Homily for 24th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Homily for the
24th Sunday of Ordinary Time  

Sept. 13, 2026
Matt 18: 21-35
Sir 27: 30—28: 7
Our Lady of the Assumption, Bronx
St. Francis Xavier, Bronx

The Unmerciful Servant
(Willem van Aelst)

How often must I forgive?” (Matt 18: 21).

2 themes stand out in today’s readings and the collect (opening prayer):  God’s great mercy and forgiveness.

When Peter asks Jesus how many times he must forgive someone who offends him, he proposes 7 times.  In the Bible, 7 is regarded as a perfect number.  Peter’s making a generous suggestion.

Not generous enuf, however, in Jesus’ estimation.  “The Lord is kind and merciful, rich in compassion.  He pardons all your iniquities” (Responsory; Ps 103:3).

If we tallied all our iniquities, all our wicked deeds, they’d be far more than 7.  The Lord doesn’t keep count and say to us, “Enuf already!  Get your act together before I ‘hand you over to the torturers’” (18:34).

Instead, our Savior commands us, “Unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart,” you’ll be held fully to account for your debt, for all your wicked deeds.  It’s not a suggestion; it’s a command.  Mere words of forgiveness aren’t enuf; it must come from our hearts.

Forgiveness is hard.  We have a natural tendency to sulk and rub our wounds and look for revenge.

But Jesus himself gives us the example of mercy, not only in the parable we just heard in which a king freely pardons a servant who owes him, literally in the Gospel text, 10,000 talents (18:24), an impossible, incomprehensible debt—think the U.S. national debt; but also in his personal example.  From his cross, he prays to his Father, “Forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing” (Luke 23:34).  He even makes an excuse for those who condemned him, tortured him, and executed him:  “They don’t know what they’re doing.”

The world is full of the misery caused by vengeance.  One nation or clan or drug gang offends another, and they engage in a non-stop cycle of retaliation.  Politicians wield their power to pursue their opponents rather than to dispense justice.  Families are torn apart by grudges.

With wisdom, someone once said that the best way to destroy an enemy is to make him your friend.  Abraham Lincoln proposed to do that, saying in his 2d inaugural address as the Civil War was coming to its end: “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan—to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”  Perhaps our post-Civil War history would have been happier if Lincoln had lived and been able to bind up and heal those wounds.

More recently, after 27 years of harsh imprisonment, Nelson Mandela became president of South Africa and worked to bind the wounds of racial injustice rather than to avenge the wrongs done to millions of black and bi-racial South Africans.

We don’t have to be presidents or otherwise important people to forgive someone who’s offended us.  We only have to be ourselves; because all of us get offended—by someone at work, by a family member, by some crazy driver on the road.  The offense may be real, or it may be only in our own perception.  Either way, we can choose to be calm, to extend mercy; or to seethe with anger and give the perpetrator what he (or she) deserves—in our opinion.

Imagine if God treated us as we deserve.  We read in Sirach this morning:  “Could anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the Lord?  Could anyone refuse mercy to another like himself, yet seek pardon for his own sins?  If one who is but flesh cherishes wrath, who will forgive his sins?” (28:3-5).  In a little while, we’ll pray as Jesus taught us, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”  If we’re unwilling to forgive, then how will God treat us?

Yes, forgiveness is hard.  The 1st step, tho, is to recognize whatever hurt we’re feeling, then to ask the Lord to help us move toward forgiveness rather than resentment or retaliation.  We need the power of the Holy Spirit to act and speak as Jesus would have us do.  And then we need to pray for whoever has offended us.  Yes, turn them over to God!  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus commands us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us; doing so makes us children of God, he says (Matt 5:44-45), and not children of the devil.

Children of the devil will meet the fate of the wicked servant in Jesus’ parable:  “In anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt” (Matt 18:34).  Better that we should “serve God with all our hearts,” as the Collect prayed, and then “we may feel the working of his mercy.”  “Forgive your neighbor’s injustice,” Sirach advised; “then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven” (Sir 28:2).

Fr. John Nazzaro Reflects on 9/11

Fr. John Nazzaro Reflects on 9/11

From Salesian News, weekly newsletter of the New Rochelle Province

Fr. John Nazzaro (left) and Fr. Jim Marra
when they were young Salesians at Camp Don Bosco, Newton, N.J.

(New Rochelle, N.Y. – September 10, 2026) – Twenty-five years have passed since  September 11, 2001, when a series of terrorist attacks shook America and the whole world, and which are still regarded as a watershed moment in human history. In the aftermath of that tragedy, Salesian Fr. John Nazzaro, now treasurer of the Eastern United States and Canada  Province (SUE), was called upon to assist and offer comfort to those affected: an experience that remains as vivid as ever in his mind and heart.

Even though 25 years have passed since 9/11, the days that followed that dreadful day still linger in my mind, heart, and soul. As time passes, we sometimes forget the loss of innocent lives and the courageous first responders who sacrificed so much with pride, dignity, and patriotism.

It is special to me because I shared being a chaplain at Ground Zero with my classmate, my best friend, and my brother, Fr. Jim Marra.

Fr. Jim called me the day after 9/11 and told me that Cardinal Egan of New York needed priests to volunteer at Ground Zero around the clock. Fr. Jim and I signed up for three 12-hour shifts, from 3:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. It was mandatory that two priests accompany each other as a source of support for what the ministry entailed. At that time, Fr. Jim was pastor at Corpus Christi Church in Port Chester, and I was director of Salesian High in New Rochelle.

Traveling to New York was difficult, and Mr. Louis Ruiz was able to drive us to Manhattan, where we were escorted to a hotel that housed the home base of FEMA.

At FEMA we were briefed about what we would encounter. We were taken by van through Battery Park, which was filled with people waving flags with patriotic signs and signs of gratitude for first responders. Once on site, we passed two priests who were leaving the site. One of them cried, and the other looked as though he were in shock.

We were fitted with oxygen masks and proceeded to the temporary morgue, which was a tent right in the middle of Ground Zero. The heat radiating as our feet was enough to melt your shoes, and the smell of sulfur was enough to gag you so if you didn’t have a mask on.

Our task was to bless the remains that were found and help the coroner ID the body part(s) and notify the Javits Center, which was used as a morgue since more remains were coming.

We blessed remains during those long hours, which seemed like an eternity. We consoled first responders who had lost brothers and sisters in law enforcement and the fire department.

We consoled each other, seeing, as Fr. Jim put it, “pure evil.” This was Fr. Jim’s hometown, and he was a proud New Yorker.

I share this with everyone after all these years because it was difficult to talk about it previously. But one thing I do remember is that my classmate, my best friend in the whole world, and my brother, Fr. Jim, shared this experience with me. It has been a bond through life and death since Fr. Jim passed away nine years ago.

To our young men in formation and young Salesians, I pray you will have a similar kind of friendship of trust, concern, and bond of love that can come only from Jesus and his Mother. I miss Jimmy terribly.

After a year, Fr. Jim and I received a letter from the government thanking us for our service. I was asked to write a chapter about our experiences for a book which became a best seller, but I refused the offer. Memories for me were for those who are not with us are in my heart; they are at peace. Lord, may they rest in your peace.

The Pit and signs with some of the names of the terrorists' victims
(February 24, 2005)

Sustainability, Partnerships, and New Challenges

Sustainability, Partnerships, and New Challenges

RASS looks ahead to 2030

(ANS – Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – September 10, 2026) – Sustainability, collaboration, and the ability to forge new partnerships were the key themes of the 2d day of the 17th meeting of Salesian Social Works and Services of the Salesian Social Network of the Americas (RASS), dedicated to sustainability, partnerships, and the future—looking ahead to 2030. It was a day of discussion and formation that brought together representatives of Salesian social works and services from the Americas, with the aim of strengthening a network called upon to respond to new social challenges.

The day began with a time of prayer and spirituality led by the Ecuador Province, in memory of FMA St. Maria Troncatti. Following a review of the key moments from the previous day (which ANS didn’t report on), the discussions also touched upon the themes of migration and the integration of young people in vulnerable situations into the labor market, with a particular contribution from the delegation from Haiti.

The formation session was led by Angel Gudiña, coordinator of the Don Bosco Network, exploring the theme of sustainability in Salesian social works and collaboration with non-Salesian organizations. Sustainability was presented not merely as an economic issue, but also as the ability to build lasting and mutually beneficial relationships with a wide range of stakeholders: public institutions, businesses, 3d-sector organizations, the Church, the Salesian Family, and local communities.

Sustainability was addressed from a broad perspective, examining the relationship between feasibility, equity and sustainability. Models drawn from the business world and corporate social responsibility were presented, as were the 7 fundamental themes of social responsibility outlined in the ISO 26000 standard. Economic sustainability was described as a challenge that is simple to understand but complex to achieve, particularly for initiatives aimed at vulnerable populations.

The discussion continued with a round-table session attended by representatives from the business world, non-governmental organizations, and public institutions. Among the elements considered crucial for building lasting partnerships, trust, transparency, the ability to account for resources and, above all, the ability to demonstrate the impact of interventions in concrete terms emerged as key. The Salesians’ long experience working alongside vulnerable children and young people was also recognized, along with their ability to create safe environments and prevent situations of greater hardship.

There were also key challenges to address: reaching new territories and communities, strengthening work with migrants and young people experiencing homelessness, developing new programs, and raising the profile of the results of social initiatives, while remaining true to the Salesian mission and remaining open to changes in society.

In the afternoon, a participatory workshop looked directly toward 2030. RASS was described as a “well-structured,” “participatory,” “dynamic,” and “growing” network, capable of uniting organizations from different countries around a common mission. Future priorities identified included strengthening the network’s structure, securing its own resources, forging new alliances, and developing international volunteering.

Fr. Francesco Preite and Dr. Micaela Valentino also spoke during the day, addressing the work of the Salesians for Social [sic]. In particular, they discussed the Universal Civil Service program abroad as a potential area for collaboration with RASS. The initiative was presented as a formative experience in which young people take the lead in a mission open to the world. The proposal highlighted new prospects for international coordination, formation, and volunteer work.

The day concluded with the celebration of the Eucharist, led by the Uruguayan Province and presided over by Fr. Federico Salmeron (of the North Argentina Province). He emphasized that the Salesian mission can’t be lived out or carried out in isolation, as it springs from a Church called to walk in communion and to be a sign of God’s love among young people, especially the poorest and most vulnerable. Therefore, building alliances, collaborating, coordinating efforts between provinces, and remaining open to engaging with new social actors are essential ways of strengthening the mission of evangelization and education.

Fr. Michael Conway, director of Salesian Missions in New Rochelle, is one of the participants in the meeting.

Another Overnite Camp at Green Pond

Another Overnite Camp at Green Pond

The Lord gave us a terrific Labor Day weekend, and I took advantage of it to go camping in Harriman State Park on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 6 (after my noon Mass), into Monday morning.  I returned to one of Fr. Jim Mulloy’s and my favorite spots, a campsite high above Green Pond.  The elevation there is 1,110 feet.  I neglected to check the elevation at pond level—or at the parking lot on Kanawauke Road, by which I might have gauged the net gain in elevation on the hike in.

I reached the parking lot around 3:15 p.m.  It was just about full, and a day hiker pulled in right after me.  I think we got the last 2 convenient spaces.  Despite that, that chap and 2 women returning to the lot were the only people I saw that afternoon.

Ascending Island Pond Road

It’s a pretty easy hike, 45 minutes, from the lot to Green Pond by way of the White Bar Trail, Island Pond Rd., and either the Nurian or the Dunning trail.  However easy, since I hadn’t hiked in a while, my legs were ready to stop by the time I ascended the hill above the pond.

I was last in that area over a year ago when I passed by it to a site farther into the woods, off trail.  The site where Fr. Jim and I have camped multiple times (most recently in April 2023) looked like it hadn’t been used in weeks.  There was a bit of litter away from the main area (the fire pit and logs, above).  One bit was a large towel that was left on the grounds weeks or even months ago.  On Monday morning, I set it on the large rock at the fire pit to dry in the sun, then an hour later made a fire, put it by the fire, and eventually burned it.

Meanwhile—on reaching the site, first thing I did was pray Evening Prayer.  Then I put up my tent in the same spot I usually do (a nice mossy cushion beneath it).  To my chagrin, I found that after my last campout (with Bro. Lorenzo), I’d mixed up the tent flies.  I got the incorrect fly to do the job, however. 

Then it was time to prepare supper, already a little later than my confreres would have been eating at home.  I had freeze-dried mac and cheese, Crystal Lite, dried apricots, and a granola bar.  I gathered firewood, which was abundant, the site not having been used lately.  Most of it was small enuf that I didn’t have to cut it, but I did use my saw on a couple of larger pieces.

Red bear bag (left), tent (near center), backpack, fire pit

I hung the bear bag with the rest of my chow and the little bit of trash I’d generated.  I roamed a bit to take some photos, then laid the fire and lit it—not so much for warmth as for atmosphere.  I sat and read an issue of America for over an hour while also feeding the fire.  The insects were slightly pesky.

I retired after 9:00 p.m. and slept fitfully.  The only sounds were acorns falling from the trees prolifically and distant traffic (from the Thruway and possibly one of the roads cutting thru Harriman, Arden Valley and Kanawauke roads).

When I got up at 6:30 a.m., it was 53°--cool enuf for another layer of clothing.  I found a rock more or less flat and celebrated Mass.  After retrieving my food, I made breakfast:  oatmeal with freeze dried apples added, coffee, apricots, and mixed nuts.  Then Readings, Morning Prayer, some meditation, some more reading.  The sky was cloudless and the sun warm, but the area is well shaded.  I laid another fire in order to burn the ratty towel I mentioned above, and alternated between feeding the fire, reading America, and gradually breaking camp—all very relaxing and leisurely.

Green Pond from campsite

At 11:30 I brought out lunch (ham and cheese sandwich, Crystal Lite, apricots, granola bar), then finished packing up.  I doused the fire with a liter of water—and then didn’t have to carry any water in my pack; that’s always the heaviest item.  Even so, the pack must have weighd nearly 30 pounds (tent, sleeping bag, pad, hatchet, saw, cookware, rope, clothes, etc.).

Leaving Green Pond area on the Dunning Trail

At noon I departed, and 40 minutes later I was back at the parking lot.  I met one chap coming up Island Pond Road and saw 3 people way ahead of me returning to the lot.  But the lot was full, so evidently there were a lot of day hikers out on the various trails accessed from that lot.

I made a stop at the Marian Shrine on my way home; got home at 2:45 p.m.

On Tuesday I had an appointment with my dermatologist (happy to know that I use sunscreen and a hat); she found a tick in a spot not readily visible to me, removed it, and prescribed a dose of antibiotic as a preventive.

Photos: https://linkit.shutterfly.com/tx4-BZ

Homily for Thursday, Week 23 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Thursday
Week 23 of Ordinary Time

Sept. 10, 2026
1 Cor 8: 1-7, 11-13
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

Students from the Salesian school in
Saragossa, Spain, form a large heart full of joy (ANS)

“Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up” (1 Cor 8: 1).

We’re familiar with Paul’s hymn to love in 1 Cor 13.  Here in ch. 8, he already gives us a hint of that.  He counsels his friends in the church at Corinth that love for their brothers and sisters is superior to their knowledge.

What knowledge?  That the pagan gods are nothing.  They don’t exist.  They’re phantoms of the Greek imagination.  So any sacrifice to them—to Zeus, Athena, or any of them—is offered to nothing; it’s not sacred; it’s meaningless.

But some Christians don’t grasp that knowledge.  They still think that eating meat that was supposedly consecrated to one of the gods ought not be consumed, whether purchased in the market or served at a pagan friend’s dinner.  In their eyes it would be sinful.

Those with knowledge know better.  But, Paul says, out of charity toward the sensitive consciences of their less knowledgeable brothers and sisters, they ought to refrain from eating such meat.  That’s love in practice.  That’s humility rather than knowledge inflated with pride.  Paul himself practices that restraint:  “If food causes my brother to sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I may not cause my brother to sin” (8:13).

Paul is telling us to be sensitive to the consciences of our fellow Christians.  In a time of so many diverse opinions and styles of worship, devotions, doing penance, and living the Gospel day by day, it’s still wise and prudent advice.  “Love builds up” our brothers and sisters.

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.).