Fr. Tom's Blog

The Gospel passage for this weekend contains several important revelations about Jesus. After he asks the disciples: Who do people say that I am?, he gets more personal by asking them: But who do you say that I am? Peter responds with: You are the Christ. As the disciples recognize the true identity of Jesus, he goes on to tell them that he must suffer greatly…and be rejected…and be killed, and rise after three days. This does not sit well with the disciples and Peter objects to the words of Jesus because suffering and death is not the path they envisioned for the Messiah. Jesus then rebukes Peter by saying: Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do. Is Jesus really calling Peter the devil? A more accurate interpretation is that he is calling Peter a tempter, which is what Satan does. And with the words, get behind me, Jesus is reminding Peter to be a follower and trust that Jesus will lead him. In what ways could we be better followers of Jesus?
  
This weekend we celebrate Nametag Sunday and host a parish-wide facilities Open House. These are both opportunities for community building. I hope you took the time to meet some new people and check out our parish campus, especially the areas we are trying to address with our capital campaign. As an extension of this weekend, take some time this week to include a special prayer for any new people you may have met and say a prayer for the success of our parish campaign.

Every other year the diocese invites parishes to honor two members for the Bishop’s Recognition Award. The 2018 recipients of this award from Presentation are Bridget Bahr and Dale Anastasi. Both of them exemplify the spirit of service through the many ways they serve our community. Bridget has served in several volunteer leadership roles with our school, including as an Auction Chair for two years and as the SCRIP gift card lady. As an active parishioner, she also serves on our Campaign Ambassador team. Dale works tirelessly behind the scenes using his skills for the good of our parish. Many people ask: “Who takes care of the beautiful flowers outside the church?” The answer is “Dale”. He also helps organize seasonal plantings and spruce-ups as well as sharing his faith in several of our ministries. We are grateful for the inspiring example of Bridget and Dale.  
 
This weekend was our annual second collection for our sister community in San Rafael Cedros, El Salvador. All donations will help us provide important scholarships to young people in the community seeking an education. We are also excited to host a delegation of our scholarship students from El Salvador this November. If you did not get a chance to contribute this weekend, please do so in the coming weeks. You can also give on-line. Your support transforms lives.
Many Blessings!
 

In the story we hear from Mark’s Gospel this week, Jesus continues to be on the move as he makes his way into the district of the Decapolis. This location is significant because Jesus is moving out of Jewish territory into Gentile territory. This signals that Jesus’ ministry is being extended to Gentiles as well as Jews. All are in need of God’s healing so Jesus shows this in a very real way as he cures the deaf man with the speech impediment in Gentile land. As Jesus brings healing to the man, he utters the word Ephphatha!, which means, Be opened!. Jesus is providing the man an opening to return to the community through the healing. Jesus is also inviting the crowd to be open to the healing that comes through following him. As we hear these words, we are called to be open to all that Christ shares with us through our faith. What are we being invited to “be open” to in our lives?
 
Our parish campaign, Celebrating our Faith – Continuing our Vision, is well underway. Thanks to those who have already supported the campaign by making a pledge. If you have not yet made a pledge, please prayerfully consider the financial request included in the letter from me. In the coming weeks, many of our volunteers will continue to set up personal meetings with some of you. Please be responsive to their request if you receive a call. If you received a pledge card attached to my letter, you can return that at any time by placing your completed pledge card in the collection basket at Mass or bringing by the Parish Office. If we can assist you in any way in the process or provide any further information, please do not hesitate to reach out. We need everyone’s support to make the campaign successful and reach our goals. Thank you for helping us make a difference in the life of our parish.
 
Next weekend we will host a parish-wide facilities Open House after all Masses. This will include a walking tour with information stops of the spaces impacted by the proposed projects in our parish campaign. The tour will begin in the Mulligan Room. You can also visit the other buildings around our campus, including the ECC, blue house (Parish Office), yellow house, and log cabin. Please take time to come and see!     
 
Next weekend is also Nametag Sunday. Please come a little early and join in the fun by filling out a nametag as you come to Mass next weekend. Please make an effort to learn the names of at least a couple of people that you may either see every week or who may be new to you. The key is to have a smile on your face and just have fun with it!
 
Don’t forget to purchase your tickets for the Parish Fiesta next Saturday. I promise you great food and a good time.
Many Blessings!
 
 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus invites the Pharisees and the scribes, as well as us, to go beyond the surface requirements of following religious law and really reflect on what is within our hearts. Jesus quotes from Isaiah when he says: This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine human precepts. Jesus reminds us that what really defiles us is what comes from within, what is in our hearts. He then presents a litany of things that come from within that keep us from following the ultimate law of love. Do we harbor evil thoughts toward others? Do greed and pride consume our attention? Do we hold grudges or gossip about others? Let’s take a good look at what is in our hearts.
 
The message of this Gospel also rings true for the Church, as it is being called to do a lot of soul searching given the McCarrick scandal and the Pennsylvania Report. I have read many commentaries and articles regarding the situation. There are obviously no quick fixes or easy answers. There has to be a willingness among Church leadership and all the faithful to confront the reality and go through the painful process of healing. In the limited space of this column, and in no way wanting to diminish the pain of victims and the need for change, I would like to point out some of the policies that have been put in place over the last 10-15 years in the Church, including our diocese, to protect children and create safer environments. Today, every priest and seminarian, and every church employee or volunteer who works with children, is required to go through a background check and complete a training process called Protecting God’s Children. Anyone accused of abuse is reported to police and those who work in the church are required by law to report any abuse that comes to their attention. Any priest with a credible accusation of abuse is suspended from ministry while an investigation happens. If a priest is found guilty of abuse, he is not allowed to function as a priest again. The latest news reminds us there is always room for improvement, and certainly a need for accountability and transparency. We are blessed in our diocese to have the Office of Child and Youth Protection, which has been a leader among dioceses in our country in creating policies and structures that protect children. Many of those who staff this diocesan office are members of our parish and have children in our school. Let us continue to pray for healing and change and be vigilant in our protection of the most vulnerable among us.
 
We have officially begun our parish campaign, Celebrating our Faith – Continuing our Vision! All registered parishioners should have received the mailing with the case statement and a letter from me. Please prayerfully consider a sacrificial gift in support of the campaign.
Many Blessings!