~ Last year when we started our Mass in the Grass here at our beautiful neighborhood park, I had a few people question me: why would we do that? We have a beautiful, historic, functional Church just a few blocks away. I had to remind them that we weren’t abandoning our beautiful, historic, functional Church, but that for one day, one Mass, we would do something different. So what’s different? What are we doing here today.

We are here celebrating our Parish and our School. Most of us at St. Margaret believe that is something to celebrate. When other Churches and Schools have closed or merged, ours is thriving. That is because of God’s grace, certainly, but also because of all of you, who continue to show up and support this community. Indeed, nearly 200 new households, families, and individuals have registered at St. Margaret over this last year, pushing us to nearly 1000 households. That’s something to celebrate! My question to all of you is; how many of those new parishioners have you met? If we want to continue to grow and thrive, we must welcome the stranger. So today is an opportunity to meet others you may not have met before. After all, you’re not sitting in your usual space, so you many see someone you don’t know. Please make it a point to meet someone new before you leave today. And we’ll continue that in the weeks to come. For the rest of September, we will have Nametag Sundays in Church, so please wear a nametag when you come to Mass, and make it a point to learn some names and meet some fellow parishioners.   

We are here celebrating Stewardship. September is traditionally the time when we celebrate Stewardship: remembering that everything we have is a gift from God and that God calls us to share those gifts with others. The key words for Stewardship are Grateful and Generous. We are grateful for all that God has give to us, and we are generous with what we have been given. We are grateful for our time, our talents, and our treasure, and we share those gifts with others, especially at our parish. In the weeks to come, you will be hearing more about Stewardship. You will receive our annual Stewardship report in the mail. You’ll hear from me and from our Finance Council about where we have been and where we are going, and I want to encourage you to consider your own gifts and how you can more generously share those with others. In the end, we must always remember that God is never outdone in generosity, so God will multiply every effort we make.  

We are here celebrating Creation. We are in Tower Grove Park, but really we are in God’s Cathedral. This morning we revel in the trees and grass, the cool morning and the crisp air, and so we are reminded that these are gifts from God, and gifts that must be passed on and shared with future generations. Nature is not meant to be used or abused. It is a gift that must be treated with care. Our late Holy Father Pope Francis established this as the Season of Creation, from September 1 until October 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. So let us pray and work for the care of our common home, this earth. One of our Living Justice teams is the Care of Creation team. Maybe God is calling you to be part of this ministry to promote and care for our earth.   

We are here celebrating the Saints. The Saints are always with us as we worship and pray, and St. Margaret of Scotland lives in our parish, her spirit and her generosity are models for us all. Today, we are joined by two new saints. This morning, in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo canonized two new saints, two young people who remind us that holiness comes at any age. St. Pier Giorgio Frasatti was born in Turin in 1901. His father was a politician, and Pier Giorgio grew up seeing social distinctions and so developed a heart for the poor. He was of surpassing charity and joined the St. Vincent de Paul Society. But he famously said, “Charity is not enough; we need social reform.” He worked as a journalist to try to influence his community. Pier Giorgio was an avid athlete, mountaineer, and swimmer. He was 24 years old when he died of polio, and thousands lined the streets for his funeral.

St. Carlo Acutis was born in 1991 in London and lived with his family in Milan. As a boy, he had a great devotion to the Eucharist and called it the “highway to heaven”. He used his computer prowess to make a website about Eucharistic miracles. He became a catechist to younger children at his parish, and gathered supplies for the homeless. St. Carlo is the first millennial saint, and so experienced things like video games, Pokemon, and Mario Kart. He loved Nutella and the Simpsons and his dogs. Carlo died of a rare leukemia at the age of 15. His parents and brother and sister attended today’s canonization.

St. Pier Giorgio and St. Carlo are witnesses and examples of faith to us all. They personify today’s gospel and show us how to choose Christ and take up our cross.  But especially witnesses and examples to young people.  Pope Leo said today: Young people, do not squander your lives, but direct them upwards and make them masterpieces. To the children, and teenagers, and young adults of our parish: you are not the future of the Church, you are the Church today! We need your light and your example today! You have enthusiasm and energy for the Gospel that is needed today! So continue to grow in your relationship with Jesus: know him and speak with him and love him. Continue to be generous with your gifts, especially those most in need. Be part of our parish Youth Ministry for teenagers and our Young Professionals Ministry for young adults. 

As a memento of this day, in celebration of St. Pier Giorgio and St. Carlo, I have a gift for all of you here today, so look for me around later today in the park.

So we are here to celebrate our parish and school, we are here to celebrate stewardship, we are here to celebrate creation, we are here to celebrate the Saints, and ultimately and most importantly, we are here to celebrate the Mass, this memorial of Christ’s Death and Resurrection that is the greatest prayer we can offer, the essential mark of our faith. Yes, we do this Sunday after Sunday, day after day, but I hope that today’s Mass – a bit different than most – will inspire you to grow in your love for Christ and the Church. Always make the Mass the center of your spiritual life. Come back again and again to be nourished and strengthened. As Pope Francis reminded us, the Eucharist is not a reward for saints, it is medicine for sinners. And you and I, and our world, need the grace and healing that are available here. 

For our parish to continue to grow, for our faith to continue to grow, may we always put the Eucharist at the center.

St. Pier Giorgio Frasatti, pray for us.

St. Carlo Acutis, pray for us.

St. Margaret of Scotland, pray for us.