Father Tom's Blog

 @FatherTomHolder

This weekend’s Gospel contains two miracle stories of Jesus. He brings back to life the daughter of the synagogue official and through a simple touch he heals a woman who has suffered from a lengthy affliction. In both events, Jesus disregards the norms of his culture and crosses lines in order to offer his gift of healing. But for Jesus, healing is connected to faith. The father of the girl and the woman in need of healing are both strong examples of people putting their faith into action. And Jesus responds to them from this faith perspective. To the woman he says: Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction. To the synagogue official, who has gotten word his daughter died, Jesus says: Do not be afraid, just have faith. These stories remind us that through our faith in Christ miracles are always happening and that with faith, we never need to live in fear. May we have the courage to put our faith into action, bring healing to all that separates and divides us, and welcome all people in Christ’s name.

Our Pastoral Care Ministry at Presentation is an important way we bring the healing of Christ to others. We are blessed with a large number of volunteers who help us provide many different offerings to those in need of pastoral care. This includes providing Communion to those in hospitals, nursing homes, care facilities, and the homebound. Our parish is responsible for serving a number of facilities in Lee’s Summit. We also offer the BeFriender ministry, which provides a listening companion to those who may be struggling with any life issues, as well as a meal ministry, transportation ministry, and other programs. If you are ever in need of any of the services we provide through our Pastoral Care Ministry or are interested in volunteering for any of these ministries, please call our Director of Pastoral Care, Shelli Lange.

As the summer seems to go quickly, I want to encourage anyone who may be interested in learning more about our parish Grade School or Early Childhood Center to please call or go to our website for more information. We have a long history of providing a high-quality, Catholic education and are blessed to have a parish community that supports these ministries. Amidst the challenges of this past year, we were also able to provide in-person education all year. Please share the good news of our Grade School and Center with your family and friends.
     
Next weekend is the July 4th holiday. This is an important time in our country to give thanks for the freedoms we enjoy and for the principles and values upon which our country was founded. As Christians, we also acknowledge God as the source of our blessings and our call to share those blessings with others, especially those in need. Stay safe in your celebrations and travels.
Many Blessings!

 

In the Gospel for this Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus asks his disciples a couple of important questions: Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith? Jesus asks these questions after the disciples wake him in fear because a violent storm is about to capsize their boat. Jesus calms the waters and commands the wind to cease much to the amazement of his disciples. While their fear is understandable as they are in danger of sinking, through this event, Jesus shows forth his divinity and reminds us that without faith we will not recognize his true identity and ability to work miracles in our lives. Jesus can calm the storms in our lives but we have to trust that he has the power to do so. Are there things in life which terrify us? Do our fears and anxieties keep us from having faith? Let us bring whatever storms we are encountering in life to Jesus and allow him to calm our troubled waters and give us strength to trust that he will never abandon us.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to all the fathers in our community on this Father’s Day weekend. We honor the many ways our fathers share the gift of love and serve the needs of their families. We pray for the health and happiness of our fathers so that they may continue to be mentors, protectors, providers, and most importantly, examples of God’s love. May God give strength and courage to all fathers to face their duties and responsibilities with love. We also lift up in prayer our deceased fathers, hold them in our hearts, and trust that they share in the gift of heaven with our Eternal Father. There will be a special blessing of all fathers at the end of each Mass this weekend. We are grateful for the life they share with us and all the ways they make our lives better.

This week, a few members of our parish staff and I will be joining other parish leaders from our diocese and from other parts of the country for a 3-day Amazing Parish Conference. The conference is here in the KC area and will focus on building healthy cultures of prayer, teamwork, and discipleship in parish life. We will share more about the fruits of the conference in the future, but please keep those of us attending in your prayers. This will be an opportunity to build on the great things that are already happening in our parish.

I have been hearing many good things from parishioners who have already read the summer book we handed out, Life’s Greatest Lesson. I hope you can take some time to read it. Remember that there are reflection and discussion questions for the book on our website. The book is also ideal for reading out loud at the family dinner table as the chapters are short. After you are done with the book, pass it on to a friend or family member.
Many Blessings!

 

This weekend is the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. After celebrating special feasts the last two weekends, we now return to counting the Sundays of Ordinary Time. The word “Ordinary” in this case refers to “ordered” or “numbered” time. During this time, the Gospels reflect more on the life and mission of Jesus and the fullness of his message. The Gospel for today speaks specifically about Jesus using parables to help the crowds understand his message. Jesus then uses the images of the seed being scattered on the ground and the mustard seed to describe the kingdom of God. Jesus reminds us that the kingdom of God is a mystery that we will never fully comprehend. Yet, the kingdom is at work in our lives as we build up the good things of God. The seed that bears much fruit and the mustard seed that becomes the largest of plants serve as reminders that we have a role to play in growing the kingdom. May the seed of faith God has planted in our lives always bear abundant fruit.

Next weekend is Father’s Day weekend. There will be a special blessing for fathers at all the Masses. You can also honor your father, living or deceased, by including their name on the Father’s Day envelope included in your June packet. You can also use your own envelope or submit their name through Online Giving. Please be sure to return your envelope or submit names by the end of this week so they can be included in the procession and prayers at Mass. Let us give thanks for the presence of our fathers.

Thanks to all the attendees, performers, volunteers and supporters for our annual Spaghetti Dinner & Variety Show last weekend. We had wonderful weather for this parking lot event and as usual, there was good food, fun, laughs and lots of amazing talent. While this is mainly a community-building event, we also raised funds to support our Parish Emergency Assistance account and the good work of Operation Breakthrough.

Even though it is summer, there are still many opportunities for all ages to grow in faith. Take some time to read the book we handed out last weekend, Life’s Greatest Lesson, by Allen Hunt. Be sure to check the bulletin and our website regularly as we have faith formation offerings throughout the summer.

While this has been a challenging year, one of the ways we have been able to weather the uncertainty is through the regular financial stewardship of so many of our parishioners. We are grateful for those who make a financial offering through the use of contribution envelopes and Online Giving. The parish operates on a fiscal year which ends June 30. As many have been returning to Mass over the past several weeks, I want to encourage those who may have fallen behind in their financial giving to make an effort to catch up as it will make a difference for the parish as we end the fiscal year. Your generosity is much appreciated.    
Many Blessings!    

This weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Most Holy Body & Blood of Christ. We remember that a central belief of our faith is that Jesus truly gives himself to us through the gifts of bread and wine brought forward to the altar at Mass. As Catholic Christians, we receive the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. The Gospel we hear today takes us back to the story of the Last Supper where Jesus blessed the bread and wine and for the first time said: this is my Body and this is my Blood. Through the Real Presence of Jesus, we are fed and nourished so that we can go forth and feed and nourish others in his Name. A key piece of the blessing prayer Jesus offers over the bread and wine at the Last Supper is the importance of giving thanks. We gather at each Mass in the spirit of thanksgiving for all that God has done for us. As we celebrate this important Feast, let’s take some time to give thanks for our many blessings and especially give thanks for the Real Presence of Jesus in our lives.

In honor of the Feast we celebrate today, we invite everyone to share in our CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION that will happen after the 2:00pm Spanish Mass this Sunday, June 6. If you attend one of the other Masses, just plan to arrive about 3:00pm in church this Sunday to be part of the procession. Weather permitting, there will be a relatively short procession outside around our parish campus which will end back in church. There will then be Adoration and Benediction in church until 4:00pm. This is a traditional way to celebrate the Feast so please plan to join us.

One of the ways we recognize the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is through Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. We are fortunate to have an Adoration Chapel that allows us to offer prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. I encourage you to consider spending time before our Eucharistic Lord. This time of prayer bears great fruit in our individual lives but also in the life of our parish. We need at least two people for every hour, so you can sign up for a specific hour of the day or come when it works best for you. Please call Jane at the Parish Office if you have any questions or would like to be on our regular list.

Congratulations to all the graduates of 2021 from the various levels of education. We offer a special blessing of graduates at all the Masses this weekend. Please keep our graduates in your prayers as they celebrate their accomplishments and move on to new adventures.
  
This is the kick-off weekend of the “Come Home to Communion” campaign in our diocese. Please extend an invitation to anyone in your life who has not come back to Mass yet and encourage them to join us.
Many Blessings!