From the Pastor's Desk - September 6, 2026

Dear St. Martin’s Parishioners,

The Church celebrates the memorial of St. Teresa of Calcutta on September 5. As a young religious sister traveling by train in India in 1946, she received a vision from Jesus ordering her to serve the poorest of the poor. She heard Jesus’ words from the cross, “I thirst,” and she spent the rest of her life responding to the “thirst” of Jesus for souls. Over every tabernacle in the convents of the Missionaries of Charity—the order that St. Teresa founded—are inscribed the words, “I thirst.” Jesus’ thirst is twofold: to love and to be loved.

Jesus’ love is infinite; his desire for us to receive his love is limitless. The greatest anguish of a lover is when his love is not reciprocated. The love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, so our task is to open our hearts ever more widely to gift of the Spirit. Moreover, the infinite love of his Sacred Heart is given to us as our food in Holy Communion. There truly is no end to Jesus’ desire to love us and transform us into his very self. This is the first direction of Jesus’ thirst on the cross, to receive his merciful and sacrificial love in full measure.

Jesus’ thirst also refers to his desire to be loved as he loves us. At first, this seems like an impossible task. How can we reciprocate the infinite love of God? It becomes possible through the gifts of Holy Communion and the Holy Spirit. We can now love as God loves! Mother Teresa lived this out by loving Jesus in the poorest of the poor, in the most abandoned and destitute. She knew that she wasn’t just tending to them, but to Jesus who was present in them in disguise. Mother Teresa also reminded us that the poorest among us are often right next to us. They are the members of our own families who are thirsting for love and attention, and our neighbors who feel unseen and uncared for. We receive the infinite love of God at Mass in Holy Communion, and we love Jesus with his same through the love of our neighbor. St. Paul echoes this in this Sunday’s second reading: “Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” Seek to fulfill the law this week.

Various people have mentioned to me in recent weeks that they haven’t been receiving their offertory envelopes. If you are one of those, firstly, thank you for your faithful financial support of our parish. Please reach out to Szilvia Molnar in the parish office, who can ensure that you continue receiving your envelopes.

In Christ,

Fr. Dave