Category: Message Of The Week

9/29/2023

Walk humbly with God

In the movie A Christmas Story, there is a dinner scene where Ralphie's little brother won't eat, and Ralphie and his father are requesting a second helping. We get the impression that this mildly chaotic dinner scene is routine for the family. Instead of sitting down to eat her meal, Ralphie's mother is busy attending to the family's desires. Ralphie, the narrator, comments on the scene, "My mother had not had a hot meal for herself in 15 years". A mother's care for her family is a simple example of living out St. Paul's instruction to the Philippians in today's second reading – "Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but for those of others" (Phil 2:3).

I have occasionally thought that a generous spirit of giving comes naturally to some people (such as moms); however, Paul's instruction would not be necessary if this were a natural way for humans to behave. Because Paul knows our human nature is tilted toward acting only out of self- interest, he encourages us to imitate Christ in the attitude of humility. We are reminded that to be humble is to have the proper view of ourselves and our place in relation to God and others. This essential teaching of Jesus is made clear in this passage, "And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Phil 2:8). St. Thomas Aquinas called humility the preeminent virtue when he said, "Humility removes pride, whereby a man refuses to submit himself to the truth of faith.” It is impossible to contemplate the life of Jesus and miss the life lesson of humility.

I have heard it said that cultivating the virtue of humility creates the space for other virtues, such as love and charity, to flow in. The Church gives us many examples of Christians who humbly lived out the Christian calling to serve others to the limit. In recent history, St. Mother Teresa and St. Maximilian Kolbe come to mind. Meditating on saints who poured out their lives in the service of others in heroic ways is fruitful, but we must not let their extraordinary lives lead us to believe that we can't also be holy.

St. Mother Teresa gave us mere Christians a practical way to strive for holiness when she said, "Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love." Doing small things with great love for the people in our lives and for those people we encounter is an opportunity to reflect the love of Christ.

Manuel Leon

Business Manager

9/22/2023

Thank You for Your Patience

So today, we take a good look at our American preoccupation: the state of our finances. As part of that process, I would like to share with you how our parish financial system works.
The canons of the church place responsibility almost entirely on the shoulders of the parish pastor (Canon 532), a man who, in your case, has had a terrific education in faith in general, with an excellent Scriptural add-on, but virtually no formal financial training of any note.
The canons also require a finance council to offer the pastor advice (Canon 537). This has been wonderful for our parish, as we have a terrific council that offers me what I have found to be frank and helpful guidance. On our volunteer council, chosen for their training, intelligence, honesty and generosity, are the following:
Joe Loll, retired public accountant – head of parish council
Laura Meissner, engineer, executive director and business owner
Gene West, (almost) retired lawyer
Kathy Milner, managing director of enterprise risk management
Kevin Hrabovsky, senior vice president and financial advisor
Laurie Milleman, retired senior managing director and chief accounting officer
Sean Duffy, head of residential whole loan investments
What we have here is any parish’s dream team for a parish finance council. I have found their advice thoughtful, forward thinking, creative and fearlessly honest. They are dedicated to the wellbeing and mission of the parish. As committed parishioners, they get that encountering Jesus and being his disciples is what we have to fund. What a gift they have been for me and for the parish.

Pam Kingsley oversees the day-to-day operations of the parish, handling the accounts, records, payments, etc. Her kindness is legendary; her carefulness and zeal for the wellbeing of the parish has allowed me great confidence in the accuracy of the monthly reports I receive.
We have regained a parish business manager, after some covid years of absence, as we welcomed Manuel Leon, recently retired from his work as a regional vice president in the cable industry, to the parish staff. He has oversight of staff, the campus and parish finances.
Pam and Manuel both work to see to it that the best practices of the financial world are followed at the parish to guarantee that the funds received are handled with care, under many eyes, banked with precision and spent carefully according to the budget and parish needs.
I meet with the council roughly ten times a year to review the income and expenditures from the prior month or two. We examine trends, plan for future expenses, consider methods for raising funds and strategize how to communicate with the parish effectively. We also review and approve both the year’s budget and the prior year’s final financial report to the archdiocese. As a rule, when decisions need to be made, the council arrives at a common consensus. My experience is that they have offered me solidly good advice, and as a rule, I follow their counsel.
All of this is to say that there are many eyes overseeing the offerings you make to the parish, ensuring that the parish spends funds wisely, according to the intent of the giver, and in the fulfillment of the mission of encountering Jesus and becoming his disciples. You may have questions. I’ll do my best to answer them, or direct them to those who might be better equipped to reply to you.

In everything, know my gratitude for your financial participation in building up the Kingdom here in our parish.

¡Siempre adelante!

Fr. Patrick Pastor

9/16/2023

Catechetical Sunday

Dear Parish Family,

This weekend once again we celebrate Catechetical Sunday. A day to celebrate and pray for the Church’s mission to teach the gospel to all people. Those individuals, catechists and teachers, moms, dads, grandparents and loving adults will be called forward, blessed and sent out, to minister the children, youth and adults of the parish community. The root of the word Catechesis comes from a Greek word meaning “to echo, or resound.” Catechism is the act of resounding or bringing the Church’s teachings to the world. A catechist is one who teaches in the name of the Church. This ministry of teaching in the name of the Church has a profound dignity, which is why catechists are formally commissioned by the Church.

On this day we not only highlight the work of catechists in parishes and schools, but we also commend parents and guardians and encourage them to take seriously their role of making their Catholic households a place where faith is passed on to the next generation.

Parents are truly the primary catechists of their children. This has become even more evident in the recent years with the pandemic, so many of you became the academic teachers. You are always the first and most important source of faith to the children in your life.

This is why the rite of blessing of catechists used on Catechetical Sunday includes a blessing of parents and guardians. You too will be commissioned and blessed, in your vocation and mission.

To all catechists in our lives, parents and grandparents, priests and deacons, religious sisters, church family, all who have been encounters of Jesus in our lives, we thank you!

Siempre Adelante,

Tere Delgado

Faith Formation Minister

9/9/2023

“The Golden Rule”

Hello again!
We have all heard of the “golden rule” and we have all taken it to heart. As a father of young children, it has become something that I’ve tried to instill in their hearts. I know I’m not alone in this, because I not only see it in the way we conduct ourselves, but it’s something that is commonly expressed. I see it in movies, TV shows, books, etc. It is safe to say, that any good human being lives according to the “golden rule.”

It’s nice to see that St. Paul also expresses this in our second reading today. He basically declares that if you follow certain portions of the Ten Commandments, you are loving neighbor as yourself. Sometimes it’s nice to see scripture back-up things that we already know. Sometimes it is good to see that holy people lived with the same common sense that we have.

In our Gospel, we also hear a common saying, “Where two or more are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” When we hear this, we recognize that communal prayer and liturgy is quite powerful and also pleasing to God. With that said, we tend to forget about the context before this verse is expressed.

To live under the “golden rule” can be a difficult choice. There are times where it is easy and rewards seem substantial. Earlier in this same Gospel, though, Jesus expresses the importance of helping our neighbor when they sin against you. His process seems difficult, but also filled with love.

To love neighbor is to desire the best for them. Sometimes when someone is in a rut, God requires a community to care and to help them see. When one member of the Body of Christ is suffering, sometimes it is proper to have multiple members love them. Sometimes the “golden rule” involved a difficulty decision in helping others, even when they don’t want to be helped. We know that when multiple disciples are present in aid, our Lord is there with them.

Let us pray for all those who are in a rut, and let’s remind them that we are there for them. Let’s not lose hope in those who have lost faith, but rather, let us pray together for them

Let’s also remember that self- righteousness and gossip have no place in discipleship, but rather,
gentleness, compassion and charity. Be the disciples who continue to make the “golden rule” common amongst the church.

God Bless,

Brett Becker

Youth and Young Adult Minister

9/2/2023

St. Phoebe: A Model of Discipleship

I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is [also] a minister of the church at Cenchreae, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the holy ones, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a benefactor to many and to me as well. – Romans 16:1-2

Dear friends on the journey,

Today, we celebrate the feast of St. Phoebe, a great example of faith and service and a model of discipleship. She was the diakonos (minister) entrusted by St. Paul to deliver his letter to the Roman Christian community. Not much is known about her from this single biblical mention but it is clear God called and sent Phoebe. With tremendous courage, she answered God’s call to minister with charity to the growing first century Christian community. Having earned Paul’s respect and trust for her ministry and hospitality in Cenchreae, Phoebe was sent with the good news to Rome.

Through our baptism, we too are called and sent. At our baptism, we not only became members of the Body of Christ, we became sisters and brothers in a spiritual family, a community of believers on our pilgrimage to God. In this family, we celebrate the joys and support each other in sorrow. We learn together and from each other. We worship in unity and serve the greater community together.

Like Phoebe was sent with the good news, our baptism calls and sends us out to be Jesus for the world around us — in our homes, schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods. We are laborers in God’s vineyard, teachers and proclaimers of the gospel in word and deed, and ministers for justice, peace and the common good.

Now is a good time to examine how you are living out your baptismal call and discipleship. Consider St. Phoebe as a companion in your reflection. Are you feeling confident or struggling in a particular area? Are you yearning for a deeper relationship with Jesus? Are you needing nourishment and inspiration? Are you hungering for more knowledge and understanding? Are you feeling called to service and action? Are you in need of more fellowship? Are you desiring to take a step further in your spiritual life?

If you’re ready to take the next step in discernment or action, I invite you to our Ministry Fair the next three Sundays, September 10, 17 and 24

After Mass, get your coffee and donut and visit the leaders and volunteers
who will share about our ministries for children, teens and adults — basically everyone
from 12 months to 112 years — and everything available for your prayer life,
spiritual growth, faith formation, and ministries for worship, outreach and social
concerns, community building and fellowship. Come find ways to encounter Jesus
and be his disciple.

Siempre Adelante,

Teresa Runyon
Pastoral Associate