Father Tom's Blog

Today we hear the calling of the first disciples from Mark’s Gospel. Jesus calls two sets of brothers, Simon and Andrew and James and John. All are fishermen either casting their nets or mending their nets. Jesus proclaims to them: This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel. He then invites them to: Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men. Jesus speaks to them with a sense of urgency and their response to Jesus is immediate. They leave everything behind to follow him. This Gospel should lead us to reflect on our willingness to follow Jesus. Most of us are not being asked to leave everything behind to follow him, but are we attentive to the daily ways we are called to be disciples? Do we seek to serve others, especially those in need, or do we ask questions first?
In these times when so many are struggling and many need a reassuring hand or voice, may our commitment to follow Christ be reflected in our love for others.

This weekend is designated as Word of Life Sunday and is a time for us to pray that all human life will be treated as sacred and with dignity. With the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision this past Friday and all the other events happening in our nation and around the world, our prayers for the protection of the unborn, those treated unjustly, the vulnerable, and all human life are especially needed. There is still time to join in the 9 Days for Life Novena that began on January 21 and goes through January 29. Resources for the Novena can be found on our website or by going to www.usccb.org. Each day of the Novena includes an intention, short reflection, and suggested actions for building a culture of life. We encourage you to join in this important time of prayer as we seek healing and a change of hearts.

All registered parishioners will be receiving a mailing by the end of this month that will include a letter from me, a flyer highlighting many of the things we were able to accomplish this past year, even amidst the challenges of the pandemic, and tickets for our annual “Crazy Cash Giveaway.” Please take time to read the letter and reflect on the highlights of this past year. We are blessed by everyone’s support and grateful for the gift of our faith. Please support the Crazy Cash Giveaway by purchasing or selling the enclosed tickets. All proceeds will support our service partner, Catholic Charities.

Next weekend is the beginning of Catholic Schools Week. We take time each year to celebrate the gift of Catholic education in our parish and thank our parishioners for their support throughout the year, which makes our school possible. This is also the time of year when we ask everyone to support our OLP School Endowment Fund. We have done well the past few years with increasing our Endowment through the annual second collection in January. Please use the designated envelope in your January packet or use OnLine giving to make a contribution. This Fund helps us provide scholarships to students who would not otherwise be able to attend a Catholic school. We appreciate your generosity.    
Many Blessings!    

 

This weekend we enter a stretch of Ordinary Time that falls between the Christmas season and the beginning of Lent. A resource I read recently put it this way: After the lights and carols of Christmas, Ordinary Time – which actually means counted time (we number the weeks) – can seem so, well, ordinary. But it is in the ordinary days of our ordinary lives that God asks us to build his Kingdom. This weekend we hear about the importance of being called. First, Samuel is called by the Lord and answers readily with: Here I am. You called me. In the Gospel, John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God and immediately two of John’s disciples begin to follow Jesus. Andrew, one of the two, finds his own brother Simon Peter and tells him: We have found the Messiah. The call of God comes in different ways, sometimes dramatic and sometimes in the ordinary events of our day to day experiences. Regardless of how we are called, it should lead us to respond with our lives and share the good news of Jesus with others. And, like Andrew, we all have a duty to assist our brothers and sisters on their journey of faith.

This is an exciting time of year as many children, teens, and adults are preparing to receive Sacraments. We have nearly 100 children preparing for their First Eucharist and many of them received their First Reconciliation earlier this month. Our high school teens preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation will begin their formation sessions later this month. We also have a number of adults and their families preparing to be received into the Catholic Church at Easter. Please keep all of them in your prayers.

At the end of January each year, we kick-off the annual celebration of Catholic Schools Week. For several years now, we have also been using this as a time to highlight our OLP Endowment Fund for Catholic Education. Contributions to this Fund allow us to provide scholarships to students who would not otherwise be able to attend a Catholic school. Please make a contribution by using the designated envelope in your January packet, by going to our website to give OnLine, or by placing your contribution in your own envelope clearly marked for the Endowment. We appreciate your support of our parish grade school.

This week there are several observances that need our prayer and attention. This Monday, January 18, is the national observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. More than ever, we need prayers to end the racial hatred and division in our nation. Let us use MLK Day to reflect on ways we can unite instead of divide. January 18-25 is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Say a prayer that the division between Christians can be healed. This Friday, January 22, is the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision and a Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. Pray for an end to abortion and greater respect for all human life. Our prayers make a difference and our nation and world need people willing to be instruments of change. Many Blessings! 

 

Today we end the season of Christmas as we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. At Jesus’ birth, he was proclaimed as the Savior of the World. At his baptism in the river Jordan by John the Baptist, the voice from the heavens proclaims: You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased. The story of his mission and purpose that began at his birth continues at his baptism. Like John the Baptist, our role is to place Christ first in our lives and allow him to be revealed through our faith. Our life with Christ began at our baptism. We are beloved sons and daughters through our baptism into Christ. As we journey through this new year, may we continue the story and keep the joy of Christmas alive by the ways we live out our baptism.

Congratulations to the children in our parish who received their First Reconciliation this past week. These children have been preparing for the sacrament over the last few months and were excited to receive this sacrament of forgiveness. Please keep these children in your prayers as they continue their sacrament journey and prepare to receive their First Eucharist in the spring.

The second phase of projects funded through our Capital Campaign are nearing completion. If you have been in the church the last couple of weeks, you have seen our new Gathering Space and Mulligan Room. Down the hall are the new set of church bathrooms and the new kitchen area. Further down the hall are our new parish meeting spaces. There are still some finishing touches to put on these areas, but for the most part the spaces are useable. The new set of exterior church doors on the north side are the last piece of the original projects to finish. Your support of our parish Capital Campaign has allowed us to make these improvements, which will serve the parish for generations to come. There is still one year left on our 3-year pledge period. We are grateful for all those who made a pledge or one-time gift and we appreciate everyone staying current on their pledge so we can keep the debt we carry over on these projects to a minimal amount. We also encourage those who have not yet made a pledge or one-time gift to please do so. Hopefully all of our parishioners see the benefit of these projects and are willing to support the effort.  
The additional project we added over the past couple of months is the new Portico to cover the north church entrance. We believe this will be a great enhancement to our church property and provide a very practical purpose. We are blessed by the response to our Year-End Giving, which this year is going to support the Portico project. We more than covered the $25,000 match and will be moving forward with this project as soon as feasible. There is still time to make a Year-End gift if you would like to support the Portico project. Again, we are grateful for everyone’s generosity.

As we move into the new year, I encourage you to stay connected through our website, Constant Contacts, and bulletin. Many of our ministries are providing in-person and virtual offerings. Please feel free to reach out if there is any way we can assist you on your faith journey. Many Blessings!
 

Blessings of the New Year! I don’t think this new year could have come quick enough for most of us. We are ready to leave 2020 behind and pray for better things in 2021. One thing we do hope stays the same in 2021 is the KC Chiefs repeat as Super Bowl Champions. But as we enter 2021, we also have hope that the suffering caused by the pandemic will diminish, that the vaccine will bring relief to many, that healing will begin for our nation as we move beyond the political division, and that the racial tension that drew attention to the on-going injustices in our country will lead to an end to discrimination and hate. We have reason to hope because we believe that the light of Christ has broken through the darkness. This weekend we continue our celebration of the Christmas season with the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. This feast has been described as the brightness of Christmas shining on us as Jesus is revealed to all nations. The familiar scripture story of the star in the night leading the magi to a simple stable reminds us of the power of God at work in the most common of places. The magi represent people of all nations, including foreigners and strangers, and as we hear in the story: the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother. May this new year of 2021 bring many opportunities to be overjoyed at seeing the star, the light of Christ, shining brightly in our lives as we seek to share the treasure of our faith each day and bring the hope of Christ’s healing and joy to a world that is hurting.

As I look back on this past year, and all the challenges, disruptions, and suffering it included, I am also mindful of the blessings. One of those blessings has been the way so many in our parish and on our staff worked hard to overcome the obstacles. As a parish, we have been able to adapt to capacity limits, social distancing, wearing of masks, Mass sign-ups, and many other new protocols and procedures and still maintain a sense of community and accomplish many good things. Thanks for doing your part to make our parish a place where faith can thrive no matter the obstacles.
 
The Feast of the Epiphany is the traditional time for the blessing of homes. The simple blessing for your home can be found in the bulletin. If you have blessed chalk from past years, you may use it again. The marking you make with the chalk is the first initial for each of the traditional names of the three magi  – Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar – and the numbers for the year. This year you would mark the upper lintel of the main door you use with 20 + C + M + B + 21. This is a great daily reminder that God is with us on our journey.

Have you made any resolutions for the new year? Make sure to include some resolutions for growing in your faith. May 2021 be filled with Many Blessings!