Fr. Tom's Blog

The Gospel for this weekend may seem a little confusing at first. In his encounter with the Canaanite woman, Jesus appears to be harsh in his response to her. She is asking him to help heal her daughter, but because among the Israelites she was considered a foreigner and outcast, he says: I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. When she continues her pleading, he goes even further by saying: It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs. But believing in his compassion, she does not give up. In the end, as with all encounters with Jesus, what matters is faith. Jesus says to her: O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish. While there are different interpretations as to the significance of Jesus’ initial reaction and response to the woman, the story does reflect how compassion and faith win out. Are there times when we give up on the compassion of Jesus? Is there something in our lives we’ve given up on too soon?  Maybe by continuing to bring our need to Jesus we will find an opening that leads to a stronger faith.

Next weekend, after all our Masses, we will have an official welcome for our new Associate Pastor, Fr. Emmanuel Lopez, and our new Director of Pastoral Care, Shelli Lange. Although Shelli has been here since June and Fr. Emmanuel since the beginning of July, our original intent was to wait until our Celebrating Stewardship – Divine Donut weekends started up again in August. While we will still not be able to serve donuts and gather inside the church space, we will have a tent set up outside where those leaving church can greet Fr. Emmanuel and Shelli and then pick up an ice cream bar to take home. During these times we find ourselves living in, we make the best of things and still find reason to celebrate. I know not everyone has returned to church for Mass, so for those who cannot be here physically, you might consider sending Fr. Emmanuel and Shelli an email or a note welcoming them to our parish.
For those who are at Mass next week, there will also be a few tables set up outside with information about some of our ministries and especially ways you can get involved. We are especially needing adults to share their gifts in our Children’s Faith Formation and Youth Ministry programs. As we continue to find creative ways to be a faith community amidst the pandemic, this is also an opportunity for all of us to reflect on how we might be called to share our gifts in new ways. We also continue to need more people to help in our new ushering ministry and cleaning ministry at the Masses we offer each weekend. If you are able to assist with either of these, please let Mary Pat or James know. We appreciate all those who have been helping out each weekend. Please be sure to read our electronic bulletin and check out our website each week for all that is happening in the parish and ways you can get involved.
     
Our Early Childhood Center (ECC) is scheduled to begin the new year this Thursday and our parish grade school is scheduled to begin classes the following Wednesday. We all know the normal routines of a new school year are very different this year, so please say a prayer for our students, families, and staff members.
Many Blessings!  


 

The Gospel we hear today shares the story of Jesus calming the storm and walking on the water. While the disciples respond in fear when they see Jesus, his response to them is: Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid. Then Peter asks Jesus: Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water. When Jesus says – Come! - Peter ventures out on the water but becomes frightened and begins to sink. Jesus saves him and says: O you of little faith, why did you doubt? Peter reminds us that when we keep our eyes on Jesus and trust him, anything is possible. But when we become frightened and shift our focus to the storms that come our way in life, we will falter and sink. We find ourselves living in a time when it can be easy to give into fear and allow the realities we are facing lead us to anxiety and despair. Amidst the difficulties we face, the struggles and storms that can disrupt our lives, we need to always remember that Jesus is there with his outstretched arm to pick us up and ultimately to save us. We can’t control the storms of life ourselves, but with Jesus, everything is better.

Over the last several months as the normal routines of parish life have been disrupted and in various stages of activity, one of the things that has been consistent is our outreach ministries to our service partners. The response of our parish community to the numerous drives we have had for food, personal care items, laundry and detergent, and school supplies has been amazing. Often times during these drives we have collected more items than our two large bins can hold and had to have multiple pick-ups from our respective partners. I want to personally thank all those who have taken time to bring items and help those who are especially struggling in these difficult times. It is a blessing to be part of such a generous and caring parish. I think the increased need for assistance is going to be a reality for awhile, so we will continue to do our part to assist our service partners in their particular missions to help those in need. For those not attending Mass or getting out at this time, please know that financial gifts are also welcome. Be sure to check our online bulletin and our website regularly for information about our assistance drives. Please keep our service partners – Bishop Sullivan Center, Catholic Charities, Lee’s Summit Social Services, Operation Breakthrough, Uplift Organization, and our sister community in San Rafael Cedros, El Salvador – in your prayers.

The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is next Saturday, August 15. This feast is normally a holy day of obligation, but as it falls on a Saturday this year the obligation is lifted. Take time to pray a Rosary or read Mary’s Magnificat in scripture as a way to honor our Blessed Mother.
For several years now, we have also been having an Assumption Fest after our evening Mass on the holy day. This has been a time for us to enjoy some ice cream and celebrate our community and also the first responders in the area. Due to the restrictions of the pandemic, we will not be having the Fest this year. But please say a special prayer asking for the intercession of our Blessed Mother to keep safe all those who serve and protect us.  
Many Blessings!  


 

The Gospel today begins with saying that Jesus withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. Jesus had just learned about the death of his cousin, John the Baptist, so he was likely wanting some time alone to grieve and pray. But Jesus puts the needs of others first. When he sees the vast crowd that has followed him, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. When the disciples come to tell him to dismiss the crowds because it is getting late and the people need to be fed, Jesus again responds with compassion. He says, there is no need for them to go away, give them some food yourselves. And from the five loaves and two fish that are present, Jesus works a miracle and all ate and were satisfied. The reading speaks to the message of abundance that comes through Jesus. He has an abundance of compassion and mercy that he shares with us and abundantly provides for our needs. When we recognize the abundance Jesus brings to our lives through the gift of faith it changes us. We become more generous in sharing the gifts we have been given and the abundance of our faith is shared with others. Others are fed by our witness and our actions. May we always imitate Christ’s way of abundance, especially in the ways we love and serve.
 
Beginning this week we are offering a new faith enrichment resource called Opening our Hearts – conversion compelling change. You can find the resource on our website and access the daily posts that start on Monday, August 3. With all that is happening in our world including racial injustice, responses to the pandemic, division, violence, and all the tension of an election year, it is important for us to be grounded in the call of our faith. The Catholic Church has a rich tradition of Catholic Social Teaching that can help inform us and lead us to a conversion of heart. It has been said that our Social Teaching is one of the best kept secrets in the Church. The Opening our Hearts resource is a daily way to learn about some of the richness of our tradition and possibly see some of the important issues of our day in a new light. We hope you will give a little of your time and take advantage of this opportunity. Feel free to share the resource with others and engage in some dialogue and discussion.
 
As we enter into the month of August, we continue to evaluate the best ways to begin again the many ministries and activities of our parish given the on-going limitations of the pandemic and the need to provide a safe and healthy environment for those in our community. While our return to in-person Masses on weekends and weekdays has gone well, we have not returned to regular gatherings of groups and ministries in our meeting spaces. Some groups have been creative over the last couple of months and utilized outdoor space on our campus for their meetings while practicing social distancing. Please know that we recognize the importance of our faith community being able to gather together and support one another. As we work through this, I encourage you to stay connected with one another and take some time to reach out to those who may feel isolated.
Two of the largest ministries of our parish are our parish grade school and Early Childhood Center (ECC). Our focus right now is preparing for the return of our students and children for the new school year. As we adapt to new information and changes daily, please say a special prayer that all will go smoothly.
Many Blessings!