October 11, 2026

Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Let us pray for Leo, our Pope, for ___, our Bishop. May the Holy Spirit give direction and hope to our leaders of faith. May love be ever on their lips and in their actions.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for hope in days of violence and war. May people of every land and nation find assured peace.  May their courage become bread and their perseverance become food for the future.  

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for couples seeking marriage. May we assist our newly married couples in good times and in bad. May Christ anoint our couples with dignity, purpose and joy.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for integrity for political leaders. May every nation attend to the needs of people struggling in poverty and hunger. May we all live in harmony under heaven.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for people weakened by ill health. May our sick and elderly courageously face a new diagnosis. May the Holy Spirit sustain us in uncertain moments of treatments and new medications.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray to welcome strangers and sojourners through our church doors. May our communities be enhanced by hospitality toward people different from ourselves.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for the health and well-being of our earth. May we work for clean water, quality air, and fresh foods for everyone under heaven.   

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for people who have fallen ill this week. May we reach out to people who most need us when their health fails. May Christ Jesus help comfort our friends and neighbors.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for our loved ones who have died. May God welcome our loved ones into the joy of heaven and wipe away every tear from our eyes.

We pray to the Lord.

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Katherine’s funeral was today at Sacred Heart Church in Colorado Springs, CO. She was a dear friend of mine. A soulful, loving person who sought God. I will miss her. This is a tribute to the memory of Katherine that was read at the luncheon today.

Katherine Cristelli found her way to Sacred Heart Parish desiring to belong and to make a kindly difference. She attended church to pray, for her family, for the needs of many people. She knelt in our pews bearing a mother’s heart.

Her faith led her to support our second graders as they prepared for First Communion. She modeled faith to a generation of students. Katherine not only taught them about God, but she modeled faith to help our youth find meaning in life. She advocated for people with illness and helped us all know the beauty of Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, since she was born on September 15.

Katherine also carried a needle and thread in her white purse. She was an avid seamstress, creating her own clothing. Katherine designed and created several vestments for the priests. She washed altar linens and helped clean the church every week. She advised young, engaged couples and consoled widows. She challenged us when she felt we were off course and hugged us when we felt alone.  

My deepest memory of Katherine was the evening of the dedication of our new altar on May 23, 2018. She and I planned a year in advance that she would dress the consecrated altar for the first time. During the liturgy that evening, Bishop Sheridan poured sacred Chrism over the top of our new altar table. He slowly wiped the abundant oil into the new oak. With prayer, silence, and the Holy Spirit, our prayer changed the handmade altar into a sacred place for worship.  

After Bishop Sheridan finished the gestures of dedication, Katherine began to slowly, lovingly, unfold the many layers of cloth to dress the new altar. She prepared five layers of material to cover the altar because she did not want oil to be absorbed into the fine, new linen. Slowly, with love, slowly with reverence, slowly with purpose, she wiped the altar and then carefully layered each cloth perfectly across the altar to be draped down the sides with accuracy and prayerfulness. She took her time, not in the spotlight, but with heartfelt compassion for the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and for our future years of common prayer that would flow from the new altar. She unveiled love in that moment, surrendering to the Holy Spirit in the folds of finely pressed linen. She clothed the altar because she believed her second-grade children would spend a lifetime praying in our renovated church.

Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.

October 4, 2026

Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Let us pray for Leo, our Pope. May Christ Jesus set his heart on love and care for our world. May the fruit of God’s Kingdom be within his life of service and reconciliation.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for the end of war and violence. May we put down our emotional burdens in peace and harmony. May killings end and gunfire be replaced with the fires of love and integrity on our city streets.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for people living with crippling anxiety. May the anxious be calmed with God’s loving presence and tender voice. May we help ease the burdens of our loved ones with patience and tenderness.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for all healthcare workers. May the people who bathe the bodies of our loved ones, those who diagnose disease, those who stay awake in the nighttime, and those who prescribe medications, all find hope and comfort in their dedication.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for people who feel shunned and isolated. May our emotional burdens be released in the loving care of Christ Jesus. May we all find comfort in God’s extraordinary mercy.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for adults and children who need food and housing. May we work diligently for the benefit of our neighbors. May God send angels of mercy to safeguard our abandoned poor.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray to heal our earth. May we work diligently to restore our earth’s resources to provide adequate food, shelter, clean water and air for our next generation.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for miracles when families are threatened by abuse. May our loved ones find emotional support when family members turn to violence. May we learn the signs of abuse to keep our children from harm.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for our loved ones who have died. May God provide abundant care for those who have taken their last breath. May they find home in the shelter of God’s forgiveness and mercy.

We pray to the Lord.

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September 27, 2026

Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

For Leo, our Pope.  May our leaders console people who most need healing and mercy. May Christ inspire us to pray and serve with love and integrity.

We pray to the Lord.

For our service among God’s beloved poor. May we humbly regard others as more important than our own interests. May we seek God with all our gifts and talents.

We pray to the Lord.

For our quest to pray with integrity. May every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. May we come before God with humility and love within our hearts.

We pray to the Lord.

For people suffering in the confines of depression and anxiety. May we surrender to the beauty of God’s care for us and for all who need healing and strength.

We pray to the Lord,

For people who survive on city streets or in abandoned cars. May we be humbled by the experiences of suffering in our brothers and sisters. May God help us all seek love and unity for all who struggle to survive.

We pray to the Lord.

For peace among all nations and in every household. May Christ bring healing and hope to every nation upon the earth. May our hearts capture a glimpse of Christ’s love and compassion.

We pray to the Lord.

For our elderly who live with uncertainty. May God console the hearts of our older adults. May we take the weak by the hand and help guide them into the future.

We pray to the Lord.

For our efforts to heal our planet. May we listen to Christ Jesus for the well-being of the earth. May we seek clean water, healthy air and sustainable ways for our future.

We pray to the Lord.

For our beloved dead. May we grieve with faith in God’s love and care for every human being. May our loved ones find consolation in heavenly delight.

We pray to the Lord.

CLICK here to read today’s scriptures

CLICK HERE TO listen to today’s reflection ( A reblog from 2023)

Today’s reflection is from September 2023

This video is presented by the Congregation of Holy Cross. I am grateful to be asked to offer this reflection on behalf of our religious community.

Ronald Raab, CSC

September 15, 2026

Homily at Holy Cross House

When I don’t know where to turn in life, I seek Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows. It has taken years for me to comprehend the image of our Patroness. She is more than a slogan or an image of art. She is not a badge of identity, not a statue of stone or covered in gold. She actively awaits to console our personal suffering, standing with us. She does not fix our grief; she does not change our circumstances. She does not judge our tears or turn away from our angst. She gently holds the tensions of our hearts and even the violence of our world. Since she lived through the anguish of her son, she stands as a motherly companion with each of us who believe in Christ Jesus.

Years ago, I sat with a Holy Cross priest and verbally poured out my grief. I also told him that I had finally captured a glimpse of Mary, Our Mother of Sorrows. I mentioned to him that she holds my questions with understanding, gently listening to my fear, carefully receiving my heartache. I whispered to him that she had become so real and present to me. He sat across from me and tears flowed down his cheeks. He said to me, “I am so glad you finally allow her to speak. She waits for you and for each of us in the community.”

Mary, Mother of Sorrows, companions our grief because she walked with Jesus’ suffering in seven moments in the gospels. I have seen her in action, not only in my life but in the misery so many people carry. I have witnessed a young mother holding her lifeless newborn in a hospital in dark night, doing so with great faith. I have witnessed mothers burying their sons during the years of AIDS. I witnessed a twenty-something man dedicate his young son to Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, because he had been abused by his own mother. He realized Mary would not be abusive to their new family. People teach me the genuineness of our patroness.  

In our house, we know much grief. We experience loss, and yet as believers, we fully understand the gift of faith in Jesus Christ who offers us healing, forgiveness and peace. We also know as a religious community, Mary, Our Mother of Sorrows, who points us into the direction of our redemption, into the way of the cross that becomes our eternal home. Today, may Mary, whose heart was pierced with grief, listen to our prayer.     

Sunday September 20, 2026

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

For Leo, our Pope, and ____, our Bishop. May all who lead us in faith listen attentively to the voice of the Father. May they serve generously upon the earth.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who live with stinginess and regret. May we all find the beauty of God’s bounty and lavish mercy.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who feel discouraged by their employment. May our skillsets find a home in various opportunities to serve others.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who honor only the past. May we all seek God’s fidelity in the lives we live today and not in the lives we wish we would have lived from the past.

We pray to the Lord.

For children who are ill and who suffer disability. May we work to find solutions to childhood diseases and work to ease the long-term burdens of parents.

We pray to the Lord.

For siblings who cannot get along. May all brothers and sisters find solace in their love for one another. May Christ bring families into newness of life.

We pray to the Lord.

For the healing of the earth. May our work never cease to provide healthy food and clean water to every person and nation.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who are ill. May we listen closely to the voices of those who cry out in pain. May we seek God’s mercy and healing.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who have recently died. May our loved ones be raised into the joys of heaven. May we who grieve upon the earth know God’s tender care.

We pray to the Lord.