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September 8, 2026“Lord if my brother sins against me how often must I forgive? . . . I say to you, not seven times but seventy-sevens times.” Most of us received the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time in the year we were preparing for our First Holy Communion, around the age of seven.
And many have struggled to return to this Sacrament of forgiveness and healing over the years. Of the forgiveness and mercy, healing and peace God affords us in this Sacrament, Pope Benedict XVI shared his views.“In the Sacrament of Penance, the simple confession of one’s guilt is presented with confidence in God’s merciful goodness. It is important to do this without falling into scruples, with the spirit of trust proper to the children of God. In this way confession can become an experience of deliverance, in which the weight of the past is removed from us and we can feel rejuvenated by the merit of the grace of God who each time gives back the youthfulness of the heart. . . .Whatever the sin committed, if it is humbly recognized and the person involved turns with trust to the priestconfessor, he or she never fails to experience the soothing joy of God’s forgiveness.”Our ‘summer’ traditionally ends with Labor Day, as school is in full swing, days are getting noticeably shorter, farmers are looking toward harvest, and the expectation of cooler weather mixed with contrasting colors.
President Grover Cleveland, in 1894, officially created a day of rest for workers, recognizing the sacrifices and long hours of so many laborers.To this day, there are no special rituals or ceremonies associated with the first Monday in September.From an article by Nathan Freeburg—“Work That Shapes Us”—he describes how the temperance of the Benedictine monks provide a thoughtful reflection as they approach their daily labors.“Ora et Labora,”pray and work, the guiding spirit of the Benedictines rhythm of prayer, work, and rest, imparts an examination of our work and responsibilities.Work is sacred, whether cleaning floors, doing laundry, preparing food, picking up garbage, or harvesting crops. All labor has purpose, and in itself is a form of devotion (to a point).Work needs rhythm, not hustle. Benedictine monks allow for a rhythm of work, prayer, reading, meals. and rest honoring their purpose in God’s eyes. Too often we define our purpose by the number of hours we work, the number of tasks we take on at once, and the attainment of material goods.Work Is for the Common Good. Benedictines realize how each monk contributes according to their ability, and for the wellbeing of the entire community. How each person has different abilities, without the desire to advance in importance beyond the other.
Work Forms Us. As the Benedictines adhere to the grace of God conferring their respective abilities, they believe work builds humility, discipline, patience, and gratefulness. Not about how much we have accomplished or simply fulfilling the responsibilities of our work, but how it forms our character, our God given dignity.Lord God, we pray for all laborers. We remember all those who work, whether they labor at home, at an office, at a factory, in service industries, civil service, or on our rural lands. Give hope for those looking for work, and for those who are about to give up looking; and we pray for others who are discerning what kind of work they ought to do. Lord God, help us remember there is dignity in labor, especially in these times with the progress of technology. Whatever the responsibilities of the laborer, may there be just wages for honest labor.And may the health of workers and the health of creation always be priorities. Lord, help us to come together to do the workYou have called us to do; sharingYour love and mercy in Jesus Christ.As the Psalmist.says,“Bless the work of our hands,”Amen.God Bless, Fr. Tim