October 18, 2026

Dear Parishioners,

Back in the winter I wrote about my five favorite movies of all time, inspired by Pope Leo listing his favorite movies. On my list was Rocky. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen those boxing movies starring Sylvester Stallone, but for some reason of late I’ve found myself thinking about them. I have even watched a few clips here and there, which have brought back some good memories. I loved those movies as a kid, and I still appreciate them now as an adult, albeit for slightly different reasons (which, again, is the sign of a truly great movie).

As a child, I enjoyed Rocky mainly because the training and fight scenes were intense and inspirational. I took great delight seeing a guy chugging a glass of raw eggs, doing one-armed push ups, running up a mountain in Siberia, sustaining fifteen rounds of punishment. While that toughness still inspires me, I think what I appreciate now about the story is the ordinariness of the hero. It truly is a story about the American dream. A guy born with nothing makes it to the top through hard work and determination. Notice that Rocky never wins his fights in the first few rounds. He doesn’t have the sheer skill to do that, like the truly great, naturally talented fighters. Rocky wins in the last round because he withstands the punches and keeps punching away, wearing his opponent down until he can deliver the final attack. It truly is Rocky’s training, endurance, and determination that get him to victory. 

There’s a scene in Rocky II where Rocky chases a chicken in the alleyway outside the boxing gym. It’s an exercise to build speed and quickness. Mickey, the trainer, says to Rocky, “If you can catch this thing, you can catch greased lightning.” Rocky struggles, and after the first failed attempt he says, “I feel like a Kentucky Fried Idiot.” By the end of his training period and right before the final fight, Rocky is able to catch the chicken and celebrates the little victory.

I love this scene because it is such an ordinary way to accomplish a lofty goal. The other professional fighters have more sophisticated methods to build speed. They have advanced diets and trainers and equipment. Rocky is in dirty sweatpants chasing a chicken on a concrete pad in freezing weather. It’s why he runs through the streets of Philadelphia and not on a treadmill, does pull-ups on a jungle-gym in a park and not in some fancy gym. The ordinary way–which is the most painful way–allows him to endure the pain of the final fight.

There’s a connection, in my mind, to Rocky and “render unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” Caesar is the world before us. It’s ordinary and hard, but it’s doable. To ‘render unto Caesar’ is to engage the world (running through the streets and chasing a chicken like a fool). Give the government/temple its taxes, which is hard, sure, but we will be better for it. Rendering unto Caesar will give us the strength and endurance we need to withstand the tests in the real ring and ultimately be victorious. Rendering unto Caesar is not in vain.

Sometimes we want holiness to come automatically. We want to love and know God and be a saint, and we think just showing up to Mass and praying a holy hour in the adoration chapel will do it. This would be like showing up to the fight without the intense training beforehand. 

No, we all have to chase our chicken–doing your chores around the house, experiencing the sting at the final price at the gas pump or the grocery store check-out, spending time with loved ones or visiting your parent in the nursing home when you’d rather be doing something else, exchanging forgiveness after a bad fight with your spouse. It’s those ordinary things that get you to holiness.

Know that your efforts and sacrifices are not in vain. “Caesar” might be a pain, but he is our path to the Kingdom, just like Cyrus was for the Israelites. And, finally, Rocky is a movie. Your lives are real. And if I’m inspired by Rocky, then all the more am I inspired and sustained by you.

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This weekend (October 17-18) the Respect Life Committee will be distributing baby bottles to raise funds and awareness for Aid For Women. The bottles will be collected on November 8th. And thank you for your continued prayers for Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

We have been blessed this year with an abundance of weddings being celebrated at our parish. As I mentioned previously, this past June we had a record number. Well, this October has been a close second. I am grateful to our wedding coordinator ministry for their invaluable service. The wedding coordinators work with the bride and groom to plan the ceremony, running the rehearsal and assisting on the day of the wedding. Because we have had so many weddings, we are in need of more wedding coordinators. If you are interested in this ministry, please contact me. It’s not a huge time commitment and can be a great way to serve. I know how grateful our married couples are to the wedding ministers who make this significant (and sometimes stressful) day so meaningful and easy.

This Tuesday, October 20th is the feast of our patron, St. Paul of the Cross. We have a relic of St. Paul of the Cross, which will be displayed in the church for daily Masses. May St. Paul of the Cross continue to pray for our parish and for each one of us. May we love the cross as he loved it. 

Yours in Christ,

Fr. James