Category: From the Pastor’s Desk (Page 4 of 61)

Dear Parishioners and Visitors:

Christ’s Kingdom is spiritual, not political. But this doesn’t mean that Christ’s followers have nothing to say about politics. This is a common misunderstanding in today’s society. We hear a lot of talk about the separation between Church and state. But that phrase can be taken in two different ways.

In the first place, it can mean that the government of a country doesn’t try to run the Church, and that, in turn, the Church doesn’t try to run the government. That’s the right way to understand separation of Church and state. But there is also a wrong way to understand it. The wrong viewpoint says that religion is just a social organization, and so, the Church has nothing to contribute to the public life of a community or a country.

But in fact, there is one area of life where faith and politics do overlap – on issues of moral principles. Governments, to do their job well and make just laws, must respect the natural moral law – the Ten Commandments is a good example   of this. Natural moral law is built into human nature. It exists prior to politics and provides healthy parameters for political activity, just like the laws of physics existed prior to the invention of satellites and provided the parameters for space travel. Governments need clear knowledge of the natural moral law to do their job as much as engineers need clear knowledge of natural physical laws to do theirs.

God has made the Church a sure teacher and guide on questions of natural moral law. As Catholics, then, we have a lot to contribute to the discussion of public affairs. It is up to us to be the conscience of our nation. As followers of Christ, we should ask God to grant us the grace of not only allowing His spiritual Kingdom to spread into our hearts, but also to give us the wisdom and courage to be His messengers to the world around us, which is in significant need of moral guidance these days.

 With prayerful best wishes,

 Fr. John Mahoney

Dear Parishioners and Visitors:

He was in Scotland afore ye!  For nearly 1,000 years Saint Andrew, the “first called” of the apostles, has been Scotland’s patron saint, and the Saltire or “Saint Andrew’s Cross,” an X-shaped cross on which Saint Andrew is said to have been martyred, is represented on the nation’s flag.

A hearty welcome to St. Joseph’s Church to all who are visiting Lincoln for the  annual gathering of the clans. 

Go mbeannai Dia Duit!

 With prayerful best wishes,

 Fr. John Mahoney

Dear Parishioners and Visitors:

To be a catechist is to be of service to the Lord and to one another through the ministry of handing on the faith through witness, word, and example.  In many ways, it is a humbling ministry, for none of us is perfect nor knows all there is to know about our faith.  Yet in our imperfection, God calls us to “make disciples of all nations … teaching them to observe all I have commanded you.” Mt. 28:19-20  

      As a parish community, we should be   eternally grateful to our Faith Formation teachers as they exercise their ministry here in St. Joseph’s faith community.  Paula King and Kathleen McDermott not only lead our catechetical program, but they do so effectively because they live their faith every day, bearing witness to the Gospel message in word and action.  As such – and in conjunction with their weekly classroom instruction – their students learn Christian values and spirituality and incorporate them into their daily lives.

      As we observe Catechetical Sunday this weekend, please join me in thanking our Faith Formation teachers for their faith-filled dedication to pass on the message of the Gospel and the teachings of the Catholic Church to our fine young students who achieve so much under their tutelage and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

With prayerful best wishes,

Fr. John Mahoney

“I thank my God every time I remember you (Philippians 1:3).”

Just as Saint Paul said it to the people he loved in Caesarea Philippi, so do I say it to you, the people and visitors of St. Joseph Parish, for your generosity in fulfilling successfully – and even exceeding – our assigned parish goal for the 2024 New Hampshire Catholic Appeal (NHCA). While every penny was helpful and appreciated, there is no way in which to express  sufficient gratitude for the extra, singular effort made last week to move us beyond the NHCA financial ten-yard line where we’d been stuck since last month! God has blessed me with a wonderful, kind, and caring assembly of the faithful and, like Saint Paul,  I pray for you with joy in my heart, that “God will complete the good work that he has      started in you until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).”

With thanks and prayerful best wishes,

Fr. John Mahoney

Dear Parishioners and Visitors,

We have been stuck at the ten-yard line for the past couple of weeks, hovering within $1,654 of reaching our goal for the parish’s annual NH Catholic Appeal.  

A single donor with a $1,654 donation would do it.
Or two donors with a $827 donation would do it.
Or four donors with a $414 donation would do it.
Or ten donors with a  $166 donation would do it.

By clicking on the QR Code or writing   a check to NHCA, you can help us win the game for the 2024 NHCA Season. 

Special envelopes are situated next to the poor box in the church.  

Can you help us reach our goal? 

With thanks and prayerful best wishes,

Fr. John Mahoney