Bulletins by St. Clare Parish (Page 16)
July 3rd – Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Please join me in welcoming Father Victor Trinidad to our parish. He
officially began his ministry here this past Friday, July 1. I know that
you will welcome him as warmly as you did me this weekend, two years
ago, and that he will be enriched by the life of our parish, just as we will
all be enriched by his presence among us.
The gospel reading this Sunday makes me smile, falling as it usually
does on the first weekend of July, warning Jesus’ disciples: “Go on your
way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.” This has
never been my experience as I took up a new assignment over the years,
and I know that it will not be Father Victor’s experience at Saint Clare.
The instruction given by Jesus to the seventy-two disciples is worth
repeating today: “Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no
one along the way.” In other words, travel light and do not get
distracted from your mission. In this busy world, we can all learn the
simplicity of such discipline, mindful that the Lord who sends us will
always be with us.
June 26th – Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
We resume the Sunday readings of Ordinary Time, which will
continue this year until November 20.
“Ordinary” does not imply “regular” or “usual,” but an “ordered”
presentation of the weeks, apart from the major seasons (Advent/
Christmas and Lent/Easter). That is why the Sundays are known by a
number, for example today is the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary
Time.
During the 33 or 34 Sundays of Ordinary Time, we read the gospel
(this year from Saint Luke) in order, chapter by chapter; we do the
same with the second reading, which usually comes from one of the
letters of Saint Paul. The Old Testament reading, however, is chosen
for its connection with the gospel reading each Sunday. Often it is
from the first reading that one can get a sense of what can be
emphasized in the gospel reading.
Today’s readings tell of the cost of discipleship: Elisha’s request that
Elijah allow him to kiss his father and mother goodbye before he
followed him is rejected. And Jesus declares that “No one who sets a
hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the
kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). We, who want to be disciples of the
same Lord, need to consider its cost in our lives: what are we willing
to give up? How committed are we to go where He leads us? As we
walk with the Lord these next five months, let us, as the song says,
“see Him more clearly, love Him more dearly, follow Him more
nearly. . .Day by Day” (from Godspell).
June 19 – The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Today, we celebrate Jesus, as the “Living Bread that comes down
from heaven.” Which we receive every time we share Holy
Communion.
On this feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ Catholics
across the United States are invited to join in a three-year process of
renewal in one of our foundational beliefs: that Jesus Christ is totally
and actually present in the Eucharist and that those who receive Holy
Communion are sharers of His Body and His Blood.
As part of this renewal, each of us can reflect upon the importance of
the Eucharist in our lives. What we believe about the Lord’s presence
“under the forms” of bread and wine guides us and encourages us, in
the words of Saint Augustine, “to see what you are and become what
you receive: the living Body and Blood of the Lord.
June 5th – Pentecost Sunday
The great Feast of Pentecost is second only to Easter in its importance
in the life of the Church. We do not give gifts, as we do at Christmas
or even Easter, but the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples
marked the new beginning for the proclamation of Jesus as Messiah
and Lord.
Today we pray that the same Holy Spirit will enliven our faith and its
proclamation by the manner of our lives; may the same Spirit give us
wisdom and courage
May 22nd – Sixth Sunday of Easter
Just as love, the subject of last week’s Gospel reading, is elusive, so is
the peace of Jesus, that he left to the disciples during the Last Supper:
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the
world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be
troubled or afraid (John 14).
But Jesus does believe that such peace is possible, because “The
Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”
The Lord knows that our world today is in need of a peace that is
more than just the cessation of violence and war, though that would
be a good start. According to Saint Pope John Paul II, “[Peace]
involves mutual respect and confidence between peoples and nations.
Like a cathedral, peace must be constructed patiently and with
unshakable faith.”
If the peace we seek for our lives and for the world is founded on
Jesus, with Him as our Teacher and Guide, that peace may become
real, but if we treat peace as though it is some temporary truce or
cease-fire, we will fail. Paraphrasing the words of Rev. Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr., quoted in my homily last weekend, if we allow
ourselves to see the image of God in others, then peace has a chance.
It must begin there.
May 15th – Fifth Sunday of Easter
In Jesus, all of the prohibitions of the “old” law were cast aside. His
new commandment is simple: “Love one another as I have loved
you.” While it is easy to state, it is far from easy to live.
It has been said that “Love is the only law, and that all the rest is
commentary.” If we were completely and totally loving (God,
neighbor and ourselves), there would be no need for any other rules or
laws. That would be a perfect society; that would be heaven. But for
now we depend upon laws to be able to live orderly lives and to
protect our relationships between and among others and even with
oneself.
After 2000 years of Christianity, it is sad that Jesus’ commandment is
still new, and that our world has not yet discovered the peace that is
the fruit of love. We continue to pray for the people of Ukraine, for an
end to the brutal way being waged against them and the conversion of
those who lead and direct the invading forces from Russia.
May 8th – Fourth Sunday of Easter
When Good Shepherd Sunday falls on the second Sunday of May, it
is not a difficult stretch to connect the image of Jesus as our Good
Shepherd with the mothers (and our fathers!) who gave us life and, for
the most part, continue to serve as shepherds to their children, no
matter how old, successful or independent they may be. May those
who still have parents with them rejoice in this gift that God gives us;
and may we all join in prayer for the repose of the souls of our
mothers who have gone to the Lord. May they all rest in the peace of
Christ.
This weekend, we ask all our parish families to consider donating to
the Diocesan Priest Retirement Appeal. We need the support of every
parish family at Saint Clare to be successful. Remember, not everyone
can make the same size gift, but everyone can make the same size
sacrifice. Please make a gift that truly reflects all the blessings you
have received from God and your willingness to support the work of
our Diocesan Priests. Donations of all sizes are gratefully accepted
and appreciated. Our retired priests rely on their minimal Social
Security since they were paid a very modest wage and the Priest
Retirement Plan payments for their living expenses and end-of-life
needs. Yet, like the general population, priests live longer, more
active lives. This has increased the challenge of providing adequate
care to our retired priests. Your gift to the Diocesan Priest Retirement
Appeal provides vital funding for medications, nursing care, and more
to these priests who have been good shepherds and have kept their
promises to the faithful of the Diocese. Please know that priests across
our Diocese hold you and your loved ones in grateful prayer.
As he mentioned at some of the Masses this past weekend, Msgr. Fran
will likely be one of our retired priests around 2027/2028, if not
before. . .Father George, pastor from 2010-2014, will likely retire
within the next five years.