Our churches are meant to be places of welcome for God’s children, that they may encounter the Lord who loves them unconditionally.

My very last summer job in the seminary before I was ordained a transitional deacon was at St. John’s Cemetery in Middle Village, New York. St. John’s Cemetery is truly one of the most beautiful and ornate cemeteries in our city. It is a place of serenity and prayer where the faithful can pray for the souls of their loved ones. I worked in the office of the cemetery, mostly filing, computer data entry, answering phones, and helping with grave locations. 

We rarely stop to think about how amazing it is that we can talk to the creator of the stars. Worse still, we sometimes reduce prayer to a simple mental activity. To the contrary, prayer is not simply thinking about God, but a moment of actual contact with the one who is beyond all of our categories and concepts.

The prayerful support of the mystical body of Christ is of vital importance, since we, though individuals, never approach God alone.We are part of something much bigger, and though we might like the idea of being independent in our relationship with God, nothing could be more damaging to it.

The prophet Amos does not mince words: “Hear this, you who trample upon the needy and destroy the poor of the land” (Amos 8:4). He condemns those who exploit the vulnerable for profit, those who use their power not to protect but to oppress. Sadly, this warning is not ancient history. It echoes in our own time.

Every Sept. 14, Catholics around the world celebrate the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. At first glance, it may seem strange to exalt a cross — a tool once associated with execution, shame, and death.Yet for Christians, this day is not about glorifying pain. It is about remembering the love of God that transformed the cross into the greatest sign of life and hope.