Now in the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time our attention is drawn to the second half of Saint Luke’s Gospel and the vantage point of this week’s sacred scripture in this Gospel comes to us by seeing Jesus’ journey into Jerusalem. Our Mes-siah’s message of the Kingdom of God is met with a duality of responses: some offer outright rejection to His message of peace and forgiveness founded on Love. Others offer initial enthusiasm to His new ideas but that enthusiasm “withers away in hesitancy or in another legitimate human good.” At times in our own lives we may even see our own response to Christ’s timeless message. “I am not worthy enough to be a disciple of Christ,” we might say or we might feel the initial bolt of energy to a new ministry or to a homily’s message or a liturgical experience, but then the “feeling” dies in the busyness of our daily lives or in the disappointment of a priest or parish leader. We must not let this “self-realization” lead to despair, but rather to the humility that it is only the Lord Himself who can supply the gift of whole-heartedly giving ourselves over to a greater ideal. His grace is needed. We need to seek it.
In this weekend’s first reading from 1 Kings the prophet Elijah’s challenge to Elisha’s lack of action brings about an im-mediate change in Elisha’s attitude. He slaughters his ox and dis-mantles his plough, putting an end to his past and all that held him back from following the Lord’s call. The same challenge is given to us—what is holding us back from committing our lives to Je-sus’ call to be His disciple in all that we say and do? The question put to Elisha and to us is reaffirmed in today’s Psalm (16) and the response which calls us to firmly follow the Lord’s ways.
The second reading from Galatians has the great Saint Paul reminding us that it is “self-emptying love” and not self-indulgence that is the path to “Christian freedom.” Saint Paul shows us that “turning toward the satisfaction of one’s own needs tears apart the community and destroys the peace in which true freedom flourishes. On the other hand, when we empty ourselves in love and live in communion, we flourish in the peace true freedom brings.” Isn’t that the truth! Just look at parents who practice self-emptying love for their children—abandoning self interests for the benefit of the whole family; giving up selfish desires and living in fidelity, seeking harmony in the marriage and in turn nurturing a family that will produce peace, perhaps not always perfection but peace! On the corporate side, let us look to our government’s legislative bodies that seem to practice the art of factionalism—being divided into so many factions that the com-mon good or the “big picture” is often traded for “this groups or that special interests” desire…a particular self-indulgence rather than living in community for the good of all…this factionalism results in failure rather than success for the Common Good.
Today’s spiritual message is the idea that a self-emptying love, an unselfish love that is meant to bring about mu-tually beneficial goods, is what the Lord our God wants us to practice in all our daily activities of life—whether in our families, in our personal lives, or in our community actions meant to be exercised for the Common Good and not for the success of the self. This message from the Lord is asked of each of us, as it was of Elisha and others throughout the ages, with the hope of an enthusiastic and unending response.
Some liturgical and historical trivia…Tuesday, June 29th is the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (Peter entered Eternal Life in AD 64 and Paul in AD 67). As a solemnity in the Church the congregation proclaims the Gloria and the Creed at Mass, a particular Preface for these two saints is used before Eu-charistic Prayer 1, which specifically employs their names. The Mass concludes with a solemn blessing.
Emperor Constantine built two great churches in Rome to honor them: Saint Peter’s Basilica and Saint Paul-Outside-the-Walls. Recent archeological studies seem to support the idea that each one was buried in the church that bears his name.
Jesus chose Peter to shepherd the whole flock, so that he might keep unity among the groups. He chose Paul to evangelize, to proclaim Christ to the pagan nations. Although very different from one another, they worked toward the unity of the Church and the spread of the Gospel.
In many Catholic dioceses around the world the Peter’s Pence collection is taken up on the weekend immediately follow-ing this solemnity, but in the Archdiocese of Hartford the collec-tion was already taken up early in the Spring. This particular second collection enables the Holy Father to offer economic aide on a global scale directly to individuals who are suffering from im-mediate emergencies as a result of war, oppression, and natural disasters. The many dioceses of United States of America are some of the major supporters of these much needed funds. Thank you for all that you do in caring for those in need and less fortu-nate then ourselves.
Our Marian Garden has seen a new and very beautiful walkway added to it. The older ,and very much in need of repair, walkway was replaced with new pavers (many donated by parishioner Ben Dunning of Dunning Sand & Gravel) in a new pattern and mix. The walkway was extended right into the garden and up to the statue of Mary, after being leveled out and straightened. This beautiful and safer walkway came about due to a donation from the estate of long-time parishioner Wayne Hudson. Wayne lived near his son in Florida and died earlier this year after a long and wonderful life. An active member of this parish for many, many years, Wayne lived for years at McLean here in Simsbury with many friends. He was a gentleman of gentlemen and will be greatly missed by many—and will certainly be remembered by those who spend time in the Marian Garden. May he rest in peace!
Music and more…As the summer begins here at Saint Catherine of Siena, particular in our weekend Mass schedule, I wish to say a personal thank-you to all the members of our choirs—the Children’s Choir, the Adult Choir, and the Contemporary Music Group—for all their time and talent in helping to make our liturgies all the more reverent and beautiful. While I know they all enjoy the hours of practice and the schedules of Mass, they work very hard and give a great deal of their time to serve our needs. I am very thankful also to the cantors who assist in a particular way. We are very blessed here in our parish with a great deal of talent and generosity.
A special “Thanks” to Susan Zybert for her talent and expertise as our music director, working closely with LoriAnn Damato of the Children’s Choir and Erin Leavitt-Smith of the Contemporary Music Group. If you are interested in considering joining one of our choirs, please just ask…Susan is always eager to welcome new members and seeing just where you might be the best fit.
PEACE,
FATHER MICHAEL
In this weekend’s first reading from 1 Kings the prophet Elijah’s challenge to Elisha’s lack of action brings about an im-mediate change in Elisha’s attitude. He slaughters his ox and dis-mantles his plough, putting an end to his past and all that held him back from following the Lord’s call. The same challenge is given to us—what is holding us back from committing our lives to Je-sus’ call to be His disciple in all that we say and do? The question put to Elisha and to us is reaffirmed in today’s Psalm (16) and the response which calls us to firmly follow the Lord’s ways.
The second reading from Galatians has the great Saint Paul reminding us that it is “self-emptying love” and not self-indulgence that is the path to “Christian freedom.” Saint Paul shows us that “turning toward the satisfaction of one’s own needs tears apart the community and destroys the peace in which true freedom flourishes. On the other hand, when we empty ourselves in love and live in communion, we flourish in the peace true freedom brings.” Isn’t that the truth! Just look at parents who practice self-emptying love for their children—abandoning self interests for the benefit of the whole family; giving up selfish desires and living in fidelity, seeking harmony in the marriage and in turn nurturing a family that will produce peace, perhaps not always perfection but peace! On the corporate side, let us look to our government’s legislative bodies that seem to practice the art of factionalism—being divided into so many factions that the com-mon good or the “big picture” is often traded for “this groups or that special interests” desire…a particular self-indulgence rather than living in community for the good of all…this factionalism results in failure rather than success for the Common Good.
Today’s spiritual message is the idea that a self-emptying love, an unselfish love that is meant to bring about mu-tually beneficial goods, is what the Lord our God wants us to practice in all our daily activities of life—whether in our families, in our personal lives, or in our community actions meant to be exercised for the Common Good and not for the success of the self. This message from the Lord is asked of each of us, as it was of Elisha and others throughout the ages, with the hope of an enthusiastic and unending response.
Some liturgical and historical trivia…Tuesday, June 29th is the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (Peter entered Eternal Life in AD 64 and Paul in AD 67). As a solemnity in the Church the congregation proclaims the Gloria and the Creed at Mass, a particular Preface for these two saints is used before Eu-charistic Prayer 1, which specifically employs their names. The Mass concludes with a solemn blessing.
Emperor Constantine built two great churches in Rome to honor them: Saint Peter’s Basilica and Saint Paul-Outside-the-Walls. Recent archeological studies seem to support the idea that each one was buried in the church that bears his name.
Jesus chose Peter to shepherd the whole flock, so that he might keep unity among the groups. He chose Paul to evangelize, to proclaim Christ to the pagan nations. Although very different from one another, they worked toward the unity of the Church and the spread of the Gospel.
In many Catholic dioceses around the world the Peter’s Pence collection is taken up on the weekend immediately follow-ing this solemnity, but in the Archdiocese of Hartford the collec-tion was already taken up early in the Spring. This particular second collection enables the Holy Father to offer economic aide on a global scale directly to individuals who are suffering from im-mediate emergencies as a result of war, oppression, and natural disasters. The many dioceses of United States of America are some of the major supporters of these much needed funds. Thank you for all that you do in caring for those in need and less fortu-nate then ourselves.
Our Marian Garden has seen a new and very beautiful walkway added to it. The older ,and very much in need of repair, walkway was replaced with new pavers (many donated by parishioner Ben Dunning of Dunning Sand & Gravel) in a new pattern and mix. The walkway was extended right into the garden and up to the statue of Mary, after being leveled out and straightened. This beautiful and safer walkway came about due to a donation from the estate of long-time parishioner Wayne Hudson. Wayne lived near his son in Florida and died earlier this year after a long and wonderful life. An active member of this parish for many, many years, Wayne lived for years at McLean here in Simsbury with many friends. He was a gentleman of gentlemen and will be greatly missed by many—and will certainly be remembered by those who spend time in the Marian Garden. May he rest in peace!
Music and more…As the summer begins here at Saint Catherine of Siena, particular in our weekend Mass schedule, I wish to say a personal thank-you to all the members of our choirs—the Children’s Choir, the Adult Choir, and the Contemporary Music Group—for all their time and talent in helping to make our liturgies all the more reverent and beautiful. While I know they all enjoy the hours of practice and the schedules of Mass, they work very hard and give a great deal of their time to serve our needs. I am very thankful also to the cantors who assist in a particular way. We are very blessed here in our parish with a great deal of talent and generosity.
A special “Thanks” to Susan Zybert for her talent and expertise as our music director, working closely with LoriAnn Damato of the Children’s Choir and Erin Leavitt-Smith of the Contemporary Music Group. If you are interested in considering joining one of our choirs, please just ask…Susan is always eager to welcome new members and seeing just where you might be the best fit.
PEACE,
FATHER MICHAEL
