Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Romans 11:13-15, 29-32 Mercy Beyond Adversity God can use adversity to bring blessing. No one wants adversity. We pray for bad times to go away. We envision a world with less pain and suffering, and we ask God to accept this vision. God does not always answer those prayers. Sometimes the adversity we seek to avoid comes in spite of our prayer. The weather turns bad. Property is destroyed. Illness is not cured. Death comes to a good friend. If adversity comes in spite of our prayer, we may begin to doubt. We doubt the goodness of God, or we doubt the skill of our prayer. God looks at things differently. Sometimes adversity brings new hope and promise. People rely less on themselves and more on the Spirit. They accept illness and death and live with less selfishness. They realize what matters in life and they thank God for the blessings that abound. St. Paul rehearses for the Romans how God brought good out of adversity for them. God called everyone to salvation, but not everyone has accepted. Paul tells the Gentiles about the Israelites: “Just as you once disobeyed God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now disobeyed in order that, by virtue of the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy.” When the Gentiles rejected the covenant, God gave it to the Israelites. When the Israelites rejected it, God offered it to the Gentiles in Christ. God still looks beyond our adversity and offers mercy.
~Written by Paul Turner - www.rpinet.com
Alleluia. Alleluia. Jesus proclaimed the good news of the kingdom and cured every sickness Alleluia. Matthew 2.23
20TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME August 16, 2020
‘May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, That your way may be known upon earth your saving power among all nations.’
Psalm 67
SaskatoonMass.com will be live streaming Masses within the Diocese of Saskatoon. Check this website out for Sun-day Mass times. Holy Spirit Mass - Sunday August 16 will be at 12 noon.
Let Us Pray—Prayers of the Faithful
• For the Church: that we may be instruments of God’s mercy, guides for all who are seeking God, and companions to those developing a relationship with God we pray to the Lord.
• For our political leaders; that God will open a new understanding of the issues they face and help them to work together to serve those who are most in need, we pray to the Lord.
• For authentic trust in God: that we may call out in faith, with sincerity and conviction, to God who saves and delivers us from all our suffering and need, we pray to the Lord.
• For all who are recovering from hurricanes, floods, or other disasters, especially the people in Beirut, that God will give them courage, ease their pain, and touch the hearts of many to assist them, we pray to the Lord.
• For all who are working to end the coronavirus: that God will give strength to all who are care for the sick, wisdom to those searching for a cure, and insight to those working on a vaccine, we pray to the Lord.
• For the sick; Luke Hampton, Jack Tipton, Michael Rogers, Blanche Kolojay, George Lazaro, Bijoy Lookose, Loretta Clark, Patricia Wollbaum, Jean Louis Mahy, Rose Rogers, Dominic Zyla, Bob Hickie, Theresa Matiakis, we pray to the Lord.
• For Cathy Reschny, Zach Semenoff, Jim Klein, Alex Richelhoff, on their anniversaries of death, we pray to the Lord.
• For Goldie Carroll, Heather Anderson, Marvin Davidson, and all who have died and for those who mourn them, we pray to the Lord.
Holy Spirit Parish 114 Kingsmere Place • Saskatoon, SK S7J 3V7
Phone 306 374-1425 • Fax 306 374-3190
Church Hours 8:00 am - 3:15 pm, Mass Tues.- Friday 8:30 am
Office Hours: 9:00 am to 12 noon 1:00 - 4:30 pm Staff available by phone, email or appointment only.
Office email [email protected]
Website holyspiritsaskatoon.ca
Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon
Phone 306 242-1500
Website rcdos.ca
Holy Spirit Parish Masses: Due to Covid-19 restrictions only pre scheduled people can attend. Click this link to schedule yourself for a time and date Sign Up Genius 12 noon Sunday Mass continues to be livestreamed.
Confessions: Saturdays 11am -12 noon in parking lot Any other time by appointment call Call: 306-374-1425 or email:
Pastor
Rev. Darryl Millette [email protected]
Associate Pastor
Rev. Phong Pham [email protected]
Pastoral Associates:
Administrative Assistant
Karen Klein [email protected]
Ministry of Care
Charlene Nijhawan [email protected]
Kelly Wormsbecker [email protected]
Faith Formation
Sharon Powell [email protected]
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)
Arch McKay [email protected]
Sacramental Preparation
Erin Gratton [email protected]
Youth Ministry Coordinator
Celena Komarnicki [email protected]
Financial Administrator
Monica Johnson [email protected]
Building Maintenance:
Jack Altrogge, Ed Yuzyk [email protected]
Finance Committee:
Byron Bitz, Mike Gartner - Chair, Greg Kirzinger, Jonathon Neufeld - Council rep, Melina Palendat, Pat Pitka
As Catholics, we seek healing and strength in the Eucharist. Through our parish Ministry of Care we bring communion to those who cannot be with us for Mass, whether temporarily or on an ongoing basis. Ministry of Care staff and volunteers will gladly make a home visit to the sick, the lonely and the homebound. We are not always aware of those who have this need. Call pastoral associates Charlene or
Parish Pastoral Council:
Kenton Peterson,Chair Louise Bitz Fern Boutin Susan Burns Cameron Choquette
Adrian Cochet Lynn Eremondi James Nestmann Jonathon Neufeld Aaron Pangilinan
Spiritual Communion Prayer
“My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament of the altar. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You
into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You
sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart ...
I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You,
Amen.”
MINISTRY OF CARE
“I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and
delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 34
Although we are not currently working in the parish office or making home visits, Ministry of Care is still at work,
supporting you. We are maintaining contact with parishioners by phone and email. Please let us know if someone
needs our attention. If you need assistance, have questions, would like to add a name to the Prayers of the Faithful, or
simply wish to be in touch with us to talk with someone, please:
Phone 306-374-1425 and press 6 for Ministry of Care. Your call will be forwarded to us.
In case of emergency, call the parish office: 306-374-1425 and press the pound key #.
email: Kelly Wormsbecker [email protected]
Charlene Nijhawan [email protected]
INFANT BAPTISM
If you have had a child in the past few months and would like him/her to be baptized, or are expecting a baby I would love to hear from you! We were not baptizing babies for a few months but we are able to do so once
again. We are baptizing children one family at a time. If this is not your first child and you have attended baptism prep sessions in the past couple of years you don’t need to take prep again. If this is your first child please call and we can arrange for prep sessions and the celebration. Please contact Sharon at 306-374-1425 or email [email protected].
CHRISTIAN INITIATION FOR
ADULTS
Thinking about becoming Catholic or just want to inquire about the Catholic faith? Contact
Arch McKay, RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
coordinator, call 306 373-0993 or email [email protected]
MARRIAGE PREPARATION This program is intended not only for engaged couples but also for couples considering engagement and marriage. For information and to register for the next session contact Nicole Gursky at 306 229-0384 or email [email protected].
CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF CHILDREN
In the past couple of years we have had inquiries from parents of a number of children who have not been baptized and now the child is showing a keen interest in receiving the sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and First Communion). Is this happening in your home too?
We, at Holy Spirit Parish, are trying to meet this need and have created a process for children 8 to 16 years who would like to explore the possibility of being baptized and receive the sacraments of Confirmation and First Communion.
I would love to talk with you and your child if she/he has been questioning. I so look forward to telling you more about this encouraging and gratifying process. Please either call or email me at [email protected] or 306-374-1425.
rcdos.ca Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon From the Bishop (click the links for the letters):
Age of the Sacrament of Confirmation , Celebration of the Sacred Liturgy.
Hospital Chaplaincy - For pastoral visits, spiritual care, and/or hospital chaplaincy, including requests to see a priest at Royal University Hospital and Saskatoon City Hospital please call
Jacqueline Saretsky at 306-292-5531 or e-mail [email protected]. For St. Paul’s Hospital in Saskatoon, where Spiritual Care is a hospital priority, please ask at the nursing desk, or call 306-655-5000 and ask them to page Spiritual Care.
For other news and updates go to rcdos.ca
To join the Helping Hands team: call the parish office 306-374-1425
(please leave a voice message!) or
email: [email protected]
*WHY “EXTRAORDINARY MINISTER” AND NOT “EUCHARISTIC MINISTER”?
The ordinary minister of Holy Communion is a bishop, presbyter, or deacon. (Code of Canon Law, canon 910.) Properly understood, they are the only Eucharistic ministers present at Mass, since they are principally the ones to confect and handle the Sacred Species. This function is to be understood strictly according to the name by which it is known, that is to say, that of extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, and not “special minister of Holy Communion” nor “extraordinary minister of the Eucharist” nor “special minister of the Eucharist”, by which names the meaning of this function is unnecessarily and improperly broadened. (Redemptionis Sacramentum, 156) While it has been popular practice, and in some parishes the term is still used as a shorthand to speak of those who will assist with the distribution of Holy Communion, we will, to the best of our ability, begin to use “Extraordinary Minister” to properly identify those who serve in this role.
Using right language preserves the dignity of the sacramental nature of the priesthood, which can foster needed vocations, as well as make clear that this role is fulfilled by the laity only because of a lack of priests .
We need volunteers!
We can now increase our numbers because of more changes to the Covid 19 government restrictions. In order to do this we will need more ushers/clean up and we are now calling on *Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (Eucharistic Ministry) to help as well. If you are attending Mass and are already part of the Hospitality or Eucharistic ministry we need you! If you feel you can volunteer please let us know ASAP!
Explosions in Lebanon: Development and Peace /
Caritas Canada is accepting donations to support those
who have been hardest hit by the tragic explosions that
shook the capital of Beirut, Lebanon. A special fund has
been created, with online donations accepted at: https://
www.devp.org People urgently need food, health care and
shelter. Thousands of families were affected and many of them have slept in shattered homes and in the streets during
a deadly pandemic. The economy is in free fall and parts of Beirut are uninhabitable. This is yet another trial for a
people already struggling with an unprecedented economic, social and political crisis threatening the food and social
security of its people. Development and Peace / Caritas partners need our help to reach as many people as possible.
For this country already struggling with COVID-19 and economic collapse, each donation makes a difference.
Through its membership in the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, Development and Peace will be participating in the
Humanitarian Coalition appeal to support people of Lebanon through this crisis. The Government of Canada will
match every dollar donated by individuals to the Humanitarian Coalition and its members between Aug. 4 and
Aug. 24, up to a maximum of $2 million. Donations to Development and Peace marked for the Beirut explosion
emergency response will be matched. Donate online at: https://www.devp.org/en or send your cheque made out to
Development and Peace and marked “Beirute explosion emergency response” to 1425 René-Lévesque Blvd West, 3rd
Floor Montréal, Québec Canada, H3G 1T7 or call Toll Free: 1 888 234-8533. Please click here to make a donation.
AUG. 15 - SEPT. 6, 2020 MASS SCHEDULE
You must be prescheduled with Sign Up Genius (click the link) or call the parish office (306-374-1425) to be put in the schedule to attend.
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS 8905
Put your Faith into Action!
Join the Knights of Columbus
Get membership info:On-line: KofC.org/joinUs Or Phone:
James Nestman (306) 260-8206 Bob Wacholtz (306) 933-9499
CATHOLIC WOMEN’S LEAGUE
President - Andrea Gelleta Phone: 306 249-4076
Confessions: 11 am - 12 pm Saturdays
~Outside in the church parking lot
Sunday Mass Fr. Darryl will be celebrating and
live streaming Sunday mass on Facebook and at saskatoonmass.com:
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time Mass: August 16 @ 12:00 noon
Sunday August 6 - August 12: Envelopes and Other: $150.00 Preauthorized: $6,428.33 Loose: $0
Average weekly income from all sources: $15,794
Our church still needs to be maintained during the pandemic and no donation is too small. If you are able to give,
please choose one of the methods below. If you have any questions please call the office 306-374-1425. Thank you!
Please note: Unfortunately we can not accept foreign currency of any kind (coins included).
Alternate ways to submit parish donations:
1. Sign up for Pre-Authorized Giving Registration forms are available at the church office, online on our parish web-
site, or via email. Donate using debit or credit card. Form
2. Through CanadaHelps click
3. Interac e-Transfer using online banking: send e-transfer to [email protected] (it is directly depos-
ited, no password needed). Please put your full name and envelope number in the message box along with
any special offering designation.
4. Mail envelopes to the church: 114 Kingsmere Place, Saskatoon, SK, S7J 3V7
You will receive a receipt via email from Canada Helps.
SASKATOON CWL CLOTHING DEPOT 619 20th Street W. Saskatoon, Sask
UPDATE! Summer 2020 The CWL Clothing Depot will now be open to receive your donations of good used clothing and household items on Thursdays, from 10 am to 2 pm. Please bring your donations to the back door of the Clothing Depot. At this time there will not be weekly collections done throughout the city by our Depot driver – we need you to bring your donations to us. Thank you. Please watch for further information as we work towards opening the Depot in a safe and timely manner. Thank you for your patience and your on-going support of the Clothing Depot.
The Assumption of the Virgin Mary, by Guido Reni,(1575-1642)
Fr. James Phalan, C.S.C., explains that on the Feast of the Assumption we celebrate the surety of Christian hope.
August 15, the Feast of the Assumption, is about the biggest day of the summer at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes. Our Lady of the Assumption is the Patroness of France and even with secularization in France it remains a national holiday, so it’s vacation season with lots of pilgrims. Further, the link in the meaning of the Immaculate Conception with the Assumption makes the feast stand out there among other devotions to Mary. At Lourdes, Our Lady identifies herself as the Immaculate Conception. Something that began in the life of Mary of Nazareth at her Conception reaches its full conclusion and completion at her Assumption while showing the reason for our Hope.
This Covid year may be a bit different than other years, I imagine, but I know the spirit in Lourdes will be the same. Normally the Sanctuary is packed. The torchlight Rosary Procession is a mass of humanity that moves super slowly, but it is so beautiful. Hope shines brightly like a welcoming beacon.
Yet remember how that light began. On a cold winter day, a poor uneducated girl was scavenging for firewood in something of a local dumping ground when an unimaginably beautiful young woman emerged from light in a niche on the side of a cave. An encounter, a relationship, a journey unfolded. In meeting and getting to know this new friend, Bernadette found peace and experienced a love who
gives Himself away. Praying the Rosary together in each meeting, Bernadette came to know that this Peace is Jesus.
When the young lady finally identified herself as the Immaculate Conception, the events had ripened so that those with eyes open to see can understand that what Lourdes is about is a revelation of and hope for the New Creation for our times At the same time Lourdes is a school showing how to get there: following, becoming like this love who gives Himself away.
How beautiful – yet, honestly, sometimes, how hard. However even at difficult at times, we know that the way of self-sacrificing love is simply true, particularly in its everyday manifestations like marriage and motherhood. A person or society that would want to dismiss self-sacrifice loses its soul. It is trust in Jesus that needs to sustain it, sure Hope. Our COVID world so much needs this hope!
What we celebrate on the Feast of the Assumption is the surety of Christian hope. The Assumption of Mary is the completion of HER earthly journey of love and the light that shows us the destination at the end of OURS. It is the promise of the Completion of God’s promises for us and the fullness of life in the kingdom of God.
On those cold winter days of our lives, though, we need to let this beautiful Lady bring US this PEACE, THIS LOVE WHO GIVES HIMSELF AWAY. Receiving Him, trusting Him, and loving Him, you will become, like Mary and like Bernadette, more and more part of this LOVE THAT GIVES HIMSELF AWAY. Then you’ll know what it is to be on this journey of SURE HOPE.
While things seem different now because of Covid-19, let’s celebrate the Feast of the Assumption this year even more than we usually do: a sign of hope that we’re on our way to the NEW CREATION!
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Guido Reni, circa 1642.
August 15 - FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION - AUGUST HOPE!
AN UPCOMING PROGRAM THIS FALL
DISCIPLES ON THE WAY
“So I ask you: Are you looking for empty thrills in life, or do you want to feel a power that can give you a lasting sense of life and fulfillment? Empty thrills or the power of grace? To find fulfillment, to gain new strength, there is a way. It is not a thing or an object, but a person, and he is alive. His name is Jesus Christ.” - POPE FRANCIS
ENCOUNTERCONVERSION&
Henrik Olrik, Sermon on the Mount.
Core Gospel Framework
The core message of the Gospel is called the kerygma.
The kerygma informs the central mission and identity of the Church and is the identity of every baptized Christian.
The most basic form of the kerygma contains five elements. These five elements are Creation, Fall, Redemption, Salvation and Re-Creation:
1. Creation - God is love and has created me for relationship with Him.
2. Fall - I have broken my relationship with God by my sin.
3. Redemption - Jesus restores my relationship with God through his life, death,
resurrection.
4. Salvation - Jesus invites me to trust him, to turn from sin and to give my life to Him.
5. Re-Creation - Jesus has poured the Holy Spirit into my heart to bring me to
new life in His Church and sends His Church on mission so that others can
experience that new life.
THE KERYGMA EXPERIENCE
Liz Lemon Swindle, Without Purse or Scrip.
THE KERYGMA EXPERIENCE
“God is love, God loves me unconditionally, I am His beloved child.”
Reflect upon the following questions and make a note of any thoughts that come to you at this time.
When you think about love, what do you hunger most for?
Who in your life has given you an experience of unconditional love?
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” - Genesis 1:26-28
1. God is love and has created me for relationship with Him.
Prayer - Our Father Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Michelangelo, The Creation of Adam.
THE KERYGMA EXPERIENCE2. I have broken my relationship with God by my sin.
Rembrandt, The Return of the Prodigal Son.
What is the one thing you want to let go of in order to be truly happy?
What name can you give to the restlessness in your heart?
What ache and hurt do you want to be free of?
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. - John 1:7-9
Prayer - The ConfiteorI confess to Almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God. Amen.
THE KERYGMA EXPERIENCE3. Jesus restores my relationship with God through his life, death, resurrection.
Prayer - The CreedI believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures….But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. - 1 Corinthians 15:1-14
Reflection: Jesus died so that you may live. He wants your whole heart. Not just a small piece but all of you. He loves you and wants to be in an intimate and close relationship with you. Pope Francis says that “Jesus Christ loves you, he gave his life to save you, and now he is living at your side every day to enlighten, strengthen, and free you” (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, #164). What difference has Jesus made to my life?
Salvador Dalí, Christ of Saint John of the Cross.
THE KERYGMA EXPERIENCE
Prayer - Suscipe - St. Ignatius of LoyolaTake, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will. All that I am and all that I possess, you have given me: I surrender it all to You to be disposed of according to Your will. Give me only Your love and Your grace; with these I will be rich enough and will desire nothing more. Amen.
4. Jesus invites me to trust Him, to turn from sin and to give my life to Him. Jesus had the disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side. The boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him. - Matthew 14:22-31
Yongsung Kim, Save Me - the Hand of God.
Write down any obstacles that you have in handing your life over to Jesus:
Today, make your own commitment to Jesus.
THE KERYGMA EXPERIENCE5. Jesus has poured the Holy Spirit into my heart to bring me to new life in His Church and sends His Church on mission so that others can experience that new life. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. - John 14:26
Prayer - Prayer to the Holy Spirit Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of Your love, Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created.And You shall renew the face of the earth. Let us Pray.O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.
Am I open to the Holy Spirit at this moment?
When I pray which member of the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) do I pray to?
In what ways do I have a sense that the Holy Spirit is calling me to share my story and share in the Church’s mission?
How has the life of the Church (celebration of the sacraments, saints, devotions, specific people from your parish community) been present in my story?
El Greco, Pentecost.
THE KERYGMA EXPERIENCE
Content adapted from, The Kerygma Experience | Department of New Evangelization - Diocese of Green Bay Examination of Conscience | Lifeteen
Processing the Kerygma Experience
“The subject of proclamation is Christ who was crucified, died, and is risen: through him is accomplished our full and authentic liberation from evil, sin and death; through him God bestows ‘new life’ that is divine and eternal. This is the ‘Good News’ which changes man and his history, and which all peoples have a right to hear.” - St. Pope John Paul II, Redemptoris Missio #44
It has been said that we need to hear the kerygma (or core message of the Gospel) proclaimed as the kerygma many times in order for it to take root in our hearts. This may be your first time hearing this message or it may be a message that you know well and have heard many times.
During this experience, you may feel a great sense of joy, peace or sadness or points of resistance or obstacles. Acknowledge how you feel. Don’t be afraid to confront these obstacles, God already knows them and will help you through them. Take time to give thanks for the opportunity to hear the Gospel in this way.
• As you reflect upon the overall experience, what thoughts come to mind? What did you feel?
• Which movement of the kerygma was the hardest for you? Why?
• Which movement of the kerygma was the easiest for you to relate to? Why?
• What insight came to you through this experience that was new or different for you?
Close your reflection time with prayer: Christ Has No Body but MineChrist has no body now but my body, No hands, no feet on earth but my hands, my feet,It is my eyes with which he looks compassion on this world. Christ has no body now on earth but my body. (Adapted from St. Theresa of Avila 1515–1582)
Sunday, Aug 16, 2020TWENTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIMEBelieve outside the boxA natural tension exists between the familiar and unfamiliar, theneighbor and stranger, our kind and every other kind. Even Jesusseems initially to have limited his mission to “the lost sheep” ofIsrael. A clever woman, a Canaanite, persuades him to thinkoutside the box on this issue. Later, Saint Paul abandons the boxaltogether, taking the gospel to the Gentiles outright. We’re thebeneficiaries of that decision. These days, as we wrestle with howmuch we’re obliged to share our land and its richness with others,we might consider the crumbs that fell from the table to us.
TODAY'S READINGS: Isaiah 56:1, 6-7; Romans 11:13-15, 29-32;Matthew 15:21-28 (118). “It is not right to take the food of thechildren and throw it to the dogs.”
Monday, Aug 17, 2020Be a good stewardWhen it comes to Christian stewardship, there’s an awful lot weare supposed to take care of—the whole world to be exact! PopeFrancis said, “In the end, everything has been entrusted to ourprotection, and all of us are responsible for it. Be protectors ofGod’s gifts!” The key to stewardship is remembering that it’s notownership—your talents, your treasure, all of creation werebestowed on you. Show your gratitude to God by using themresponsibly and sharing them with others lovingly and generously.
TODAY'S READINGS: Ezekiel 24:15-24; Matthew 19:16-22 (419). “Sellwhat you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure inheaven.”
Tuesday, Aug 18, 2020Build a human economyPeople’s livelihoods have been hit by COVID-19’s closure ofworkplaces. Protests over racial inequality shine an unforgivinglight on economic inequality. The Catholic Church has a lot to sayabout how the economy should work to promote the commongood. The Catechism of the Catholic Church denounces twoeconomic extremes—communism’s centralized control, but alsocapitalism’s tendency to make individualism and the market intomodern-day idols. Above all, let us remember what the U.S.Catholic Bishops have written: “The economy exists for theperson, not the person for the economy. . . . A fundamental moralmeasure of any economy is how the poor and vulnerable arefaring." Keep that in mind as you make big and small economicdecisions.
TODAY'S READINGS: Ezekiel 28:1-10; Matthew 19:23-30 (420). “Byyour great wisdom applied to your trading you have heaped upyour riches.”
Wednesday, Aug 19, 2020MEMORIAL OF JOHN EUDES, PRIESTBeyond thank youToday is World Humanitarian Day, a day established in 2018 bythe United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the safetyand security of humanitarian aid workers who step up in times ofcrises. If ever there is a year for us to honor and advocate forsuch workers, it is this year. As the world has faced a globalpandemic, we have been challenged more than ever to recognizethe essential workers in our midst who have risked their lives for
our well-being. Today is a good day to think about ways tosupport humanitarian workers beyond a simple thank you througha donation, a call of advocacy to an elected official, or joiningalongside them in their work.
TODAY'S READINGS: Ezekiel 34:1-11; Matthew 20:1-16 (421). “Thelast shall be first and the first shall be last.”
Thursday, Aug 20, 2020MEMORIAL OF BERNARD, ABBOT, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCHFaithful through thick and thinToday is the Memorial of Bernard of Clairvaux, whose impact onEurope in the 12th century was profound and whose influencelives on worldwide in Cistercian monasteries and Catholictheology. He was a scholar (whose books are still readilyavailable), a skilled arbitrator, mystic, monk, reformer, and leaderof Europe’s second crusade (a violent venture that ended badly).Through his successes and mistakes, Bernard of Clairvaux aimedto follow Jesus. We are called to do the same. Do one thing todaythat puts your heart, mind, or skills to the service of God.
TODAY'S READINGS: Ezekiel 36:23-28; Matthew 22:1-14 (422). “Tellthose invited: ‘Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves andfattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to thefeast.’”
Friday, Aug 21, 2020MEMORIAL OF PIUS X, POPEThe right of kings that was wrongShortly after the turn of the 20th century, Giuseppe Sarto waselected Pope Pius X, but not without controversy. The leadingvote-getter of the papal conclave was Mariano Rampolla, butPolish Cardinal Jan Kosielsko exercised a veto in the name ofEmperor Franz Joseph. That swung the vote to Sarto. It was thelast time a reigning monarch exercised a longstanding right of vetoin a papal conclave. Government interference in churchleadership has always been an issue, though today less so in most(though not all) parts of the world. Pray for a worldwide churchthat answers to only one Lord, Jesus.
TODAY'S READINGS: Ezekiel 37:1-14; Matthew 22:34-40 (423). "Youshall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all yoursoul, and with all your mind.”
Saturday, Aug 22, 2020MEMORIAL OF THE QUEENSHIP OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARYShe wears her crown wellThough queenship is a concept quite foreign to a democraticsociety (especially one that threw off royal rulership at itsfounding!), when applied to Mary it can be understood as anexpression of the Holy Mother’s central role in the reign of God.Though today’s feast, established in 1954, is quite recent in termsof the larger sweep of church history, associations of Mary withqueenship go back to the angel Gabriel’s announcement thatMary’s son would inherit the throne of King David. Allow Maryto reign in your heart, especially at times when you are called onto take a leap of faith, as Mary certainly was when Gabrielrevealed her mission to her.
TODAY'S READINGS: Ezekiel 43:1-7b; Matthew 23:1-12 (424). “Son ofman, this is where my throne shall be.”
Invest just five minutes a day, and your faith will deepen and grow—a day at a time©2020 TrueQuest Communications. TakeFiveForFaith.com; [email protected]. All rights reserved. Noncommercial reprints permittedwith the following credit: Reprinted with permission from TakeFiveForFaith.com. Scripture citations from the New American Bible RevisedEdition. For more information about TAKE FIVE and our regular contributors, go to PrepareTheWord.com. Free daily email and appavailable online at TakeFiveForFaith.com/subscribe.
© 2020 Liguori Publications l Liguori.org
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)August 16, 2020
A Chosen People, a Common AncestryBy Fr. Mark Haydu, LC
Today’s readings have a common theme: how Jesus’ words to his
Jewish brothers and sisters influence our faith.
The Catholic Church’s relationship with our Jewish brothers and sisters has been strengthened dramatically over the last years. This is thanks in large part to Vatican II’s Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions (Nostra Aetate), particularly Judaism.
Our deep connection with Judaism is rooted in the fact that God offered the Old Covenant to these Chosen People.
We are also indebted to them because their history and culture formed the lives of the people of God and the Holy Family, from which the early Church sprung.
Christianity’s firm belief that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah is the reason our Church is like a shoot sprung from the root of Jesse. This difference was something Paul’s Letter to the Romans dealt with directly—the need for all, both Jews and Gentiles, to accept Jesus.
The key element to this acceptance is the faith shown in the Gospels. Jesus reaches out to his fellow members of the house of Judah yet also recognizes that a Canaanite (Gentile) woman has faith that leads to salvation. This has key implications for both insiders and outsiders: One can no longer claim salvation by a bloodline or nationality but only by one’s acceptance of Jesus as the Son of God and active participation in his body, the Church. Jesus broadens the welcome and opens God’s house to all people. +
St. Paul states the need for all—Jews and Gentiles—
to accept Jesus.
A Word from Pope FrancisJesus shows a particular predilection for those who are wounded in body and in spirit: the poor, the sinners, the possessed, the sick, the marginalized. Thus, he reveals himself as a doctor both of souls and of bodies, the good Samaritan of man. He is the true Savior: Jesus saves, Jesus cures, Jesus heals.
Angelus, February 8, 2015
Sunday ReadingsIsaiah 56:1, 6–7Them I will bring to my holy mountain / and make them joyful in my house of prayer.
Romans 11:13–15, 29–32For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.
Matthew 15:21–28[Jesus] said..., “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
• How can you become more united with your ancestors in faith?
• How can you strengthen ties with your Christ family?
© 2020 Liguori Publications, a ministry of the Redemptorists. One Liguori Drive, Liguori, MO 63057. Scripture quotations in this publication are from the New American Bible, revised edition, © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, DC. The Pope Francis quotation is used with permission and copyright © 2020 Libreria Editrice Vaticana. All rights reserved. 1-800-325-9521. Liguori.org.August 16, 2020
The Seventh Commandment and Hidden Forms of TheftBy Kathy Coffey
“You shall not steal.”Exodus 20:15
We might think, “Whew! Got off
easy on that one!” We law-abiding sorts don’t pilfer office supplies, skim from the collection plate, shoplift, or rob banks. At last, this is one commandment we’re handily observing, right?
Right—if we stick to the letter of the law. But the commandments are demanding, calling us beyond superficial observance. There are more forms of stealing than we might recognize. Let’s look first at homegrown forms, then at the larger picture of social justice.
For example, we rob our families of hours together when we work overtime at jobs to buy more than necessities.
The Church has long taught that people created by God are too precious to be merely a means of profit. Our birthright gifts as God’s children include dignity, security, the divine, transcendent love. So why do we hoard lesser things?
We steal a person’s enthusiasm with negative comments. We quash plans that sound naïve to us, quell a child’s creativity, stifle the initiative of a new employee. Unfounded fears can block imaginative solutions and worse—the inspiration of the Spirit.
Two forms of theft steal from the present: anxiety over the future or mulling about the past. Both rob the current moment of grace and potential.
It’s Not Just About UsThe items in closets that don’t fit or aren’t worn—these too are stolen from those who could be using them, who might
actually be thrilled to have them. As St. Basil reminds us: “The coat in your closet belongs to the naked. The shoes rotting in your basement belong to the barefoot.”
Our property and talents belong to us but were given by God for the benefit of others. Here again, our model is Christ, who “became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).
A look through the Catechism of the Catholic Church reveals social dimensions of this commandment, condemning: the payment of unjust wages, bribes to legislators, breaking a contract, and “work poorly done.” Plus, discrimination against minorities, women, and immigrants—denying them job access— violates the Seventh Commandment.
How Las Vegas must tremble to hear the words, “The passion for gambling risks becoming an enslavement” (CCC 2413). We may cringe at the busloads of people pumping their savings into slot machines.
WEEKDAY READINGSAugust 17–22
Monday, Weekday: Ez 24:15–24 / Mt 19:16–22
Tuesday, Weekday: Ez 28:1–10 / Mt 19:23–30
Wednesday, Weekday: Ez 34:1–11 / Mt 20:1–16
Thursday, St. Bernard: Ez 36:23–28 / Mt 22:1–14
Friday, St. Pius X: Ez 37:1–14 / Mt 22:34–40
Saturday, Queenship of Blessed Virgin Mary: Ez 43:1–7ab / Mt 23:1–12
Lord, you offered the healing love and compassion of God to the sick and poor. Help me
be an instrument of God’s love and compassion to all people.—From Faithful Meditations for Every Day
in Ordinary Time, Rev. Warren J. Savage and Mary Ann McSweeny
So, too, people who lavish more money and attention on pets than some children receive aren’t exercising proper stewardship: “One can love animals; one should not direct to them the affection due only to persons” (CCC 2418).
On a global scale, the arms race plunders the planet’s resources, substituting weapons for basic needs. President Dwight D. Eisenhower prophetically warned in his 1961 farewell address that the military-industrial complex could sap our country’s riches.
Paying BackTo conclude on a bright note, many people are making efforts at reparation. Corporate pollution may steal clean water and air, but it’s heartening to think of the youth group at St. Edward the Confessor Parish in Richmond, VA. The kids sponsored a fast from every liquid but tap water and donated the money they would’ve spent to a project providing clean water in Nicaragua.
As Helen Keller said, “The world is full of suffering. It is full also of the overcoming of it.” Those who repay the thefts occurring in homes and society honor the Seventh Commandment brilliantly. +
