A - All Saints Day

Lest we allow the world to dictate to us what we should know, say and ascribe to, let us be super clear. Halloween, which we celebrated last night, is ours – it belongs to all Catholics of the World. As with Easter and Christmas, Halloween has been stripped of its meaning and spiritual richness by commercial interests and likely through the work of other forces and powers. For Halloween is firmly and fully planted in Catholic history and devotion. It is the evening or “een” of All Hallows Day – otherwise known as All Saints Day, which we celebrate today as a Solemnity. Halloween predates modern commercialism and has deep Catholic roots. We can trace these roots simply and easily to Pope Sixtus IV who in 1484, years before Stop and Shop got its hands on it, established November 1st as a Holy Day of Obligation and gave it a vigil, “All Hallows Eve” or Halloween. Back in the 15th century, all Saints Day was day one in an 8-day celebration or octave. This Octave of All Saints was abolished in 1955 under Pope Pius XII.

So, Halloween is ours and it points to and prepares us for All Saints Day. A day we remember and honor all saints – all those, known to us, but also those who remain unknown to us, who are in heaven. Saints of every age, every generation, every race, and from every part of the world. These saints form the cloud of witnesses that speak to us, invite us, to do what they did, and to follow them in this life and into the next.

And should these holy and virtuous souls appear too distant from us, too accomplished for us to possibly relate to, then let us not forget they started their journeys exactly where we start ours: as sinful and lost souls who seek reconciliation with a Father that sends his son to find us. Like us there are many former sinners in the ranks; St. Matthew the much-hated tax collector, St. Augustine who struggled with lust as so many today do, and St. Mary of Egypt who spent 17 years in the desert to overcome her predilection to sin. We recount the ways these man and women would turn their life around and so win their race. But we should also recall those holy souls who struggled with faith itself, especially towards the ends of their lives. The little flower - St. Thérèse of Lisieux, who in the last 18 months of her life, dying from tuberculosis, would endure her trial of faith. And Mother Teresa of Calcutta who would spend the last 50 years of her life feeling abandoned and empty and missing the felt presence of God that she had known when she was younger.

All these Holy Men and Woman of God who today the church recognizes as Saints, were sinners in need of God’s grace. Who else do we know is a sinner in need of God’s grace? We need not go far.

The beatitudes we read in our Gospel today point to the saints as examples of those who struggled with and finally conformed to them. And these same saints point back at the beatitudes so that we can know how we too must go. For whether we struggle with our inclination to sin or whether we struggle with questions of faith itself, the beatitudes remain an anchor for us as they were for all saints. They guide us towards the understanding that authentic joy comes, not from wealth, comfort, power, and influence, but by a purity of heart that is not waylaid by the world. Jesus tells us we are blessed, we belong to his kingdom, we are his, by way of humility, righteousness, mercy, peacemaking, and even persecution.

I would never place myself in danger by standing between your children and free candy. So, feel free to celebrate Halloween as you wish but do not forget; Halloween points to the Saints. And the Saints point to the life of beatitude. This life is not always easy or without its challenges. But all these hurdles, difficulties and even heartbreaks will one day be seen in a clear light, and we will join the heavenly choir in saying, "Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen."

Deacon Peter Bujwid
St. Agnes Church, Arlington, MA.
October 31, 2026

A – Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

We are all familiar with masquerade balls. An event where the participants and dancers wear a mask to disguise their identity. Masquerade balls were very popular in the Elizabethan era of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In England, Masquerades were a means for nobles to seek and secure royal favor. And for the Queen to show off the wealth and cultural power of England to foreign rivals such as Spain and France.

Masquerade balls are one example of where masks were worn but throughout history and in many regions of the world, masks have and continue to be used in dance, religious ceremonies, cultural performances, and so on.

We may not think of ourselves as wearing masks, but we do present ourselves in different ways in different contexts. We are most relaxed and possibly closest to our true selves when at home with family or friends, and we are most formal in a professional or similar setting where we put on our work mask. This is all well and good – nice professional work attire while at work, fuzzy slippers when at home. But in today’s gospel reading Jesus does point out a problem - when the mask we may be wearing gets in the way of salvation itself.

In hearing the words of the gospel today we quickly understand what is being presenting to us: ‘It is not what we say that counts, but what we do.’ For the first son initially said no to his father when asked to work in the vineyard but later would do as he was asked. The second son said yes to his father’s instruction but ultimately would not go and work in the vineyard. Jesus asks the chief priests and elders, which son did his father’s will and clearly, it was the first son who initially had said no. But now Jesus uses this story to confront the elders and chief priests telling them that it was the tax collectors and the prostitutes who heard the words of John the Baptist and took them to heart thereby winning entry into the Kingdom. And it was the leaders who refused and rejected them. What was it that the prostitutes and tax collectors had that the leaders did not? Pope Francis would describe that first son as a sincere sinner and the second son as being corrupt. Though having all the appearances of a good son, even saying the right things, he remained corrupt, unable to respond to the words of the father. And it is to this son that Jesus compares the chief priests and elders to. They had constructed for themselves a public mask that could not be taken off because it had all the pretense of righteousness – a self-constructed image held onto with a tight grip, unable to be relinquished. This is the challenge of the corrupt person – to them repentance is so difficult, since to truly repent, the sense of righteousness, the notion of being good of being better than the other, must be put down. The mask hiding the true face must be taken off to expose all the wrinkles, the creases, warts, and all. Only then can a sinner repent for he now sees clearly his fault and so is open to the work of God upon his heart. This is exactly what the prostitutes and tax collectors had done turning aside from a life of sin. On the other hand, the elders and chief priests were too attached to their public mask of righteousness.

This parable is a warning for all of us who are Jesus’s disciples for we read, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father" (Mt 7:21). Outward religious identity is not enough if the transformation began in us in baptism is not pursued and lived out each day.

We are to take off any false masks of righteousness we may have constructed for ourselves, and we are to look at our true face in the mirror of the Gospel. We are to be just like those Tax Collectors and Prostitutes and to set aside what makes us like the Chief Priests and elders. We do this by examining our conscience, receiving the sacraments, and becoming humble just as Jesus was. We listen to what the Father has to say to us, and then we simply do it. 

Deacon Peter Bujwid
Agnes Church, Arlington, MA.

Holy Hour for Life 2026

God IS love. This is the very essence of Trinity since there is the one who loves, the one who is loved and the love that passes from one to the other. Love is God’s very essence. It is his very nature, his whole being. So, in the trinity we find the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end of love, full, complete, nothing to be added and nothing to be taken away. Before all else was – this love was; all encompassing, complete, and eternal. Yes, God is love. But God is also life. He is not just alive as a tree or bird may be but rather, as Saint Thomas Aquinas tells us, He is Life itself. He is the very act of being. So, God does not have life as a possession or an attribute, as we do, but He is being itself, life itself. God’s love is creative, and from His love all other life springs forth. We know something about that, since in one way or another we have each experienced the life-giving force of love, be it the creative power of art, science, engineering, teaching, or be it the intimacy between a husband and wife. Love is creative and it follows the pattern laid down by our God.

As the author of life, it is only God who has the authority to give life and to take it. God and God alone is the Lord of Live and Death. He alone has sovereignty over it, and he alone delegates that to others as he wills – to doctors, to parents, to others, in limited ways and as situations may demand. But in each and every one of these situations God remains the Lord of Life and at no point are we to do with life simply as we please. The Catechism teaches that all human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God himself, and this human life remains forever in a special and unique relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. If we recognize that truth, we easily see that each life has a God given dignity which no government, no court, no loud and demanding court of public opinion can or should try to supplant. This is why the Catholic Church stands firm and teaches without apology or compromise the affront to God and to life that abortion, suicide, euthanasia, and cloning are and will always be. To reject and destroy life is to blind oneself to love. It is the shattering of wisdom and clarity; it is the abandonment of conscience, and it is the embrace of confusion and loss. It is the ascendance of darkness and death, and yes evil.

This loss of conscience, of clarity, this clear rejection of the God’s plan of life, is thrown into clear relief with the recently passed ‘Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act’ (August 10, 2026) which permits abortion throughout pregnancy removing all statutory limitations. Let us pause just there. Imagine abortion up until the moment of birth. With this new law, it will be up to the physician’s judgement, with all time limits and restrictions removed.

This is where we have now arrived, and I fear will continue from. This is what our Commonwealth puts on display and promotes as patient care. Is this care for the child? Is this care for the mother? Is this care for our youth, and especially for our young girls, who continue to witness how little society and culture appear to really care for them.

So, what can we do? In the recent letter from the Bishops of Massachusetts on this subject, we are told to pray, to witness, to speak up and to choose life and to promote that message within our families and to our youth. But we must also prepare, for the repeal of this law, though in process, is unlikely, and there will be many broken lives, many broken hearts, truly suffering souls who will need our attention. There will be many who will for the rest of their lives carry the heavy burden of a momentary yet truly devastating decision. We, you and I, will find ourselves in times and places where we can share the message we have each received, the message of forgiveness, reconciliation, mercy, and peace. The message that tells us that this God of Life is also the God of Love who rejects no one who comes to Him. This God who invites without restraint all to come into and abide in the love relationship of the triune God. For within him we live and move and have our being. Within him is a mercy unfathomable, deep and without limit. As we look upon the other, the hurting and broken hearted, we must see in each the face of Jesus and so be moved to comfort them. We must share with them the solace that is found only in the One who created us, gave us life, loved us into being.

As we sit now before our Lord, we pray for all those impacted by abortion by suicide, and by euthanasia (currently illegal in the Commonwealth but legal in Vermont and Maine). We pray that God gives us his mercy, that we experience his love in our lives and that we carry his message of forgiveness and mercy wherever it needs to be heard.

Amen.

Deacon Peter Bujwid
St Agnes Church, Arlington, Massachusetts 

October 18, 2026

A - Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

In our gospel reading, Jesus speaks about the Kingdom of Heaven using symbolic language – a field sown with good seed, a mustard seed destined to grow, and yeast that leavens. In fact, scripture speaks often of heaven using symbols and metaphors.  

 And so, we learn that heaven is like a wedding feast to which the King invites his guests.   Heaven is a temple where God dwells and within which the liturgy is forever celebrated and where the Seraphim sing in unceasing worship.  Heaven is the Father's house where Jesus goes to prepare for us a dwelling place.  Heaven is a paradise, a place of light and peace. Heaven is a movement of God where, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore.”   Heaven is the new Jerusalem, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  A world transformed so that the King may live amongst us. 

 These pictures and symbols help us to gain some sense of heaven, but it remains beyond our ability to fully understand. This is clearly communicated to us in 1st Corinthians (2:9), for "no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him."

But we must make mention of one more description of heaven.  Here we are presented with something we can understand very well.  For in heaven, we experience the beatific vision: the immediate, intimate, full, and complete encounter between God and our soul.

We can understand this because we all know something about relationships.  We all have good relationships and we have poor relationships.   But in this case, it is the fullness of a relationship.   Pope Benedict describes it this way, “the ...divine essence immediately reveals itself plainly, clearly, and openly”.    So, heaven is most profoundly a relationship with our creator - a relationship which continues into eternity.

It is good to speak of heaven.  These descriptions of heaven are high, wide, broad, and deep, like the mature mustard bush.  And just like that bush, this Kingdom of Heaven does not announce itself in a loud or immediately demonstrable way but rather grows slowly from the smallest of seeds, just as our relationship with the triune God also grows slowly.  And it must grow, since it is by way of that singular relationship grown to fulfillment, that we know and see heaven.  With family and friends, we remain invested in nurturing, encouraging, supporting, and sacrificing to maintain and grow in those relationships.  And so, it must be with our relationship with the trinity.  We are to nurture, find encouragement, and be willing to sacrifice to grow closer to God.   In doing so we already live in the Kingdom of heaven by virtue of this relationship which is forged in love – forged since it is not always easy. 

Our faith life is the foundation of this relationship.  A faith life anchored in the sacraments, in scripture reading, and in loving our neighbor as we love ourselves.  And we bring these and all life's lived experience into an active prayer life.  A prayer life that follows a regular daily structure; a prayerful rhythm by which we discipline ourselves and pursue and nourish our relationship with the creator. It is here that the Spirit intercedes for us, when at times we find ourselves weak or at a loss.  It is here where the bonds of our relationship to the trinity are formed, deepened and developed over time – like the mustard seed which grows to become a large bush. And it is here that the first light of heaven can be experienced in preparation for the moment when we will see God face to face.

It is good to speak of heaven. But we must also acknowledge the possibility of its loss.  For there will be a time of harvest where the wheat will be gathered in, but the weeds will be taken away to be burnt. Jesus tells us that his angels will collect out of his kingdom those who cause others to sin and all evildoers. This is a hard truth. And one that should encourage us to be serious about our faith life and how we love ourselves and love others.

So let us not tarry but know something of heaven today by pursuing a growing relationship with the God who himself pursues a relationship with us. And may this little seed of relationship soon grow into something beautiful, eternal and waiting and ready for the harvest.  

Deacon Peter Bujwid
St. Agnes Church, Arlington, Massachusetts
Sunday 19th July, 2026 

 

Year A – Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

I am sure many of us have heard of the recent surge in interest in the Catholic faith throughout the US.  Here in Boston, the archdiocese is reporting that the number of young adults being baptized and confirmed has more than doubled since 2023.   And that is something for all of us to celebrate. But I fear this positive development needs to be tempered with some less positive news.   I read recently a 2026 report which stated that many adults under 35 are today experiencing a profound "confidence crisis."  Many report high levels of emotional distress and suffering, self-loathing, harsh internal criticism, feelings of worthlessness and immense loneliness.   These negative emotions are particularly felt by the Gen Z generation, those today who are 18 to 29 years old.  The root causes for these phenomena are for others to explore, but we can be certain that economic instability, the rise of digital echo chambers, those lost COVID years, and our various global problems play a part.  Add to this the growing concerns over AI and job security, and we cannot be surprised that our young adults feel lost, fearful and alone.   But into today’s challenging time, we have all been placed to bring good news, for we are the carriers of very good news.   

Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity and we are invited to explore, experience and acknowledge our place within this mystery.  For we live our life of faith within the mystery of the triune God who is immediate and present to us all the time.  For many, this God appears far away or even absent, yet in truth God is so very close and He tells us that repeatedly despite our deafness.   In our first reading, the newly freed Israelites had already lost their way. They fashioned the golden calf before which Aaron built an altar.  On seeing this, Moses in his anger broke the two stone tablets but now he returns to the Lord on Mount Sinai.   Perhaps Moses was expecting severe punishment on all the Israelites but instead we hear the LORD describe himself as a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.  For God’s justice is tempered with mercy and kindness.  

Who do we know that is unnecessarily harsh on themselves, unforgiving, experiencing self-loathing?  Who do we know that is saddened by their life choices, who needs to hear this truth about God?   That God does not pull away but remains devoted to our well being.   

And it is Jesus, the Son, who demonstrates this living word of God.  We heard in our Gospel that, “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”  That is God’s mission – to offer eternal life to all.  This is the mission accepted by the Son.  And this is our mission as well.  In faith, we acknowledge the significance of this in our own lives while placing our arm around those that fail to see this clearly.   Jesus did not reject those who would hate him, insult him, as we would likely do.  Rather in obedience to the Father, the Son hands himself over to sinners so all can gain eternal life.  As Jesus laid down his life, we are drawn deeper into the mystery of trinity, by better understanding what real love is and what self-giving love looks like.  

Who do we know that needs to hear that life can be lived so radically differently from the life script dictated to us by the loud, deaf and blind?  Who is it that needs to hear that in losing something of ourselves by way of sacrificial love, we find meaning and a life reborn? 

In our second reading, Saint Paul is writing to the Corinthian church.  He is writing to a church divided into factions, split along class lines; a church still guided by the secular values of Rome rather than the precepts of a Christian community.  St Paul urges unity, love and peace, so that this church may better reflect these trinitarian qualities.  He tells them to rejoice, mend their ways, and to be blessed in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit who is the giver of life and the one who makes unity and holiness possible.  

"Who do we know that needs to put back together a life fractured by secular living?"  Who do we know that needs healing from the rifts of separation, frustration, and loneliness?  Who do we know that thirsts for the Holy Spirit and the joy He brings?  

In his providence it appears God is today preparing our youth to fully awaken to his presence. Our young adults will likely be the means of evangelization; teaching and sharing the good news with their peers.   They will be the ones whose voices will counter the voices of self-loathing, self-criticism, and the feelings of worthlessness and loneliness.  But this task is not only theirs, for the Spirit is with all of us.  And Jesus has demonstrated how we are to love.  And God has reaffirmed his kindness and fidelity towards all of us.   We thank God for our youth and young adults.  We encourage and support them, as they, like us, and as Ezekiel describes, take firm root and grow into trees along the river of living water bearing fruit every month, with leaves that heal (Ezekiel 47:12).    Amen.  

Deacon Peter Bujwid
St Camillus Church, Arlington, Massachusetts 

A - Fourth Sunday of Easter

Many years ago, I used to have a very long commute to work.  During that time, I would listen to the radio.  It would not be music or news but more often than not I listened to talk radio.  This was at a time before Catholic radio became what it is today – a wonderful and rich resource.  At the time Catholic radio choices were limited, but this was not the case for our protestant brothers and sisters, for there were many protestant radio shows on air.  Some of you may recognize the name of Hank Hanegraaff also known as the Bible Answer Man.  I enjoyed his radio show in particular.  Listeners would call in with Bible questions, and he would answer from his deep and expansive knowledge.  I mention Hank because he had a catch phrase which went something like this: “you should be so familiar with the truth that when a counterfeit appears, you immediately recognize it.”  We as Christians, should quickly recognize counterfeit voices for there are many that compete with the voice of our shepherd.   This is only truer today than back in the 90’s. For today television, the internet, social media, newspapers, etc., create a cacophony of voices each one vying for our attention.   I would suggest that the dangers of all these voices for us are broadly twofold. 

The first are the voices of distraction.   These are the voices we ourselves allow into our lives, and perhaps even encourage.   In so doing they become so distracting that before we know it, the precious gift of time has passed listening to these voices and avoiding the clear call of our shepherd.  “I know I should read my bible, but I can always do that later.”  “Today I was so busy, but I will pray tomorrow.”  “The game is on, so I won't make it to Mass.”  We all know Catholics who have fallen away or become disengaged, because the voice of the shepherd has become lost in the chorus of other voices.  Today there are so many voices of distraction.  These voices steal our time.  Time which appears limitless but is not, since we are each given only so much.   

The second danger I will call the voices of destruction.  These are voices that preach against the truth, against reality, and so against freedom.  During the early years of our church, these voices were called heresies.  In response, the church held the first ecumenical councils to help clarify important aspects of our understanding and faith and so confront heretical voices.   One example of such a heresy was the teaching that Jesus was born an ordinary man but was adopted as the son of God.  This was called adoptionism and this heresy spread in the 2nd, 3rd and 8th centuries.  To confront this and similar heresies the councils of Nicaea and Chalcedon affirmed the teaching that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine.  As in the 2nd, 3rd, and 8th centuries, so today we see books about the ‘historical Jesus’ such as, “How Jesus Became God”, “The Godless Gospel”, and “Jesus the Man”.  Each robs our Shepherd of his divine identity and corrupts his teaching.     

We commit and train ourselves to always hear the voice of the Shepherd so that we can quickly recognize a counterfeit.  The counterfeit is the thief and robber who does not enter by the gate but rather climbs over elsewhere to claim their power.  In our gospel reading, Jesus would indirectly accuse the Pharisees of being thieves and robbers since they had used their authority to expel the once blind man Jesus had healed from the synagogue.  Rather than help and encourage the blind man and rather than recognizing the authority of Jesus in working this miracle, the Pharisees doubled down to protect their own power.    We are to be wary of the voices of thieves and robbers. 

The voice of the shepherd is the only voice that is authentic and true.   It is vital that we recognize his personal call to each of us and not fall victim to counterfeit voices.  

But following the Shepherd’s voice is not always easy as we heard in our second reading.  At times we suffer from doing good.  Hank Hanegraaff would ultimately leave his evangelical protestant roots (2017) when he became a member of the Eastern Orthodox Church.  This break from his evangelical past was not painless for he would lose his protestant radio affiliates, and his audience would shrink dramatically as his influence waned.  Yet to hear the voice of the shepherd, and to respond to that call, I am sure Hank is now blessed in many new and profound ways.   

Jesus has made clear his desire for us.  His desire is that we might have life and have it more abundantly.  Let us discover the fullness of this life by hearing and obeying the one voice that matters; the voice of our Divine Shepherd.   Amen. 

Deacon Peter Bujwid
St. Agnes and St. Camillus, Arlington, Massachusetts