The Gospel for this Sixth Sunday of Easter is rich with references by Jesus to the Father and Holy Spirit. Jesus says: Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. We are invited to dwell in the love of the Father and the Son and become a dwelling place for that love in our lives. But obedience to the Word is important in understanding the power of this love at work through us. Jesus instructs his disciples that he will be going away, but he promises to be with them always through the Advocate, the Holy Spirit. Through His Resurrection, Jesus is bringing forth something new. He reminds his followers that the Advocate will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you. This Gospel also prepares us for the upcoming celebrations of the Feast of the Ascension next weekend and the Feast of Pentecost the following weekend. May we continue to recognize the fullness of God’s love as revealed to us by Christ.
Our prayers continue to be needed for an end to the war in Ukraine. We can get a little numb to something happening so far away, but let’s keep the prayers coming for a peaceful resolution to the conflict so that no more lives are lost or disrupted.
We are also encouraged to pray for civility and compassion as our own country struggles with differing opinions regarding the abortion issue. As Catholic Christians, we know the importance of protecting the gift of life from conception to natural death. As the possibility of the Roe v. Wade decision being overturned has come to light, we also pray for the conversion of hearts and minds so this can be done peacefully. Let us also call upon our Blessed Mother’s intercession. There is helpful information regarding this issue on our website.
I hope you will make plans to join us for our Talent & Tailgate event on Saturday, June 4. This was previously known as the Spaghetti Dinner & Variety Show, but continues the tradition of community building. We really want to make this a fun event for all ages, so please make an effort to be there. Tickets are available after Masses this weekend. Remember, tickets are free, we just ask that you make a free-will donation at the event to support our service partner, Operation Breakthrough. And you won’t want to miss the famous Staff Act in the Talent Show!
This weekend we also support Operation Breakthrough with our Detergent & Diaper Drive. Thanks to all those who brought items. You can also support the effort by make a donation to Online Giving on our website.
This is also a Celebrating Stewardship weekend. We return to the Mulligan Room for refreshments. Be sure to check out our Ministry tables to get involved. And thanks for all the birthday well-wishes and gifts. I am blessed to be part of such a supportive and amazing parish.
Many Blessings!
In the Gospel for this Fifth Sunday of Easter, Jesus reminds us that the love He has shared with us is the model for how we are called to love. He says: I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. Jesus puts love at the center of the life of discipleship because we are called to imitate the sacrificial love that has been shared with us. The reading from Revelation today speaks of a new heaven and a new earth. This newness is made possible by the outpouring of Christ’s love, manifested in the sacrifice He gave on the Cross. To love like Jesus means we have to forgive like Jesus, serve like Jesus, welcome others like Jesus, and show mercy like Jesus. This is how Jesus’ commandment of love transforms our lives into something new. This is how others will know we are his disciples. Our faith is rooted in a relationship of love with Jesus. May all our relationships be defined by Christ’s way of love.
This weekend there is a second collection for the Tomorrow’s Priest Vocation Fund. All registered households should have received a mailing about this collection. Educating our seminarians is one of the biggest expenses of the diocese. Please be generous in your support.
Below is an excerpt of a letter Bishop Johnston sent to us priests last week.
As you know, we are expecting the U.S. Supreme Court to issue its ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization anytime between now and the end of June. Given the possibility that the Court could use this case to overturn or significantly roll back Roe v. Wade, the need to be prepared for this decision at the national, state, diocesan, and parish levels cannot be overstated. The recent controversy about the leak of a purported draft decision underscores the urgency of this matter.
Please keep this situation in your prayers as we seek to protect the unborn and respect the gift of life. You can find helpful information on our parish website under the Adult Faith tab and on our diocesan website and at www.usccb.org.
Remember to mark your calendars for our Talent & Tailgate event on Saturday, June 4, following the 4:30pm Mass. Tickets will be available after Masses next weekend. The tickets are free, we just ask that you make a donation the evening of the event to support our service partners and those in need.
Be sure to support the Detergent & Diaper Drive next weekend for our service partner, Operation Breakthrough. They rely on our collection to provide these needed items to their families throughout the summer.
The academic year for our parish grade school ends this Friday. We are proud of the accomplishments of our students and we pray for all the students in our parish as they bring the academic year to a close.
Many Blessings!
As we continue our celebration of the Easter season, this Fourth Sunday of Easter gives us one of the most popular images of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. On this Good Shepherd Sunday, we hear Jesus say in the Gospel: My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. Like sheep who know the shepherd’s voice and follow wherever he leads them, we are called to listen to the voice of Jesus and be willing to go where His voice leads us. As we live in a world with many conflicting and distracting voices and with so many distortions of the truth, it is more important than ever to be attentive to the voice of Jesus. What small steps can we take today to spend more time listening to Jesus? If we trust in him as our Good Shepherd he promises to protect us, keep us in his loving hands, and lead us to eternal life. May we always hear the voice of Jesus and find ways to shepherd others through our example.
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 how we first experience God’s love – nurturing, compassionate, and unconditional. As we give thanks for our mothers, both living and deceased, may God bless all mothers and fill them with strength.
In celebration of our mothers this weekend, we will offer a special blessing and our parish is providing carnations to all mothers. Any donations received for the carnations will go to support MO Right to Life.
Don’t forget that we are honoring our Blessed Mother Mary during May by praying the Rosary 25 minutes before each Mass. Come a little early and join in the prayer. Also, next Saturday, May 14, there will be an outdoor Rosary in honor of Mary as Our Lady of Fatima at 11:00am in the Mary Garden on the north side of church. All are welcome.
Next weekend, May 14-15, there is a second collection for the Tomorrow’s Priest Vocation Fund. This Fund helps support the cost of education for those studying to be priests in our diocese. One of our seminarians will also be at our Masses to share a few words. Please be generous.
We hold in our hearts all those who are graduating from various schools this time of year. The 8th graders from our parish school will graduate this Thursday evening, May 12. They are a talented group and we are proud of all their accomplishments. The Pre-K children from our ECC will be graduating this Wednesday evening, May 11. In celebration of all those from our parish graduating from any school and at all levels, we will be offering a Blessing for Graduates at the Masses the weekend of June 4-5. Please encourage any graduates in your family to join us for Mass.
Many Blessings!
I hope your celebration of the Easter season is going well. On this Third Sunday of the Easter season, we hear another story of Jesus appearing to his disciples after the Resurrection. This one occurs on the seashore when the disciples are fishing and catch nothing and then Jesus appears and says: Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something. In the other Gospels, this story appears at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. In the Gospel of John, it occurs after the Resurrection. The disciples have gone back to what is familiar to them, fishing, but their lives have been forever changed because of the Resurrection of Jesus. He physically appears to them and shares a meal with them. A key piece of the passage is the dialogue between Jesus and Peter when Jesus asks of Peter three different times, do you love me? This contrasts with the three denials Peter made about whether he knew Jesus before the Crucifixion. Jesus needed Peter and all the disciples to let go of the past and focus on the task at hand: Feed my lambs. Tend my sheep. Feed my sheep. Jesus needs us to do the same.
We continue to celebrate the joy of new life this Easter through our young people who will be receiving special sacraments. Another group of children will be receiving their First Eucharist at a special 2:00pm Mass this Sunday. The final group will be celebrating at a 2:00pm First Eucharist Mass in Spanish on Sunday, May 15. Please keep these children in your prayers.
This Monday, May 2, Bishop Johnston will be at Presentation to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation with our teens who have been preparing all year. About 75 teens from our parish will be receiving the Sacrament this year. We pray that the Holy Spirit empowers these young men and women to be witnesses for Christ in their lives and that they will use the gifts of the Holy Spirit to make the world a better place. Please keep these teens and all our young people in your prayers as they face the challenges of today’s world.
May is the month of Mothers. We celebrate the gift of our mothers on Mother’s Day next weekend, May 7-8. We will offer a special blessing of mothers at all the Masses and also have Mother’s Day carnations available. Your donations for the carnations will support Missouri Right to Life. If you have not yet returned your Mother’s Day envelope with the name of your living or deceased mother, please do so by this Friday, May 10. The envelopes will be included in the prayers and procession at Mass.
The entire month of May is also dedicated to our Blessed Mother, Mary. As the Mother of all the faithful, she unites us together in the love of her Son. Please arrive a little early to Mass throughout May as the Rosary will be prayed before the start of each Mass.
Many Blessings!