

The Communists had promised that eliminating God from Polish life would free people to make great material progress and find happiness.  They’d promised to create a workers’ paradise.  Polish reality was something else.

Government propaganda couldn’t convince anyone to be satisfied with their lives.  Anyone could see thru the lies their leaders told them about religion, progress, and their Soviet friends.  One bitter joke circulating behind the Iron Curtain had a Communist commissar asking a worker how much 2 + 2 added up to.  The worker responded, “How much would you like it to be?”

Human beings want truth—not only in math but in culture, politics, and philosophy.  We want truth about who we are and what we’re created for.  So the Poles demanded God and the freedom to believe, to pray, to practice their faith and to be treated as images of God, not creatures of the state.  They demanded the freedom to “sing joyfully to the Lord, … to come into his presence with thanksgiving” (Ps 95:1-2).

The truth of who we are and what we’re created for involves our dependence on God, who created us in his image and made us for love—love for him and for our sisters and brothers.  “He is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides” (Ps 95:7).  He’s given us a moral code, true guidance toward happiness as human beings.  St. Paul cites part of that in our 2d reading:  “You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet.  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  Love does no evil to the neighbor” (Rom 13:9-10).

Human experience demonstrates that moral failures—selfishness, sexual misadventures, lies, greed, gossip, etc.—don’t lead us to happiness.  Rather, they enslave us and make us miserable.  Moral failures deny the truth of who we are and what God intends for us.  He made us in his image, created us to be his “beloved sons and daughters” (Collect) and confirmed that in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.  Adhering to Christ—“we want God!”—keeps us in truth and promises us “an everlasting inheritance” (Collect), the inheritance he wants to bestow on his children, the sisters and brothers our Lord Jesus.

Salesians in Amazon Have New Energy Source

Salesians in the Amazon Have a New Energy Source

Salesian Missions funds photovoltaic energy system

(ANS – Manaus, Brazil – September 3, 2026) – The Salesian province of Manaus, Brazil, installed solar panels at the provincial house and at the Salesian community in Maturacá, located in the Upper Rio Negro region, thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions of New Rochelle.  The project directly benefited more than 1,000 people, including teachers and students of the Immaculate Conception School and parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish.

A Salesian explained:  “The project represents much more than mere financial savings. It promotes the use of clean, renewable energy, reduces environmental impact, and ensures better conditions for the Salesians to carry out their educational, pastoral, and social activities, reaffirming the province’s commitment to care for our Common Home.”

For more than 60 years, the Salesians have been in Maturacá, where they share life with the indigenous Yanomami people.  Salesians provide education and pastoral care, offering support to families and promoting human dignity.

With the installation of 26 solar panels, the community now has a system capable of fully meeting the energy needs of the religious house and part of the school and parish.  The use of the diesel-powered generator has been reduced by around 90%, lowering operating costs and reducing the environmental impact.  Furthermore, the system is modular and can be further expanded in the future, enabling it to supply power to other areas of the mission thru the installation of new panels and batteries.

The provincial house, which coordinates the pastoral, educational, and social programs of the entire province, had faced high electricity costs, frequent blackouts, and growing operational demands due to its role as the administrative, logistical, and spiritual center of the province.  The stabilization of its energy and the reduction of costs will generate a cascading impact that directly benefits local teams and, consequently, thousands of people assisted in the Amazon.

Jhone Fonseca Vilela is the 19-year-old father of a 1-year-old son.  He acts as president of the student guild and actively collaborates with the Salesian youth center and school.  He resides at the Xapono Yanomami of Ariabú community, located in Pico da Neblina National Park.  The community has about 1,200 people who preserve their language and traditional customs but face pressures from western culture.  The local population lives with serious problems such as illegal mining, alcohol and other drugs, and poor access to quality healthcare and education.

Vilela reports a profound transformation in the community and school after the solar power was installed.  He noted:  “The use of freezers allowed the conservation of natural proteins for school meals.  This replaced the previous consumption of canned food and ensured access to cold water.  The energy also enabled electricity in classrooms and internet access.  Now students can conduct school surveys, watch instructional videos, and follow news.  The technology has allowed community members to communicate with relatives living in other geographical regions as well.”

Inspired by the severe shortage of health professionals in the region, Vilela’s goal is to complete high school and attend a college or technical training in healthcare.  His main focus for the future is to obtain a profession to directly help his people and provide better living conditions for his own family.

Salesian missionaries in Brazil provide education, workforce development, and social services thruout the country.  Missionaries help to meet the basic needs of youths who are poor, including children living on the street, and provide them with an education and life skills to gain employment, break the cycle of poverty, and lead productive lives.

Source: Salesian Missions

Homily for Saturday, Week 22 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Saturday
Week 22 of Ordinary Time
Memorial of St. Teresa of Calcutta

Sept. 5, 2026
1 Cor 4: 6-15
Collect
Provincial House, New Rochelle, N.Y.

St. Paul mosaic
San Vitale Basilica, Ravenna

“What do you possess that you have not received?” (1 Cor 4: 7).

In the opening section of his 1st Letter to the Christian community at Corinth, Paul has been contrasting the wisdom of the world with spiritual wisdom.  The latter is a gift of the Holy Spirit and is summed up in the cross and the resurrection of Christ.

Paul is disturbed by the factionalism he’s detected among his friends.  They’re more than friends; they’re his “beloved children” because he “became [their] father in Christ Jesus thru the Gospel” (4:15).

He’s disturbed because some members of the community seem to be giving their loyalty to Apollos or Peter, even to him, rather than to Christ and, it appears, to be claiming importance in Corinth based on which apostle they’re following.

That’s not what Paul and Apollos have taught them; they ought not “be inflated with pride in favor of one person over against another” (4:6); ought not be claiming importance on the basis of which preacher they’re listening to.

Paul uses irony—it might be read as sarcasm—to try to bring his “beloved children” back to the reality that all of them have been given a gift, namely the Gospel, the Gospel that’s foolishness in the eyes of the world:  we apostles are “like people sentenced to death, … a spectacle to the world….  We are fools on Christ’s account…; we are weak, … held in disrepute….  We have become like the world’s rubbish, the scum of all…” (4:9-13).

That, as Paul wrote a few verses earlier (our reading yesterday), is what it means to be “servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God” (4:1).  That identifies us with the cross of Christ.  That is the wisdom of God’s Holy Spirit (cf. 2:10-15) that will enable us to come in due time to the resurrection and to reign with Christ (4:8).   That we will possess only because we’ve received it (4:7), not consequent to our own power, wisdom, or nobility, but only by God’s generous gift “in Christ Jesus thru the Gospel.”

Mother Teresa’s life and ministry illustrate Paul’s message.  No one she and her sisters cared for on the streets of Calcutta or in their other houses earned or deserved their care—except insofar as those destitute, sick, and dying people are God’s beloved children.  The sisters freely bestow a gift of mercy on them in the name of the Gospel, in the name of God’s “Son thirsting on the cross” for the hearts of “our suffering brothers and sisters” (ibid.).

St. Teresa of Calcutta and the Salesians

St. Teresa of Calcutta and the Salesians

“Do not let anyone separate your love for Christ from your love for the poor”

Fr. Egidio Vigano', rector major, greets Mother Teresa

(ANS – Rome – September 4, 2026) – On September 5 the Church celebrates the liturgical memorial of St. Teresa of Calcutta, the Albanian-born nun who became an Indian citizen, and died on Sept. 5, 1997.  She was canonized by Pope Francis on September 4, 2016.

Behind the most famous image of Mother Teresa – bent over the sick and dying on the streets of Calcutta – lies a very significant story: that of her long and fruitful relationship with the Salesian Congregation, a bond that spanned almost 5 decades of history and which continues, even today, to inspire a shared commitment to serving the poorest of the poor.

A meeting born of service to the poor

The first documented contact between Mother Teresa and a Salesian dates to October 7, 1950, at the very beginning of her mission. It was Fr. Attilio Colussi, pastor of the cathedral of the Most Holy Rosary in Calcutta, who delivered the homily during the Mass marking the religious profession of the first 12 Missionaries of Charity. Fr. Colussi would continue to offer spiritual guidance to Mother Teresa’s sisters until his death in 1988, at the age of 81, often recalling, during retreats and conferences for religious, the origins of Mother Teresa’s vocation to serve the abandoned.

From that 1st meeting, a network of collaboration emerged that spread thruout India and beyond. Fr. Rosario Stroscio, who served as Salesian provincial of Calcutta between 1967 and 1972, became a central figure for the Missionaries of Charity.  When the government authorities issued an unfounded expulsion order against him for alleged “conversions,” it was Mother Teresa herself who intervened, requesting that he be appointed chaplain to her sisters at Prem Dan Tengra, the large convalescent home for tuberculosis patients.  The government not only revoked the expulsion order but also suggested that he be granted Indian citizenship.

“The point of union between you and us is precisely this: the poor”

The high point of this relationship came in the mid-1980s, when Mother Teresa addressed the Salesian Congregation in Rome directly on May 17, 1984 – during a meeting with the members of the 22nd General Chapter, still led by Fr. Egidio Viganò – a speech that remains the most profound and frequently quoted account of that bond.  Mother Teresa spoke gratefully of the support the Salesians offered to her sisters, especially in Calcutta, and described the Salesian vocation as “this beautiful gift from God … to be bearers of God’s love.”

Recalling Don Bosco, she said that the founder of the Salesians “had a great love for the poor; he always saw Jesus in them” – not “as an act of faith,” but out of “a deep conviction.” From that shared charism arose the phrase that sums up the entire relationship between the two religious families:  “The point of union between you and us is precisely this: the poor!”

In that same address, Mother Teresa recounted episodes that would become part of her most widely known testimony: the thousands of people gathered from the streets of Calcutta and accompanied to a peaceful death, the introduction of the daily hour of Eucharistic adoration in 1973 – a decision made following a unanimous request from her sisters during a general chapter of the Missionaries of Charity – and her encounter with a young Hindu couple who donated the savings they had set aside for their wedding feast to the hungry people of Calcutta.  It was on that occasion that she delivered the exhortation which the Salesians still remember today as a true spiritual testament:  “Do not let anyone or anything separate your love for Christ from your love for the poor!  It is so easy to allow someone or something to take away the joy of loving and serving the poor.  They are God’s greatest gift to us!”

Shared works, from Bengal to Yemen

The collaboration between Mother Teresa and the sons of Don Bosco was not limited to words but took the form of concrete works spread across various regions of India.  In Calcutta, when Fr. Anthony Thaiparambil launched the Ashalayam project in 1985 for street children in a rented room in the Howrah Pilkhana slum – the very setting described by Dominique Lapierre in The City of Joy – it was Mother Teresa who proposed the division of tasks that would shape their collaboration:  “We will take care of the girls.  You commit yourselves to serving the boys.”  Mother Teresa personally took part in the blessing of the center’s homes in 1991 and 1995, and until Christmas 1995, the children of Ashalayam would go to sing at the motherhouse of the Missionaries of Charity, where she herself would hand out sweets to them.

In Guwahati, in the northeastern state of Assam, the collaboration began in 1977 when Fr. Joseph Thelekkatt, headmaster of the local Don Bosco School, took a group of pupils to meet Mother Teresa in Calcutta.  From the wish that Mother Teresa expressed on that occasion – to open a home in Guwahati, even in a rented property – a project emerged which involved the chief minister of Assam, Golap Borbora, and which today comprises 3 homes run by the Missionaries of Charity in the city.  The sisters continue to refer to Fr. Thelekkatt, who later became provincial, as “Mother’s son.”

Still in northeastern India, in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, where Christian institutions had been banned since 1977, a chance meeting in Calcutta in 1986 between Mother Teresa and the young Salesian Fr. Jose Chemparathy led to the 1992 opening of the 1st house of the Missionaries of Charity in Pappunalla, near Itanagar, followed by a 2d house in Borduria, which Mother Teresa visited in person in 1993. It was precisely to bless the first church in Arunachal, in Borduria, that Mother Teresa, that year, declined Pope John Paul II’s invitation to accompany him to World Youth Day in Denver, preferring instead to travel to that remote mission accompanied by the archbishop of Guwahati, Thomas Menamparampil – who had known her since 1958, when he was still a Salesian novice at Bandel.  That legacy endures.

 Nearly 50 years of encounters, shared works, and words that transcended the boundaries of their respective congregations remain today, in the liturgical commemoration of September 5, a living legacy for the Salesian Family.  As Mother Teresa herself told the Salesian chapter members in 1984, invoking the intercession of the founder of the oratory:  “St. John Bosco must be very pleased to see that his congregation upholds this honor for the poorest of the poor.”

Homily for Thursday, Week 22 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Thursday
Week 22 of Ordinary Time

Sept. 3, 2026
1 Cor 3: 18-23
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

The Triumph of Christianity (Dore')

“If anyone among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool, so as to become wise” (1 Cor 3: 18).

A long time ago, when I was a young Salesian at Don Bosco College, someone—it may have been Bp. Casey of Paterson—addressed us.  One sentence struck me and has remained with me.  He said that Paul VI, who was still early in his reign, at the end of his life would be judged by God and not the NYT.  As you know, the NYT hasn’t been friendly toward papal teaching on priestly celibacy and birth control, prominent topics in the late ’60s. 

The Times, of course, isn’t alone in promoting its own brand of wisdom, what Paul the Apostle calls “the wisdom of this world” (3:19).  We see worldly wisdom regularly in political calculations to wage war, ravage the environment, or maltreat the poor and vulnerable.

St. Paul has been urging his disciples in Corinth to look to God’s Holy Spirit (2:10-15) for wisdom, the Spirit who reveals to us “the mind of Christ” (2:16), that we might “know nothing … except Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (2:2).  He is the saving mystery of God, the wisdom of God “predetermined before the ages for our glory” (2:7).

“So let no one boast about human beings,” Paul cautions (3:21)—not about Paul or any other apostle, certainly not about some political, business, or cultural leader; and not about ourselves either, whatever we may have accomplished in our lifetime.  Elsewhere, Paul reminds us that all that’s mere rubbish, and the only attainment that matters is to find grace from Christ Jesus our Lord:  to know his resurrection, share in his sufferings, be conformed to his death, and so “attain the resurrection from the dead” (Phil 3:8-11).

That’s wisdom.

Thousands of Pilgrims Come to Chimpay

Thousands of Pilgrims Come to Chimpay

56th Pilgrimage of Faith Dedicated to Bl. Ceferino Namuncurá

(ANS – Chimpay, Argentina – September 2, 2026) – Thousands of pilgrims from various regions of Argentina traveled to Chimpay, the birthplace of Blessed Ceferino Namuncurá, to take part in the 56th Pilgrimage of Faith. This event once again highlighted the simple faith of the people, who gathered around the figure of the blessed young Mapuche to pray and give thanks, stroking his poncho as a gesture of devotion.

The pilgrimage, which took place August 28-30, was preceded on Wednesday the 26th by the celebration of the liturgical memorial of Ceferino, the day marking the 140th anniversary of his birth. The theme chosen for this year’s event was: “With Ceferino and Pope Leo, artisans of humanization and peace.”

The spring-like weather that prevailed thruout the days also encouraged pilgrims to take part. Thruout the weekend, the chapel housing the wooden image of the Blessed, draped in the ponchos left as offerings by the faithful, was a constant place of prayer and gathering.

The cultural, recreational, and pastoral initiatives organized by the diocese of Viedma together with the Salesian parish of Our Lady of Lujan got into full swing on Saturday. Pilgrims arrived in Chimpay by bicycle, horseback, car, or foot, coming from numerous towns across Patagonia and from more distant provinces such as Cardoba, Mendoza, Santiago del Estero, Salta, and Buenos Aires.

Among the day’s events, 2 discussion sessions took place at the Polideportivo Municipal. The 1st, led by Fr. Abel Iglesias, addressed the theme of human consciousness and dignity in the face of the challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence. The 2d, organized by the Hogar de Cristo in Viedma, gave a voice to people affected by addiction and shared their experiences of recovery.

In the afternoon, at the chapel, Msgr. Oscar Miñarro, apostolic administrator of the diocese of Alto Valle, presided over the Eucharist. The day continued with youth adoration at the Parque Ceferiniano Shrine and with a fire ceremony on the riverbank, led by the Mapuche community.

At dawn on Sunday, August 30, the Mapuche community led the rogativa on the “Cerro de la Cruz del Quinto Centenario.” Following the blessing of the fire, thousands of people set off on the walk to Parque Ceferiniano: a journey of almost 2 miles taken in around 2 hours, leading to the open-air Eucharistic celebration beside the chapel.

The Mass was presided over by Bp. Esteban Laxague, SDB, of Viedma, and was concelebrated by Msgr. Miñarro and numerous priests from the region’s dioceses, including Salesians Fr. Antonio “Tono” Sanchez Lara, pastor of Chimpay, Fr. Pedro Narambuena, postulator of the cause for Ceferino’s canonization, and Fr. Manuel Cayo, provincial of the South Argentina Province.

In his homily, Bp. Laxague also spoke of the wounds and challenges facing contemporary society: the existential void, the suffering that can lead to suicide, the anxiety of not making ends meet, the difficulty of accessing housing, addictions, and drug trafficking, but also the protection of indigenous peoples and the need for economic development to be oriented toward the common good.

Drawing on the Gospel, the bishop urged the pilgrims not to shirk the responsibilities of their faith, but to embrace their daily struggles as “artisans” capable of transforming reality. In Ceferino, he recalled, the faithful can still find today a presence that leads them to God and sustains them in times of difficulty.

At the end of the celebration, Bp. Laxague symbolically presented 2 ponchos: one to the pilgrims who had travelled from Santiago del Estero and the other to the group from Esquel.

Once again, Chimpay thus welcomed thousands of people gathered around its blessed Mapuche—a people on a journey, with the simplicity of a faith made up of gestures, prayer, and gratitude, asking Ceferino to continue to accompany those who entrust themselves to him on their journey.

Homily for Tuesday, Week 22 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Tuesday
Week 22 of Ordinary Time

Sept. 1, 2026
Luke 4: 31-37
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

“They were astonished … because he spoke with authority” (Luke 4: 32).

In today’s gospel Jesus’ authority twice awes the people in the Capernaum synagog—once in his speech, once in his power over a demon (4:36).

Only yesterday, in the account of his preaching in his hometown (4:16-30), his listeners reacted negatively to his authority.  In Nazareth, Jesus’ authority challenged the preconceptions of his audience (4:22-23).  Their prejudices, too (4:24-28).  It was more than they could accept.

Luke is reticent about what Jesus said in Capernaum that astonished the congregation, telling us only that “he spoke with authority.”  That would’ve been in his reading and interpretation of the Scriptures—a passage from the Torah and another from the prophets or psalms.  Perhaps Jesus’ sermon was similar to what he’d said in Nazareth.  Perhaps the people in Capernaum by the sea, along a main trade route, were more open-minded than the people in isolated Nazareth.  Perhaps they found his teaching comforting or encouraging.  Probably they found it more relevant to their lives than what they usually heard from other rabbis.  Obviously, many of them were more receptive than the Nazarenes.  Their thinking is confirmed by Jesus’ action in expelling a demon.

Whence Jesus’ authority?  Yesterday we heard, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me” (4:18).  Luke had reported earlier that at his baptism “the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove” (3:22)

While the worshipers at Capernaum and we are impressed by what he does—“with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits”—we might take 2 instructions from the story.  1st, we have a share in Jesus’ Holy Spirit, as St. Paul tells us:  “We have received the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand the things freely given us by God” (1 Cor 2:12).

2d, we see Jesus’ consistency:  his action matches his teaching.  How we live, how we speak, how we treat others, is what gives authority to our preaching of the Gospel.  “By this will all people know that you’re my disciples, by your love for one another” (John 13:35).

Homily for 22d Sunday of Ordinary Time

Homily for the
22d Sunday of Ordinary Time

August 30, 2026
Matt 16: 20-27
Rom 12: 1-2
Infant Jesus, Harvey, La.
MHC, Harvey, La.

"Get behind me" (James Tissot)

“You’re thinking not as God does but as human beings do” (Matt 16: 23).

Moments earlier, Peter had recognized that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (16:16).  Jesus directed his apostles to keep that to themselves, “to tell no one that he was the Christ” (16:20).

That secrecy seems to be because people, including the apostles, have no grasp of what it means for Jesus to be the Christ, the Messiah, God’s anointed agent of human salvation.  When he tries to tell them that he must suffer, die, and be raised, it’s more than they want to hear or can begin to understand.

Even Peter, to whom God the Father had revealed Jesus’ identity, objects vigorously:  “God forbid, Lord!  That can’t possibly happen!” (16:22).  If you’ve watched The Chosen (which I highly recommend), you’ve seen repeatedly how slow the apostles are to understand what Jesus is teaching and prophesying; that portrayal is consistent with the written gospels.

Jesus reacts so strongly to Peter’s objection that he calls him “Satan,” an obstacle to what God wants, a demonic temptation that Jesus must thrust behind him:  Get out of my way.  Don’t stand there and block the road I must walk.

Another way of looking at what Jesus tells Peter—“Get behind me”—is “Remember that you are following me.  I’ve just appointed you the rock, the foundation stone of my Church, but I’m the leader.  Get in line behind me.”

Which is a point we all need to remember.  Whether Jesus is chastising Peter for throwing a temptation in his face or “only” telling him to get back in line, he’s challenging us to put aside how we tend to think as men and women and, as St. Paul urged the Christians of Philippi, to put on the mind of Christ, his way of thinking (Phil 2:5):  the way of humility and obedience, and as Jesus says very plainly here, the way of the cross.  “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Matt 16:24).  The only road to the resurrection and heavenly glory is the one that Jesus walked ahead of us, the road to Calvary.

“Thinking as God does” doesn’t mean running to Calvary, wanting to suffer.  It means that when we act and speak as God wants us to, we will suffer.  Doing the right thing, saying the right thing, often comes with a price—as it did for Jesus, as it does for today’s martyrs who won’t deny Christ in the face of persecution, as it does for people who defend the human dignity of the unborn, of the foreign-born, of refugees, of the aged, of the homeless; for people who won’t cheat in school or in business; for people who keep their word when it would be easier to back out or back down or lie; for people who try to serve the common good rather than enrich or empower themselves; for people who deny themselves and their greed and their lust in order to honor, respect, and help others.

There are also sufferings that we don’t have any choice about:  illness and injury, natural disasters, ruined plans, the loss of loved ones.  These, too, are part of the cross that Jesus tells us we must carry in his footsteps.  They work for our holiness when we use them to unite ourselves to him and his passion.  This is the “spiritual worship” St. Paul speaks of in the 2d reading:  “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God” (Rom 12:1).  Offer to God not a lamb or a bull or incense, as the ancient Jews and Romans did, but your own selves:  your joy and your sorrow, your hurts of body and heart.  Whoever follows Jesus like this will save his life—both body and soul for eternity at Jesus’ side (Matt 16:25).

7 Cooperators Inducted at Abp. Shaw HS

7 Cooperators Inducted at Abp. Shaw HS

The Greater New Orleans Center of the Salesian Cooperators inducted 7 new members on August 28 during a school Mass at Archbishop Shaw High School in Marrero, La. Attending the Mass were Shaw’s 535 students, the faculty and staff, the Salesian Cooperators of the New Orleans area, some parents and other family members, and some Shaw alumni.

Fr. Craig Spence, SDB, delegate for the local Cooperators, presided and preached at the Mass. Bernie Pontillo of the Cooperator provincial council and Rick Valladares, local coordinator, carried out the induction ceremony, which included their making of promises and the presentation to each of a certificate of membership, the Cooperators’ Project of Apostolic Life, and membership pin.

The new Cooperators are Pat Brehm, Anthony DiFulco, Anne Early, Lance Ehret, Nicole Perque, Megan Sepvalado, and Macie Weaver.

In addition, ten local Cooperators were honored for 27-43 years of membership in the Association. Fr. Steve Ryan, SDB, director, gave special recognition to Earnie and Bonnie Chiasson, Cooperators since 1983. Mr. Chiasson taught and coached at Shaw for a few years and served for over 35 years as beloved and respected assistant principal for student affairs.

Fr. Craig and Mr. Valladares give a 25-year pin
to Earnie Chiasson

The Mass solemnized the feast of St. Augustine of Hippo. Fr. Spence pointed to him as the model of a saint—a real person who struggled with temptation, made bad decisions, and ran from God but who eventually allowed God to catch up with him, take over his life, and give peace to his restless heart. Then he pointed to the Salesian Cooperators, who have committed themselves to following Jesus in the spirit of St. John Bosco, answering Christ’s universal call to holiness. Holiness, Fr. Spence said, starts when we let Christ take hold of us and walk with him.

A reception for all the Cooperators followed in the Salesian residence.

New and old Cooperators pose outside
after Mass

Photos: https://linkit.shutterfly.com/FheoyS

Your humble blogger happened to be in Marrero on an unrelated assignment—a happy instance of Divine Providence.

A Summer the War Can't Take Away

A Summer the War Can’t Take Away

(ANS – Lviv, Ukraine – August 28, 2026) – The war continues in Ukraine. And it continues to leave its mark on children’s lives too: in the disrupted nights, the air-raid sirens, the absences, and the fears they often learn to bear far too early. In this difficult context, however, the mission of the Salesian vice province in Ukraine also continues: to stand by young people, to educate, to accompany them, and to safeguard hope.

Once again this year, in fact, the Summer for Young People program was organized, alongside numerous summer activities promoted by the various Salesian communities. In this way, around 3,000 young people from various parts of Ukraine took part. For them, these were days of play, friendship, formation, prayer, and shared life.

It was, however, yet another summer spent in a country still at war.

When the sirens sounded, the courtyards would empty and youngsters and activity leaders would head down to the shelters together. And sometimes, even there, the singing, the games, and the activities continued.

Today, in Ukraine, a Salesian playground is also this: a place where a child can continue to feel like a child, a teenager can still dream, and a young adult can learn to give of themselves to others, even when a siren forces everyone to take shelter.

This is the heart of Don Bosco’s Preventive System: not to leave young people alone, but to be present in their lives, especially when things become more difficult.

This journey has also involved many young youth leaders. The School of Salesian Spirituality, lived out in the footsteps of Don Bosco, has helped them return to the roots of the charism and understand more deeply the meaning of their service. The Bosco Forum, with the motto: “Free to Serve,” was almost the natural culmination of this: young people who have received a warm welcome, friendship, and hope, and who now choose, in turn, to become a gift to other young people.

Behind all this there is also a large family that continues to walk alongside Ukraine. “Our gratitude goes to all the organizations, friends, and benefactors, and, in particular, to the Salesian foundations and mission offices in various countries, including Missioni Don Bosco of Turin and Don Bosco Mission Bonn, who share this mission with us,” write the Salesians of Ukraine. “Your help does not simply support activities. It enables thousands of children and youths to feel that, while their country is suffering, they’re not alone and they’re not forgotten.”

Every day, the war seeks to restrict their future. The Salesian mission, however, continues to open it up.

“With Don Bosco, we continue to believe in young people,” they conclude. “And together with them, we continue to believe in life.”

Some Ukrainian kids even had the chance
to visit Don Bosco's childhood home in Becchi.

A Journey of Faith and Fraternity in Patagonia

A Journey of Faith and Fraternity in Patagonia

Frs. Jorge Crisafulli and Gabriel Stawowy visit first Salesian missions

(ANS – Buenos Aires – August 27, 2026) – From August 8 to 16, the province of South Argentina (ARS) welcomed a significant visit focused on spiritual renewal and fraternity. As part of the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the first Salesian missionaries in the country in 1875. This visit occurred within the context of the celebrations for Don Bosco Month. The province welcomed Fr. Jorge Crisafulli (general councilor for the missions, 4th from left), Fr. Gabriel Stawowy (treasurer general, 3d from right), and Bro. Gunter Mayer, SDB, (provincial treasurer and head of the Salesian Mission Office in Austria, 2d from left). At certain stages of the journey, they were also accompanied by the ARS provincial, Fr. Manuel Cayo, Fr. Pedro Narambuena, and young volunteers.

In the basilica of Mary Help of Christians
in Buenos Aires

This tour enabled the superiors to gain a better understanding of the vast distances, the history, the economic contexts, and the evidence of holiness that characterize Patagonia.

The visit began on Saturday, August 8, in Buenos Aires. In the morning, after arriving in the country, the visitors were welcomed at provincial headquarters and at the basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Almagro. Here, together with the provincial and the local community, they visited the historic buildings and the church, entrusting the restoration work on the Salesian heritage to Divine Providence and Our Lady Help of Christians. The day concluded with the celebration of the Eucharist before their flight to the south of the country.

At the Ceferino Museum

On the 9th, the delegation landed in Tierra del Fuego, before travelling on to the historic Casa Nostra Signora della Candelaria. Accompanied by the local community and Mrs. Celina, a missionary volunteer who has served in Africa, they attended Mass at St. John Bosco Parish alongside the parish community and visited the historic buildings, with the support of local young people who assisted with translations into English.

August 10 was devoted to the community and productive life of the Salesian mission. They visited the sections dedicated to sheep shearing, dairy production, greenhouses, and food processing, before gaining a deeper understanding of the social reality of Margen Sur. The visit to the historic chapel reaffirmed in everyone the profound missionary vocation that characterizes this southern house.

At the tomb of Bl. Laura Vicuna

On the 11th, they flew to the Cordillera, where an inspiring journey began in the footsteps of Fr. Milanesio and Blessed Laura Vicuña. In Junin de los Andes, they walked the Via Christi and visited the house where Blessed Laura lived.

On Wednesday the 12th they continued their journey towards the cultrum in San Ignacio, paying homage to the place where the remains of Ceferino Namuncurá rest and to the chapel dedicated to St. Ignatius, which houses the tomb of Fr. Antonio Mateos, a Salesian missionary among the Mapuche native people. In Zapala, they shared a warm, fraternal lunch amid heavy snowfall, with the confreres from Chos Malal also joining them for the gathering.

On Wednesday afternoon, the group arrived in Villa Regina. For Fr. Jorge Crisafulli, it was an emotional return to the place where, more than 3 decades ago, he began his priestly ministry. He presided over the Eucharist in the parish church, as part of the parish’s centennial celebrations, and met with numerous friends and young people. After Mass they shared a fraternal dinner filled with anecdotes and discussion about the life of the Congregation.

On Thursday morning, they continued on to the shrine of Ceferino Namuncurá in Chimpay for a time of prayer. In the afternoon, they arrived in Viedma, where they visited the cathedral, the tomb of Bishop Cagliero, the bishop’s residence, and the chapel of Mary Help of Christians at the Cagliero Museum. At the Don Bosco Church, they celebrated Mass together with Bishop Esteban Laxague, SDB, of Viedma, and more than 200 members of the 34th Battalion of the Argentine Don Bosco Explorers, marking Explorers’ Day in the land of St. Artemides Zatti.

On Friday the 14th, they set off on the “Historical Route,” visiting the church in Carmen de Patagones, the first permanent Salesian center in Patagonia, founded by Fr. José Fagnano and Bp. Cagliero in 1885. They then continued their journey to Fortin Mercedes, where they celebrated Mass in the shrine, visited the museum, and had lunch before setting off for Bahia Blanca.

On Saturday, August 15, the day in Bahia Blanca was marked by remembrance. They visited the local branch of the Salesian Historical Archive, admiring historical photographs, letters, glass plates depicting the Selk’nam people, and records from meteorological observatories. There were some moving moments, such as the discovery of documents relating to the families of Fr. Crisafulli and Bro. Gunter in old publications. They also visited Bahia Blanca Cathedral and the altar where the remains of Blessed Laura Vicuña rest.

Finally, on August 16, after a week of intense activities, fellowship, and prayer for the Patagonian region, the superiors returned to Rome, leaving the communities with a renewed missionary enthusiasm and their hearts filled with stories and hope.

Fr. Joseph Nguyen Installed as Western Province Superior

Fr. Joseph Nguyen Installed as Western Province Superior

Fr. Joe Nguyen takes the oath of Catholic faith

(ANS – San Francisco – August 27, 2026) – On August 24 in Bellflower, California, Fr. Joseph Thinh Nguyen was installed during Mass as the new provincial of the Salesian Province of St. Andrew the Apostle, based in San Francisco. Fr. Hugo Orozco, councilor for the Interamerica Region, presided over the ceremony. 

Fr. Hugo Orozco preaching

In his homily, Fr. Hugo invited the new provincial to embody Salesian fatherhood by drawing inspiration from Don Bosco, fostering a spirit of listening, synodality, and closeness to the most disadvantaged young people. He noted that Fr. Nguyen, having served as master of novices for 9 years, has a deep understanding of the Founder’s paternal qualities. The homily concluded with a word of thanks to Fr. Melchior Trinidad, the outgoing provincial after six years of service, and a prayer to Mary Help of Christians, to whom Don Bosco always entrusted his works.

Fr. Joe Nguyen with his parents and confreres

Second Phase of Emergency Response in Colombia Gets Underway

Second Phase of Emergency Response in Colombia Gets Underway

(ANS – Medellin, Colombia – August 26, 2026) – Following the severe earthquake a couple of weeks ago, the Salesians in Colombia are launching the 2d phase of their emergency response, focusing on the resumption of educational and pastoral activities, humanitarian support for families who have lost their homes, and the reconstruction of damaged Salesian facilities. During the 1st phase, over 58 tons of humanitarian aid were distributed, and support was provided for emergency accommodation as well as pastoral and psychological care. The 1st financial aid payments have already been sent to affected staff members, thanks to cooperation between Salesian organizations, private individuals, and friends of the Salesian Family in Colombia. The Salesian community in Colombia thanks the worldwide Salesian Family for its ongoing support. Efforts are now focused on ensuring the continuity of educational services and carrying out technical assessments and reconstruction work, while keeping hope alive among the affected communities.

Fr. Comini's "Dear Little Book"

Fr. Comini’s “Dear Little Book”

The Diary of Fr. Elijah Comini, Salesian martyr

(ANS – Rome – August 26, 2026) – To mark the beatification of Fr. Elijah Comini, scheduled for September 19, the text Caro librettino: Diario di don Elijah Comini, salesiano, martire di Monte Sole has been published, edited by Fr. Pierluigi Cameroni, postulator general.

In an unabridged version, as faithful as possible to the original manuscript, Fr. Elijah’s spiritual diary – which he affectionately called “my dear little book” – provides an intimate and safe space in which to express his thoughts, emotions, dreams, and concerns: the Diario (Diary) which Fr. Elijah kept faithfully from the end of 1927, when he was a 17-year-old Salesian, until July 1944, just before the chain of events that would lead to his martyrdom on the evening of October 1. In his “dear little book” – small even in size (13.5 x 5.5 cm) – he records daily events thru a rigorous examination of conscience that helps him to scrutinize his intentions and aims; to adjust them in constant conformity with the primacy of the Gospel; and, above all, to give thanks, pray, and formulate firm resolutions, to which he remained faithful.

Rereading the diary in the light of the final event in Fr. Elijah’s life – his martyrdom in the Monte Sole Massacre – takes on a very special significance. It’Hs the supreme culmination of a life constantly oriented toward virtue and love, the pinnacle of a journey of faith and fidelity, in which his fortitude enabled him to face the ordeal of the supreme witness of love for Christ and his brothers. The young Salesian with an open smile and a practical nature, who showed his love first and foremost by doing things for others, lived a world within that largely eluded his confreres and which is – once again – revealed by his diary. Above all, certain resolutions he formulated at particularly significant moments in his religious and priestly life bear witness to a clear awareness of the total self-giving that being a religious and a priest entails: he asks God for the gift of holiness and shows himself to be clear-sighted and steadfast in ratifying, thru a free act of commitment, the sacrifice of his life.

The diary brings to light his “heroic love for souls” and his total self-giving to God, expressed from his youth: “Cupio dissolvi et esse cum Christo,” as he noted as early as the age of 18. This helps us to understand his “pastoral charity” in the spirit of St. John Bosco, which drove him to remain among his people “until the very end” and which illuminated, beyond all uncertainty, “the 3-day period of suffering” (September 29 – October 1, 1944), culminating in his holding “the breviary tightly in his hands” and the loud recitation of the Litany of Loreto in his final moments.

As Fr. Pasquale Liberatore, SDB, then postulator general of the Salesian Congregation, wrote in the Preface to the edition of the diary edited by Fr. Rino Germani in 1994: “This diary will contribute to a more complete understanding of Fr. Elijah Comini thru his daily determination to strive for perfection in religious life, in accordance with the demands of his consecration to God and in the spirit of St. John Bosco’s joyful yet demanding spirituality. The value of the diary lies in a revelation. It reveals, thru language imbued with intimacy and confidence, the degree of familiarity attained in his dialog with the Lord. This revelation comes as a surprise because, outwardly, Fr. Elijah never let anything show. It is precisely this contrast – a somewhat austere demeanor and such an eloquent heart – that gives rise to an intriguing interplay of light and shadow in his holiness.”

The most brutal and largest massacre carried out by the Nazi SS in Europe during the 1939-1945 war took place around Monte Sole, in the areas of Marzabotto, Grizzana Morandi, and Monzuno, altho it is commonly known as the Marzabotto massacre. Between September 29 and October 5, 1944, 770 people were killed; however, the total number of victims at the hands of the Germans and Fascists, from the spring of 1944 until liberation, stood at 955, spread across 115 different localities within a vast area comprising the municipalities of Marzabotto, Grizzana, and Monzuno, as well as parts of neighboring territories. Of these, 216 were children, 316 were women, 142 were elderly people, 138 were recognized as partisans, and 5 were priests, whose “crime” in the eyes of the Germans was to have stood by the entire population of Monte Sole – thru prayer and material aid – during the tragic months of war and military occupation. Alongside Fr. Elijah Comini, a Salesian, and Father Martin Capelli, a Dehonian, 3 priests from the archdiocese of Bologna were also killed during those tragic days: Frs. Ubald Marchioni, Ferdinand Casagrande, and John Fornasini. Fr. Fornasini was killed on October 13, 1944, and beatified on September 26, 2021.

For further information, please write to: postulatore@sdb.org