Pastor's Column

     Last week I made mention of a priest named Father Robert Barron who produces excellent videos on Catholicism and is known for his use of technology to spread the faith. I just learned that he was just named Auxiliary Bishop of the Los Angeles Archdiocese by Pope Francis. That is a wonderful confirmation of his giftedness to the Church which will be used in an even greater way now in the most populous diocese in the United States. All the more reason for you to join us in September to view & discuss his tremendously informative videos. 

    For a few weeks you will notice a blurb in this bulletin and on our website concerning RCIA…the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. This is the world-wide process for initiating adults into the Catholic Faith. It is for those who have never been baptized, or were baptized in another denomination but wish to convert to Catholicism, or for those who were baptized Catholic but did not receive the other sacraments of initiation (eucharist and confirmation). This year we are going to be having our weekly one-hour gatherings on Sunday mornings from 9 until 10am. Then the candidates can join us for the 10am Mass. We will also invite to just 6 of these sessions those who have been baptized Catholic and who receive the Eucharist but who, for whatever reason, were never confirmed. All parishioners will be welcomed to attend these informal but informative sessions which cover the various topics of our Catholic Faith (to be published weekly in the bulletin). Now please know that the way we normally have people desire to become Catholic is NOT through the invitation of a priest, but from the invitations that come from YOU, the Catholic faithful. Do you know someone who might consider becoming Catholic? Do you know someone who has not yet been confirmed? Then do what Jesus commands us to do and simply invite them to join you for Mass or ask them if it would be OK if you gave us their name so that we can reach out to them. This is our most important work: to proclaim the Gospel & baptize. This is not just the work of priests but of all of us who are members of the Church. They will either say, “Yes, I’d like more information about that” or “No, but thank you for asking.” But we must ask. We must invite. 

    Good news: it’s Donut Sunday! And more specifically, it’s Jack Frost Donut Sunday! The donuts are FREE to anyone who asks someone to become Catholic. OK, they’re free for everyone, but if you ask someone to become Catholic, you get two for free! Don’t pass up that deal.

Homily...Leftovers

Like many people these days, I eat out often. And at the end of the meal, the server always asks the question: “Would you like a doggie bag for the leftovers?” Even though the leftovers are meant for human consumption, many of us pet owners bring a little something home for our 4-legged friends. There’s a reason why it’s called a doggie bag. But the point is, due to the large portions of food we are regularly served in restaurants, there are often times leftovers for us to take home.

There must be some spiritual meaning behind leftovers since the first reading & Gospel for this weekend both mention how Elisha the prophet & Jesus, after feeding many people, both had leftovers that were gathered up. Even when we celebrate the Eucharist, we have leftover consecrated hosts that are placed in the tabernacle so that the sick may receive Holy Communion during the week and so that we might have the sacred Eucharist presence of Christ in the church. But perhaps there’s something more to the idea of leftovers…

Every week we come to Mass to be fed, to be spiritually nourished by the Word of God & the presence of Christ in the Body & Blood we receive. But is this the only spiritual nourishment we receive during the week? Is this our only time for prayer? Is is the only time we listen to or read the Scripture? Is it the only time when we make a conscious effort to be aware of God’s presence? Is it the only time we connect with fellow parishioners in the community of faith? Is it the only time we give to our parish? God wants to feed us not only on Sunday but throughout the week. Do we remember to take the leftovers home?

Homily...Selfies

Someone made the observation that everything that is wrong in the world can be explained in the image of a group photo. Think about this: when you look at a group picture that you’re in, what is the first thing you look at? Where do your eyes automatically focus? The first thing I look at is myself in that picture! That’s what I notice: ME. And then I ask, “How’s my smile? Are my eyes closed? Do I look fat? Only after that do I look at the whole group.

That was problem with the kings, priests & prophets of the OT whom the prophet Jeremiah is talking about in the first reading. He was angry because he said they were shepherds who thought little about the poor & instead thought only about themselves. They did not care for God’s sheep. But then we have the Good Shepherd in the gospel who does just the opposite. Jesus looks at the crowd & sees how they are tired and hungry, physically & spiritually. So he takes care of them instead of complaining that he did not get a chance to rest. 

Parents prepare the meal for their child(ren) first. Then they eat. Parents take care of the needs of their children before they tend to their own needs. So we know how to put others first, but we don’t do that all the time. When we look at the picture of our life, what do we focus on? Do we see the whole group or do we notice others only after we notice ourselves first?

Pastor's Column

     Those who were at the 10am or Noon Mass last weekend already heard this, but we have been working hard this summer to reorganize & clean out our parish buildings. We had a local company collect our junk (broken desks, computers that don’t turn on, and many other things we just can’t use any more). You’ve probably seen their signs around: 1-800-GOT-JUNK?” and we highly recommend them. They donate & recycle whatever they can which is a big plus. Over the years, our basements, attacks & closets get filled with the things we just can’t or don’t use any more. We were able to clear out 5 classrooms on the downstairs level of our school building & this will allow more space for our music department, tutoring, etc. We also cleaned out the basements of the rectory, church & parish community center which were pretty cluttered with all sorts of stuff. I know that “one person’s junk is another person’s treasure” & I spoke this past weekend of my dad’s “treasure” which I consider to be a lot of junk! But I prayed for the wisdom to know the difference between the two & I’m glad we were able to get it all cleaned up. I also have some good news to share about Lux Hall but that will have to wait until next month.

    There is a priest named Father Robert Barron who has been producing excellent videos on various topics of Catholicism. He travelled across the world to different churches & holy places to speak about their influence on Catholicism over the centuries. If you want to learn more about the beauty & richness of the Catholic faith, this is a great way to do it. In September, we’ll take about 6 or 8 weeks to view the videos…they last only about 45 minutes each. So if you can spare one hour a week, I’m sure you’d find them as interesting & beneficial as I have. More on that next month too. 

    Michaela made it through her surgical procedure just fine. I have to put drops in her eyes several times a day but she handles that pretty well. She still looks like a raccoon but hopefully that will be resolved soon. Speaking of which, I can look out of my living room window on the 2nd floor of the rectory & see the roof of the garage…and what did I see there last week? A raccoon! It was staring at us (Michaela, Abby & I) & we all stared back until it ran off. Maybe it thought Michaela was a relative. Or maybe it was looking for the Jack Frost donuts or Honeyhut ice-cream I bring to my room. Raccoons must be stupid animals if they really think we’re going to share our desserts with them.

Homily...GOT JUNK?

There are people who like to save & there are people who like to throw away. I am the kind of person who likes to throw away. This past week, the parish hired a small company in the area who advertises on signs put out on lawns: 1-800-GOT-JUNK? They brought their strong men & their trucks & they hauled away years worth of junk. It not only unclutters the parish but also the mind.

I think Jesus would have sided with me. Though we say that “Jesus Saves,” I don’t think that means he liked to accumulate things! Just the opposite was true for him. He lead an uncluttered life. And he invited his disciples to do the same: “Take nothing for the journey except a walking stick & sandals. Take no extra food, money or tunics. God will provide.”

We all know how expensive baggage fees have become when we travel by plane. So many have chosen to  fly light. The Lord invites us all to let go of the junk that clutters our minds & hearts. He tells us to travel light, to get rid of the baggage of resentments, anger, discouragement, guilt and fear. He wants our journey of life & faith to be as light-weight as possible. Got junk? Get ride of it.

Pastor's Column

     Thanks to Judy Kucia & Mary Riccardi for their willingness to become Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist. They will be commissioned at the 8am Mass this weekend. We appreciate all of our liturgical ministers…lector’s, EM’s, altar servers, ushers, cantors, choir members, Mass coordinators and musicians. Everyone (including each member of the assembly) have a role to play in our worship of God. Let us praise him well!

    Allicea Bolanos will be baptized Sunday after the Noon Mass. We welcome her and pledge our prayerful support and example to her parents along with her godparents. 

    As you probably heard, Pope Francis recently released an Encyclical (a pastoral letter) called (in Latin) “Laudato Si” which means “Praise be to you, my Lord,” quoting from a canticle written by St. Francis of Assisi, known for his love of creation. In this letter, the Holy Father urges all people in the world to work toward taking better care of the gift of this earth that God has given us to live on, for we are experiencing some of the devastating effects of our neglect & abuse. It’s a very long document & I’m sure many are not able to read it in its entirety. So in the next few months, I will print small snippets of it here in the bulletin as it contains much wisdom & a call for action on the part of us all. Of course if you’d like to read more of it, you can find it on online at the Vatican website as well as in many other places. We must all do our part in being good stewards of the gift of this earth to us. 

    In an effort to stress the connection between our parish and our school, we are revising our logo which contains the iconic sloped roof of our church, and the blue & gold colors that have been part of our school for many years. You will see this logo used on all of our communication tools, for example, on the parish bulletin, the website & the letterhead used by the parish and the school. Sister Erin, our new Principal, will also be working very hard to highlight the school as an important part of our parish identity. If you attended our school and haven’t yet joined our new Alumni Association, please do so as we celebrate the influence of those years on the lives of former students. Sister Erin will be introducing herself to the parish next month and we are amazed at her energy and focus as she prepares to lead the school into the future. I’m anxious for you all to meet her and to welcome her. You will soon see the fruits of her hard work and her gifts.

Homily...Moving On

We know that God is omnipotent…all-powerful, unlimited, able to do the impossible. Yet today, St. Mark tells us that Jesus was unable to act, unable to perform a mighty deed because the people lacked faith.

And even more surprising, it was the people who knew him best, the people of his hometown, the place where he was raised. “They took offense at him.” So Jesus quotes to them a proverb: “No prophet is without honor except in his own hometown, among his own kin and in his own house.” So Jesus moved on where what he said & did would make a difference. 

Sometimes those who know us the best do not accept us, understand us, or recognize our gifts. And that can be hurtful. Children (even as adults) long for the acceptance of their parents. We all hope that those who are most familiar to us will be the most supportive. But that is not always the case. So what do we do? We do what Jesus did…we move on. “Jesus made his rounds of the neighboring villages & continued to teach.” We go where people will listen to us, understand us, support us, appreciate what we have to offer. We go without anger or resentment or self-pity. We just move on. 

Pastor's Column

    I’ve been struggling as I think about what to write in this column. I want to address the SCOTUS decision made recently concerning same-sex marriage as it is well known that the ruling is in opposition to Catholic teaching (which means to say that it is opposed to what the Church believes has been revealed to us by God in the person of Jesus Christ). I am constrained given the complexity of the issue and the limited space available here (or even the limited time in a homily). However I would like to make two important suggestions. 

    First, it seems to me that many people easily make blanket statements which oversimplify the issue. For example, opponents may say only “It’s against Catholic teaching” without ever explaining why. What are the values that the Church is trying to uphold? Supporters on the other hand may say, “Love needs to win” without recognizing that the issue goes far deeper than just how two people feel about each other. So my first suggestion is to take some time to find out what the Church teaches about marriage and sexuality and why. What did Jesus say to us about marriage, sexuality, and human dignity which we need to apply to this particular issue? I have been spending quite some time reading articles and online websites which attempt to uncover the many complicated issues involved. However there are many ways in which we can get the information that is important for our consideration in a version that is more condensed & easily readable. I might suggest that you take a look at the official website for the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) which has a page dedicated to the “Frequently Asked Questions About The Defense Of Marriage.” They ask & answer questions such as “Where does marriage come from? Why can’t marriage be redefined? What about equality and fairness?” and many other such important questions, the answers to which are summarized in just one paragraph for each question. I have found that there is a consistent and logical wisdom to the teaching of the Church which is always based on the Word of God as revealed in the scriptures and in the teachings of Jesus. It is imperative that as Catholics we know not only what the teaching is, but why it is. How else can we enter into an intelligent conversation with others who may have an opposite point of view?

    Secondly, I believe that with this or any issue, we must remember that in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (another resource for Church teaching but which may require some further commentary or explanation), it says of the homosexual person that they “must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.” This second but equally important statement needs to integrated within all of our conversations concerning this issue. We all know and love family members, friends, neighbors and co-workers who have had to deal with sexual confusion or uncertainty, the possibility of rejection or scorn, or the difficult task of living out a faith which is often in opposition to the morals and values of the society in which we live. We all struggle to live a life of faithfulness and truth and virtue no matter what our unique circumstances are. As a Church, we are called to challenge and to comfort, to use both reason and faith, to strive for virtue but to trust in mercy when we fail. May our prayer be that we may all seek to know and live the will of God, who calls us not to an easy life but to a loving one.