Pastor's Corner

Do you pray for your parish, the wider Church and yourself with the intention that there will be healing in the Body of Christ, and a renewed zeal to work together to help unfold God’s plan for our world? Here is a prayer from Matthew Kelly that you can use or you can make one of your own.

The Dynamic Catholic Prayer

Loving Father, I invite You into my life today and make myself available to you.

Have you ever heard of the Humanality Movement?

In 2018, after finding himself constantly on social media, Andrew Laubacher decided to give up social media and go back to using a flip phone. Six years later, he helps lead a movement dedicated to encouraging others to break their own tech addictions. He was not happy with how all the platforms were just becoming so all-consuming, and he felt that God was calling him to change.

What does your personal prayer life look like? Does prayer happen daily or only as needed? Has it changed at all over time? Matthew Kelly offers some points to consider for those who would like to improve their prayer life.

Six Seismic Spiritual Shifts Regarding Prayer presented by Matthew Kelly

1. Just be open to beginning a conversation with God.

It’s the most commonly repeated phrase in the Bible – found in one form or another – 365 times! “Do not be afraid!” It’s what Jesus told his disciples several times when they were frightened or troubled.

I think fear and anxiety are much more common feelings than people admit. Throughout salvation history, God reassured and comforted his troubled people.

On this Labor Day weekend, we’re invited to reflect upon the meaning and importance of work for ourselves as individuals, for our families and community, and for the wider society.

Work has far more significance than merely the practical means to “earn a living” so that we can feed, clothe and house ourselves and our families. Our Catholic Church has a rich set of teachings which explore a “spirituality of work.”

What has God created you to do for Him? Sometimes, it seems obvious. At other times, it can be hard to figure out, especially in rather troubling circumstances. St. John Henry Newman has a beautiful reflection about this situation that I hope you will find helpful.

If you’ve been traveling this summer to a place you’ve never been before, you’ve probably had to use a smartphone app / GPS to provide you with directions on how to get to your destination. You listened to a voice on the device tell you where and when to turn. Not being familiar with the roads, you had to place your complete trust in the device… a little disconcerting especially if it was nighttime or the weather conditions were rather stormy. Yet, you got to where you were going because you followed the directions provided by the GPS.

Ever wonder why we have a fishing net hanging on our church wall? It’s more than a decoration. It’s a reminder of Jesus’ invitation to Peter to lower His net for a catch. (Luke 5:4)

The net reminds us to do what Peter did and trust Jesus, to listen to His guidance and follow where He leads. As we hand over control to Jesus, we’ll experience a blessing, just as Peter was blessed with an abundant catch of fish when He did what Jesus told Him to do – even though he had been unsuccessful previously.

Summer has officially begun! School is out and vacation time is here. It’s been long awaited, not only by the younger members of our community but by those of us who’ve been around a bit longer, too. There’s a different schedule, a slower pace of life, time to have some fun with family and friends, and maybe opportunities to have some adventures traveling or just enjoying a favorite summer getaway.

Do you look for the best in people? Sometimes, that’s hard to do. Jesus saw the best in people – even sinners who did terrible things. In a time when people are quick to “write off” others they don’t like or approve of, we Christians are called to “march to the beat of a different drummer” – Jesus. Here’s a reflection about a Jesuit priest who sees that there is good in violent gang members. It comes from Christopher New Notes #661 entitled, “Look for the Best in People.” (www.christophers.org)

Happy Father's Day! We remember in a special way in our prayers this weekend all "Dads" both living and deceased. This day reminds me of a fact that I learned a few years ago about the special influence fathers can have on their families. It has been shown that fathers - in particular - who practice their faith and accompany their families to Mass each weekend have a singular, significant impact on their own children's practice of their faith going forward.

Many more people are dying at home rather than at the hospital these days thanks to the great work of hospice care. Priests and other ministers entrusted with the spiritual care of the sick should do everything they can to ensure that Catholics in proximate danger of death receive the body of Christ, also called Viaticum on this occasion.

To help us provide these “last rites” and other sacramental ministry that these people are due, please do not wait until the last minute to contact the parish office.

I’d like to share with you an account of a true story told by Fr. Robert DeGrandis, S.S.J. in his book entitled, Healing Through the Mass.

NASA has developed a special camera that scientists have used to detect levels of energy in the human body, which they have tested on astronauts in space. In their study they noticed that the energy level in humans appears as light on the screen of the monitor of the camera.