Pastor's Column

     November is the month when the Church draws our attention to the other side of life. On Tuesday, we celebrate the feast of All Saints, a holy day of obligation. Mass will be at 8:30am (with the school children) & at 7pm. On Tuesday, we celebrate the feast of All Souls, and Mass will be at 7:30am. I encourage you to write the name(s) of your loved ones who have died in the book by the baptismal font as they will be remembered when we celebrate all of our Masses during the month of November. May our patron, St. Leo the Great and all the saints pray for us! And may the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

    I am happy to let you know that we now have the option to contribute to the parish through online giving. St. Leo's has teamed up with WeShare from Liturgical Publications, the publisher of our bulletin. They have been a wonderful partner for many parishes besides us, and they have a great reputation. They publish both our parish bulletins and our quarterly newsletters.

    Using WeShare makes donating simple and easy, while at the same time keeping the process safe and secure. It is available for parishioners who would like to make online donations to our weekly offerings, as well as other parish collections. You can set up a recurring weekly or monthly payment, allocate different amounts for different collections, and view complete, accurate financial records at any time. Those who wish to continue to use traditional methods of offering may do so, however please consider using WeShare. Some of the benefits for the parishioner include: no need to write checks; you can give even if you are unable to attend Sunday services; and your contribution amount can easily be adjusted. The benefits for the parish include: less time necessary to process the collection; more consistent giving with recurring contributions; online donation summaries for record-keeping; and accommodates all special parish collections and appeals. 

    Here's how it works: go to www.leothegreat.org and click on the Online Giving WeShare icon. Then just setup your account using your email address and a password. It's very easy & simple to do! If you don't use a computer, just call us (216-661-1006) & we will be happy to set it up for you. 

    You can make contributions from checking or savings accounts, debit cards or credit cxards (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express). You'll receive receipts via email and you can print out a donation slip that can be placed in the collection basket if you wish. 

    Thank you for your patience as we took time to choose the very best, easiest & secure way of making this option available to you. 

Homily...Christianity is not primarily about being good

I remember those times in elementary school when the gym teacher decided we were going to play baseball in the church parking lot. Two students would be told to choose their teammates. Let's just say that I wasn't the first choice...or the second, or the third... You get the picture. I just wasn't good enough. 

But when it comes to following Christ, we are not chosen because we are good. We are chosen because God is good. Jesus invited Zaccheaus into a personal relationship. But not because Zaccheaus was good. He was a tax collector, aka a cheater. He was likely not religious & certainly not popular. He didn't even climb the tree because he wanted to follow Jesus but only to see why Jesus was so popular. But after Jesus spoke to him, he decided to do good by giving money to the poor and paying back those he extorted. 

The goal of Christianity is not to become more ethical or moral people. It is important that we learn to do what is right and good, but Christianity is first about having a relationship with Jesus Christ. Faith is a response to God's offer of friendship. Only after we respond can we hope to imitate God's goodness. 

Pastor's Column

     Well I didn't win the $5000. Or the $2000. Or even the $1000. But I'm still very happy for those who were the winners of our parish festival raffle so congratulations to them! The winner of the $2000 received our call on her birthday, so that was good timing. I believe all three winners were parishioners so that's even better. I'll have to put aside my wishes for another trip to Rome but I think they ran out of pasta there anyway during my last visit. The parish festival was a lot of fun! It was so good to see many parishioners & neighbors in the same place at the same time. And so many people volunteered their time & worked hard for this to happen again so successfully so please know how grateful I am to each one of you. I may not have been able to thank you personally but I saw you and thanked God for you in my heart. We had a bit of competition from the Indians and Ohio State games, but at least they were both winners. I'll let you know as soon as I know what the profit was but I'm happy that our biggest profit was from the opportunity to have fun together. 

    I mentioned last week that I wanted to let you know about a new opportunity for you to make your weekend contributions. Every registered parishioner receives envelopes in the mail every month for them to insert either cash or a check for their contribution at Mass (except for those who haven't used the envelopes for over a year & may prefer to just put their donation into the basket). If you wish to continue to use these envelopes, please feel free to do so. But here's another option for those of us who have become accustomed to paying our bills online. It's called WeShare which is an electronic giving tool, and many other parishes have been offering this option for years. Online Giving is an easy and convenient way to save time and support the church. Donating is simple, safe, and completely secure. With WeShare, you can set up a recurring weekly or monthly transaction using your checking, savings, or credit card account. You can decide how much to give to any collection and make changes any time, day or night. In next week's bulletin, I'll tell you how to use it. I've been using it myself and it's so easy and convenient. I don't have to worry about having cash to put in my envelopes, and I stopped using checks years ago as I like to pay by credit cards (where you can get points when you use your card). Starting next weekend, you'll find the WeShare logo on the homepage of our website to the right of the pictures (or below them if you're using a mobile phone). So many people have asked me for this option and we're now able to provide it free of charge to you. Call the rectory (216-661-1006) if you have any questions about this and we will be happy to answer them for you. 

Homily...Let us Strike our Breasts!

The Church has reintroduced a sacred gesture in the Mass: it's the gesture of sriking your breast as we confess to God & to one another that we are sinners as we say, "through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault." It's a biblical gesture used in Jesus' time to express sorrow for one's sins. In the parable, Jesus said the tax collector beat his breast as he asked God for mercy. 

We spend so much of our lives trying to prove to others, to ourselves, and maybe even to God, that we are better than others, just as the Pharisee thought of himself.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen used to work with the incarcerated but knew that as he stood before 2000 inmates, they thought he had on a white hat while they were all wearing black hats. So he said to them: "Gentleman, there is one great difference between you & me: you have been caught, I was not. In other words, we are all sinners." This is the attitude Jesus encourages through the parable. Pray humbly. Think of others as greater than yourself. Or as the ancient prayer goes, say "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

Pastor's Column, October 16, 2016

In this bulletin is our annual Financial Report along with a letter I wrote to summarize our financial situation. I hope you take a couple of minutes to read it and to look at the financial report itself, but here's a quick summary of the summary: Expenses will always go up but gratefully we are able to keep up because of your contributions and willingness to participate in various fundraisers throughout the year. There is a lot of work needed to keep our buildings and grounds in good shape & we keep making improvements on both each year. More details are in the letter. Soon I will be speaking about the ability you will have to make automatic electronic contributions. It will be an option so you can still use envelopes if you choose, but choice is always good. Thanks again to the Finance Council & to all of you for your good stewardship here at St. Leo's. 

    My fellow priests and I enjoyed the time we could spend with each other last week. A Franciscan priest gave some great talks, we were given more information concerning the future personnel issues we will face as a Diocese, and we were able to feel the support of one another in our shared ministry of priesthood. As preachers, it's good to listen to a fellow priest share his stories of faith so that we can return to do the same in our parishes. Thanks for your prayers while we were away. 

    On Sunday mornings, those of us who have been meeting in the Parish Center spend a few minutes discussing the scripture readings from Mass, and at the same time, learn more about our Catholic Faith. Everyone is welcome to join us at 9am. We usually conclude a few minutes before 10am for those who want to attend Mass afterward. 

    Our parish archivist, John Sabol, found a flyer from our festival in 1959! The big meal on Friday night? A Fish Fry! The price? $1.25 for adults & $0.75 for children under 12. I could have bought 10 meals back then for the price of one today. The Entertainment for Saturday night? Tommy Carson of WJW's "Police Beat." Never heard of him. Extra attractions? The sale of dolls! The flyer said that the women of the parish who dressed up the dolls in costume gowns would rival those of the women in the Paris fashions. How many of our female parishioners make clothing for dolls today? But here is something I would have liked to win: "A beautiful Two-Toned Blue 1959 Buick LeSabre 4 Door Sudan." Cost of the tickets? $0.25 or 5 for $1.00. I wish we had a 1959 Buick LeSabre to raffle off today but all we have is a $5000.00 prize. I'd still take that. Someone told me that Fr. Lux, our first Pastor, got complaints when his ticket was chosen & he won the new car! His response? "I put my dollar in like everyone else!" So now I have my answer when I win the $5000. 

Homily...The Best Prayer for Others is the One that Changes Me

I've learned that when people are ill for a long period of time, prayer becomes difficult for them. That was true for my mom. She had always been a person of prayer: she went to daily Mass & said her rosary and her novenas. But when she became ill, her physical and spiritual strength both diminished and prayer become difficult for her. 

Even Moses found that to be true. As long as he kept his arms raised (the gesture of a Jewish person at prayer), the Israelites would win the battle. But when he dropped his arms because he was physically tired or spiritually weak, the Israelites began to lose. He needed to men on either side of him to hold up his arms for him. When we pray for others because they are too weak to pray, we hold up their arms for them. 

But we find that in our prayer for them, we are the ones who change. I learned this in the last few months when my dad's health worsened. Months of illness can make you impatient and easily upset. So I would pray for him. But what I found was that I needed to pray for myself. I asked God not to change him but to change me. And when I could become more patient with him, that would make him feel better and then my prayer for him was really answered. 

Pastor's Column, October 2, 2016

We had the funeral Mass for Dorothy Racy last Friday morning. Dorothy was 89 years old and just gave up driving in January. She was very devoted to her 14 grandchildren & 14 great-granchildren, who, in her eyes, could do no wrong. She worked hard as a housekeeper and factory worker and loved to bake. May she rest in God's peace.

On Saturday we celebrated a Memorial Mass for Dolores Dempsey. She was originally from Blessed Sacrament church which is where our stained glass windows are from so she felt at home here where she could look at the windows that were once part of her former parish. She was not just a grandmother and great-grandmother but also a great-great grandma so many generations were present at her funeral. May she too be with the Lord.

Thanks to all who gave a brief presentation last weekend inviting you to join one of the ARISE groups for our final session this fall. It has been a great experience for many in our parish and we want you to experience what it can do for you as well. Please pray that those who are in a group this fall may benefit it from greatly.

Congratulations to Mike Berlekamp & Dr. Amanda Balodis who are being wedded on Saturday, October 1st. They were a great couple to work with and we are grateful that they allowed the Church to help them prepare not only for their wedding Mass but for their life together as a married couple.

Our Sunday Sessions are going very well. We have three people who are seeking to become members of the Catholic Church and several others who are parishioners just wanting to learn more about the faith they already profess. It's an informal gathering which begins with a brief presentation by myself followed by discussion & questions. We meet for under an hour between the 8 & 10 o'clock Masses (we begin at 9am). You are always welcome to join us...come weekly or just whenever you are free & want to be more engaged in your faith. Oh, and don't forget we serve coffee & donuts. That always helps motivate me.

This week I will be joining over 300 other priests from our Diocese for a "Presbyteral Convocation" (church-speak for a gathering of priests and their Bishop). We do this every other year and find it to be an enjoyable time for us to socialize with each other while also discussing important issues in our ministry. This year we will be talking about our present and future staffing or personnel needs. We will meet from Tuesday through Friday at Sawmill Creek in Huron. Please keep us in your prayers.

Thanks to those who placed beautiful Fall decorations in the church. I've been tempted to steal the pumpkins & make pumpkin pie but let's be honest...I don't bake. I can carve though so maybe I'll make some scary faces for Halloween. Anyone want to volunteer to be a model for that or do I have to ask you?

Homily...How Long O Lord?

We don't know much about the prophet Habakkuk, but we do know how he prayed. He was very honest with God about his anger, his confusion, as to why God would not protect his people from their enemies. "How long, O Lord? I cry for help but you do not listen! I cry out to you 'Violence!' but you do not intervene. Why must I look on misery?"

Our prayer is often the same. We hear about another terrorist attack. Or we wonder about our own personal suffering. How long must I be on this chemo that makes me so sick? Will my marriage ever be better? Does God really care?

Our faith is small. Yet God says to us, as he said to the prophet: "I promise I will not disappoint you. It's just not time yet. Have faith. At exactly the right time, i will help you." Trust in the slow work of God. He will not disappoint you