Fr. Tom's Blog

This weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord. In most dioceses in the United States it is no longer celebrated as a holy day on a Thursday but now takes the place of the Seventh Sunday of Easter so that more people can share in this important feast. The Ascension reminds us that Jesus returned to his rightful place in heaven and prepares us for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Jesus appeared to his disciples after the Resurrection and now he promises to be present to them in a new way. The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles provides some details of the event as he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. But the reading ends with the promise that Jesus will return. The Gospel from Matthew makes no mention of Jesus’ Ascension but highlights his final words to the disciples: I am with you always, until the end of the age. As we celebrate Jesus’ Ascension, let us ascend with him through the ways we live our faith and trust that he is with us always.
 
Next weekend, the Feast of Pentecost, we will begin celebrating a few in-person Masses using the current limited capacity guidelines. Our capacity will be a little over 100 people at each Mass, which will allow for the necessary social distancing. Please know that we will continue to provide a recorded Mass that can be viewed on our website or other social media as not everyone will be able to attend our public Masses. If you are interested in returning to Mass, please follow the instructions provided through our Constant Contacts and on our website so your name can be included. You can also call the Parish Office. We will be utilizing a random selection program to choose from the names that have been submitted for each Mass. Please know that we will be doing our best to bring people back to church safely. We need your patience and cooperation to make things go smoothly. Our staff has spent many hours putting our plan together and providing important information through our Constant Contact emails and videos. Please be sure to inform yourself and make decisions that are best for you and your family. We will continue to keep you updated with any changes.
 
The 4:30pm Mass next Saturday will be reserved for the elect and candidates who have been waiting since Easter to officially join the Catholic faith through the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. We are grateful to these women, men, and youth for their witness of faith and patience in becoming full members with us. They will be joined at the Mass by their sponsors and families. Please keep them in your prayers. We will be sharing pictures from the celebration as due to our limited capacity restrictions it will not be open to the public.          
 
This weekend marks the traditional beginning of summer with the Memorial Day holiday. Our usual gatherings and celebrations may look a little different this year, but many people will take time to visit the gravesites of deceased loved ones. Although we remember all the deceased, Memorial Day is especially a time to lift up those who gave their lives in service to our country to protect the freedoms we enjoy every day. With grateful hearts we give thanks for their sacrifice.
 
Next weekend we bring the Easter season to a close with the Feast of Pentecost. This is a special time for us to celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives and the birth of the Church. The liturgical color for the feast is red. Be sure to wear some red next weekend and do something special to recognize the gifts of the Spirit in your life. Be sure to check our website for activities and other ways you can celebrate with us. I am grateful for all the ways you share your gifts with our parish, especially during these challenging times.
Many Blessings!    
 
 

Jesus says to his disciples in the Gospel today: If you love me, you will keep my commandments. Jesus reminds his disciples that he is with them as they live the commandments and that he will be with them always through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Those who choose to follow Jesus must make a commitment to be obedient to his commandments. Being a disciple of Jesus is not just a nice idea that we hope will get us into heaven, but is rather a way of life that requires sacrifice. Remember that the greatest commandment Jesus gave us is the commandment to love God with our whole selves and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are called to imitate Jesus’ example of sacrificial love rooted in service to others. As we do, we remain with Jesus, who promises to be with us always through the gift of the Spirit. How are we being called to live this commandment of love, especially during these times we are living in?
 
I know that most of us are eager to come back “home” to church and the reception of Eucharist. I will certainly be excited to celebrate Mass again with at least some semblance of a congregation present. It’s been a blessing that we live in a world with technology that allows us to stay connected and healthy during this time of  separation, but we all know that it isn’t the same as being with each other in our worship space. We know the day will come, and we continue to pray for patience and an end to the pandemic until then. As I write this column early in the week, we have not heard of any change in restrictions in Eastern Jackson County that will allow us to begin Masses with limited numbers before the weekend of May 30-31. Things do change often and quickly, so please know that any updates will be communicated on our website and through our daily Constant Contacts.
In the meantime, it is important that everyone be aware of the guidelines that will be in place when we can return to Mass. We will all need to do our part to protect the health of others and ourselves. You can access the liturgical guidelines from the diocese on the COVID-19 tab on our website – www.olpls.org. We also sent the link a couple of times last week through our Constant Contacts. We will be following these guidelines, so take time to inform yourself now. There are basic things like those coming to church needing to wear masks and keep 6 feet apart, but there is also information about the reception of Communion and entering and exiting the pews. We are also working on specific directions that pertain to our parish space. And as you are probably aware, we will initially be limited in the number of people who will be able to come to church at one time. For example, depending on the limited capacity percentage we are asked to follow, we will probably be able to accommodate between 100-150 people at each Mass in order to observe the 6-foot social distancing rule. Some of our weekend Masses normally have 500-600 people in attendance. So there will be some challenges deciding who gets to attend, but we will have a sign-up and random selection process in place. Also, to provide for adequate cleaning between our Masses, we may need to adjust the times. All of the specifics will be communicated when we know the weekend public Masses can start. Please stay connected for updates throughout the week and please continue to join us for our virtual Mass on the weekend. We also appreciate your generosity and support of the parish.
 
Our hygiene item collection for our service partner Catholic Charities goes through this weekend. Please see the bulletin for items that are needed. You can place your items in the bins located in the Gathering Space on the north side. Thank you for your assistance to those in need.         
Many Blessings!
 
 

The Gospel for today begins with Jesus saying: Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God, have faith also in me. These are especially appropriate words for the times we find ourselves living in. Do we allow our faith in God to comfort us when we are feeling troubled, anxious, and fearful? Jesus reminds us that nothing can overwhelm us if we place our trust in him. Times of crisis can be times of greater trust, recognizing God is always with us. Jesus goes on to say: In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? Do we believe that we have a place in the eternal embrace of God? Jesus reminds us that he will never abandon us and we will be with him always. Jesus also says: I am the way and the truth and the life. Do our lives reflect our belief in this statement? During these challenging times, may we commit ourselves even more to following Christ’s way of love and service.
 
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to all the mothers in our community!! We take time this weekend to honor the mothers in our lives and give thanks for their gift of life and love. A mother’s love is often the way we learn about God’s love – nurturing, compassionate, and unconditional. In the words of Pope Francis: A society without mothers would be a society that has lost its heart, lost the feel of home. Because mothers, even at the worst of times, are capable of testifying to tenderness, unconditional self-sacrifice, and the strength of hope. Where there is a mother, there is unity, there is belonging.  As we give thanks for our mothers, both living and deceased, may God bless all mothers and fill them with strength.
Although our celebration of Mother’s Day will look a little different this year, be sure to offer a special prayer or pray the Rosary for your mother and share some words of appreciation for all they do or have done. We will also be offering a special blessing of mothers at our virtual recorded Mass this weekend.
 
This is the time of year when those at a variety of academic levels will participate in graduation. We hold them all in prayer as they celebrate this important step on their life journey. This year, many graduation ceremonies will look different and be held later than normal due to the restrictions on limited gatherings. But the graduates of 2020 will probably always remember the events of this year. The Pre-K students from our ECC and the 8^th graders from our parish school will gather for their graduation ceremonies this week, with some adaptations. Although this is not the way we had planned to celebrate their accomplishments, we still give thanks for the blessing they have been and the bright future God has in store for them. We will be offering a Blessing for all Graduates in the coming weeks. We will update you when it is scheduled.
 
Thanks to everyone who attended our Park & Pray Marian Celebration this past weekend. We had another great turnout. A special thanks to our parish staff, the Knights of Columbus, Joe DiMarco, and Alex Scheier for helping with all the logistics and communication. Although it was great to see you in the parking lot, I know we are all ready to return to church and worship together.
With that in mind, please check our website and daily communications for updates on the plan we will put in place for inviting you back to Mass. As of my writing of this column, we are waiting for clear directives from the diocese and Jackson County on what will be allowed. There are lots of logistics and details that will need to be worked out in a parish our size, but we will communicate things as quickly as we can. So please stay posted and keep joining us for our virtual Mass. And let’s continue to pray for all those affected by the coronavirus around the world and for an end to its spread.
Many Blessings!
 
 

This Fourth Sunday of the Easter season is traditionally referred to as Good Shepherd Sunday. While we honor Jesus as the Good Shepherd who cares for and protects his flock, this year’s Gospel reading also uses the image of Jesus as the gate for the sheep. We hear Jesus say: Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. Jesus invites us to enter into life with him. By listening to his voice and following his way, we will be lead to life eternal. Jesus is always there to open the gate for us; all we need to do is listen and follow. Amidst all that is happening in our world, it is important for us to listen to the voice of Jesus and trust that he is the one leading us. We can easily get distracted by all the conflicting voices in our world and be led into fear and anxiety. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, promises to care for us and offer his comfort and peace. Jesus is the gate that leads to eternal life and through him our lives are changed forever.
 
This weekend we invite you to gather in the north parking lot for our Park & Pray Marian Celebration. As we are still not able to gather publicly for prayer in church, this is a way for us to gather safely and join together in prayer. May is a traditional month to honor our Blessed Mother, so our prayer will include the recitation of the Rosary. We will also be handing out our Easter book, Why I Love Being Catholic. You can join us on Saturday, May 2, at 5:00pm or Sunday May 3, at 10:00am (English) or 11:00am ( Spanish). We do ask that you please stay in your cars during the prayer. There will be parishioners helping to guide you in and out of the parking lot. Please be sure to park facing the building. You can bring items for our monthly Lee’s Summit Social Services Food drive. The items especially needed are listed in the bulletin and in our weekly Constant Contact. While we appreciate all those using OnLine Giving to support the parish, there will also be collection baskets for you to place your contribution envelopes. And you won’t want to miss the special blessing from Fr. Olvin and me. We hope to see you there!
 
Next weekend, May 9-10, we will celebrate Mother’s Day. Things will look different this year but it is an important time to recognize the blessing of our mothers, both living and deceased. Please be sure to return your Mother’s Day envelope this week with the name of your mother to be included in our virtual Masses next week. We also invite you to send a picture of your mother to mstorms@olpls.org by Wednesday of this week. We will include a visual display of the pictures for our virtual blessing of mothers at the Masses. May God’s blessing be upon all our mothers.
 
Please continue to stay connected with us through our website, electronic bulletin, Constant Contacts, and other social media. Besides Sunday Mass, there are plenty of faith offerings for all ages still available during this time. Check out our 50 Ways for 50 Days resource and make a commitment to grow in your faith during the Easter season.
Let us continue to keep one another in prayer and especially pray for all those affected by the coronavirus. 
Many Blessings!