St. Mary Church

The Amen Corner - July 11

Let’s celebrate FREEDOM!

·  It’s one of Jesus’ main themes. Freedom from sin, suffering and death.

·  Freedom never comes cheap. It involves sacrifice and hard-work.

·  We have the freedom to speak, listen, worship and gather in faith. Use these gifts well.

·  Freedom does NOT mean we can do what-ever-we-want. Responsibilities come with freedom.

·  Many people are still denied their freedom. Freedom is not reserved for the privileged or those in power.

·  Jesus’ message of freedom cost him his life. Would we do the same?

·  The Passover Supper, the Eucharist, are both meals which celebrate freedom.

·  The sharing of our gifts gives people enslaved by hunger, homelessness and abuse, a path to a better, healthier and safer life.

In my Catholic Christian conversion I discovered I was restrained in my thinking, feelings and actions by unhealthy limits placed on me. When I freely chose to be a disciple of Jesus and to work and pray to free others, I began to realize my mission in life. I became free when I could move from the letter of the law to the spirit of the law.

The commandment I live by is, “Love God with all you are and love your neighbor as yourself.”  If I cherish my freedom, then I need to bring freedom to those falsely and unjustly discriminated against.  I need to work to eliminate poverty.  I admit I eat well, live well and have many privileges many people in our world could only dream of.  I must not become complacent.

America declares itself the “land of the free.”  It is one of the reasons my ancestors, and probably yours, came to this country.  People still come seeking this freedom; it is what makes our country great.  Again, not being complacent, there are many individuals in our country whose rights are withheld from them by biased and hurtful words and actions.

Celebrate the freedom we share and treasure.  Freedom is God’s gift to humankind. Express your thanks of this gift by giving worship and praise to God.  Also, take on the spirit of Jesus in bringing freedom to others.  Happy 4^th of July!

And the people say…   Fr. Mike

 

The Amen Corner - July 25

What traditions do you have in your home and family?  Traditions tell stories without lots of words.  For example, we put our hand on a bible to express telling the truth.  We salute or put our hand over our heart when a flag is being raised.  We sing “Happy Birthday” and have a cake to celebrate another year of birth..

We, as Americans, have traditional holidays (4^th of July, Memorial Day, and Thanksgiving).  We have traditional colors (red, white and blue).  We have traditional songs (national anthem and “America, the Beautiful”).  We have our traditional documents (Declaration of Independence and The Constitution).

As Catholics, do you know our traditions?  The word tradition comes from the Latin “traditionem” which means "handing over, passing on." Our Catholic tradition is rich in symbols and signs, such as The Sign of the Cross, blessing our food, putting ashes on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday, etc.  

We, as Catholics, have a beautiful tradition with colors. We have different colors to symbolize the liturgical year of the church. Do you know the First Sunday of Advent is our New Year’s Day and the color is purple/blue?  We have Catholic songs like “Now Thank We All Our God and Eagle’s Wings.” Even silence is a part of our tradition.

We, as Catholics, have traditions of standing, kneeling and sitting.   We abstain from meat on Fridays in Lent, gather Holy Saturday evening to bless fire and water and baptize new members.  We have devotions to Mary and the saints. 

We have a rich tradition in working with the poor, building schools and hospitals for those in need, and proclaiming justice and life.  We have the tradition of naming our buildings after Christ and his saints.

The greatest Catholic teaching tools we have are our traditions.  Catholic life is not only defined by books and catechisms; it is defined by how we live our faith through the 12 months of the year.  If we teach our children the rich traditions of our Catholic faith, they will then understand our story.  However, it must first begin with adults.

Parents and adults, this year we will walk through the liturgical year in Generations of Faith.  We will walk through Advent all the way to the Feast of Christ the King.  We will learn the meaning of our colors, gestures and symbols for the various seasons.  We will talk about ashes, oil, palm leaves, water, and fire. 

We begin in September!  It will be a great year for Generations of Faith.

And the people say…   Fr. Mike

 

The Amen Corner - July 18

One of the saddest experiences in priestly life is presiding at a funeral of a Catholic parent whose children have left the Catholic faith or are inactive.  Many times the parents sacrificed to give their children a Catholic education and attended Mass regularly.

 At the time of the funeral, the family members know little or nothing about Catholic rituals, worship or songs.  Where once they shared at the table of the Eucharist, they sit unresponsive to what they are witnessing.  And in most cases, it is not that they have joined another faith community.  They have no concept of church.

 I believe, our faith tradition holds strong values – community, forgiveness, charity, Eucharist, acceptance and shared responsibility in passing on the faith.  I believe receiving a sacrament is not a badge of honor; it is a stepping stone on our journey of faith.

Our parish strives to pass on the rich tradition of our Catholic faith.  If it is in our baptisms, our weekend Masses, Generations of Faith, youth ministry and retreat processes, we are calling for a commitment to the life of Jesus.  We work to engage parents into becoming the best teachers of their children in the ways of faith.

 This is why I challenge parents and all adults to take their responsibility of passing on the Catholic faith seriously.  I challenge everyone in this parish to be a model of Christian life.  How we attend Mass, with our participation, song and hospitality, will determine the future of our Catholic faith.  How we invest our gifts of time, talent and treasure determines not only our future, but the future of the generations yet to come.

 Families today invest great time, money and energy to make their children the best sports star, the brightest student, and encourage them to do things to strengthen their resume.  They want their children to be successful.  For many families church is not even in the picture.

Parents, when you die, how do you want your children to remember you? How do you want them to celebrate your death and the promise of resurrection? Will they stand before a casket and not have a faith to hold on to?

 Will your children’s lives be better because you shared with them the gospel of Jesus and how to live by his teachings and example?  Invest early and stay persistent in developing faith.  May your children see in you what it means to be a Christian!

And the people say…   Fr. Mike