Bulletins by St. Clare Parish (Page 16)
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.
May 1st – Third Sunday of Easter
Jesus’ three questions to Simon Peter, asking him, “Do you love me?”
must have been painful for Peter to hear. But, in fact, the Lord was
giving but another example of God’s tremendous willingness to
forgive, no matter how many times we stray. Three times, Peter had
denied knowing Jesus. And after Peter declares the third time, “Yes
Lord, you know that I love you,” Jesus called to him again, “Follow
me.”
For us, to know that “God’s mercy is without end” is one of the
foundations of our lives. It gives us hope and should endow us with a
willingness to forgive those who have offended or hurt us. Being part
of a reconciling community of faith demands no less of us. That
Christ is victorious over sin and death allows us, in Him, to do the
same. Then we can share the joy of the Resurrection.
Congratulations to the children who will receive Holy Communion
for the first time this weekend and next. We pray that you will remain
as close to the Lord in the years to come as you are with him on this
special day.
April 24th – Second Sunday of Easter
“Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last, the one who lives. Once I
was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever” (Revelation 1:17b-18).
For the Church, the great Easter Feast extends for 50 days, until
Pentecost, this year on June 5. But the “day” of Easter itself lasts
until this Sunday, which we call the Second Sunday of Easter. This is
the greatest of our holy days. Even Christmas Day is only one day,
but Easter Day is eight days. In fact, it takes that long for us at our
daily Masses to hear all of the Easter appearances of the Lord.
While we are not literally at the empty tomb, in the garden, the upper
room or on the road to Emmaus, the Risen Lord continues to make
Himself present to us – in His word, the Eucharist, and the Christian
Community, especially when gathered for the celebration of the
Eucharist. As He lives “forever and ever,” He sends us forth, as
disciples, to announce the good news (“gospel”) that the Lord is risen
and, even more, that we also will rise.
Our parish Easter celebrations were the cause of great joy last
weekend. It was the first time since the pandemic that we experienced
a full church. I pray that this continues, even when it is not Easter
Sunday. It was so good to see all of you!!
Happy Easter!
April 17th – Easter Sunday
Dear Parishioners,
This ancient Easter greeting resounds through time and space as a
reflection of our joy and our hope.
We are far from first century Jerusalem, yet these words continue to
proclaim the fundamental Christian mystery: the Lord Jesus has
conquered death and sin and the
darkness of our lives and our
world.
In Baptism, each of us is united to the Lord’s victory and we walk in
His light, as sharers of the life that has no end. In our Christian living,
we are witnesses to God’s abiding presence and to the hope that is the
foundation of our lives.
May our gathering during Holy Week and the Easter Triduum
renew our faith; may they also renew us and all people in appreciation
of God’s unending love. We thank you once more for the privilege of
serving you.