Father Tom's Blog

 @FatherTomHolder

We begin a new church year this weekend with our celebration of the First Sunday of Advent. This is a season focused on preparing for the coming of the Lord, but in two ways. We remember his coming in history as we celebrate his birth at Christmas. But we also anticipate Christ’s Second Coming in glory by being awake and alert to his presence around us. The readings today speak about cosmic events: there will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars….for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. These images are not there to scare us, but to keep us awake and aware so that we can be ready for the Lord’s coming. Jesus reminds us of our focus when he says: Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man. Amidst the busyness of this time of year, let us take time this Advent to mindful of Christ’s presence. 

Please take advantage of the opportunities we are providing this Advent to join in prayer and reflection. All of our offerings can be found in the bulletin or on our website. Our Light the Way four-week series begins this week with a short Advent-focused reflection from a parishioner and time for discussion and fellowship. You can attend the evening session on Monday at 6:30pm or morning session on Tuesday at 9:30am. Our presenter this week is Stacie Ventimiglia. We hope to see you at one of the sessions.
Also, this Thursday, December 2, at 7:00pm in church, join us for Canticles in Candlelight. The evening will include prayer, scripture and sacred music from our talented choir. Invite your family and friends to attend. 
As we continue our Just Pray theme for the year, be sure to cultivate a culture of prayer in your life and home by accessing the daily and weekly prayer offerings we provide. This includes Best Advent Ever and 24 Ways to Prepare. These resources can be found on our parish website. Let’s truly make this a meaningful Advent by joining together in prayer.

If you have not done so already, please be sure to take a tag from our Advent Giving Trees found in the Gathering Space. This is an important way for us to provide some light and joy to those in need this Christmas. Please follow the instructions in the bulletin for returning gifts and be sure to secure the tag you take to the gift you bring back. All gifts need to be returned by December 12. Thanks for supporting this service project.

Thanks to everyone who returned their Stewardship Commitment cards last week as part of our Stewardship Renewal. If you did not have a chance to do so, please return your Commitment cards in the next week. I hope you are also taking time to pray for the intention you received from your Just Pray partner. Thanks for your commitment to stewardship.   
Many Blessings!

 

Today marks the end of the liturgical (church) year. Our last celebration of the year is always the Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. How fitting that we end the year focused on Christ as the ruler of all things. Our readings today give us some good images to carry with us. From the prophet Daniel: His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed. From the Book of Revelation: I am the Alpha and the Omega, the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty. And in John’s Gospel, Jesus says: My kingdom does not belong to this world. Jesus transforms our conventional understandings of kingship and power. He reveals that true power comes through sacrificial love and a willingness to serve others. Let us remember that Christ’s love is the most powerful force in the universe. May we live this truth as we follow Christ, our King.

This weekend is also our Stewardship Renewal Commitment weekend. I hope you have taken some time to reflect on how God is calling you to share your gifts in our parish and be a good steward of your time, talent, and treasure. If you did not get a chance to return your commitment cards this weekend, please do so in the coming weeks. Our theme of Just Pray can also be a daily reminder to make a commitment to spending time in prayer and bringing prayer into our interactions with others. I continue to hear powerful stories from our parishioners of how they have taken time in the moment to pray with someone when that person has mentioned a difficult situation or struggle or particular need. Prayer makes a difference. Let’s keep building a culture of prayer in our lives and our community.
Thanks to all those who brought coats this weekend for our Coat Drive in support of our service partner, Bishop Sullivan Center. This will make a big difference in the lives of the children and adults they serve.

Next weekend we begin a new church year with the season of Advent. There will be a number of opportunities to gather as a community during Advent and prepare ourselves for the celebration of Christ’s birth. Please set aside time to be with us.
Our Advent Giving Tree went up this weekend and is an important service project for our parish as we provide gifts for children served by Lee’s Summit Social Services and adults in area nursing homes. Please take a tag, purchase a gift, and say a prayer for the person who will receive it. All the details are in the bulletin.

I hope everyone has a blessed Thanksgiving. Please join us for Mass at 9:00am on Thanksgiving Day as we give thanks to God for all our blessings. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve in this parish and will say a special prayer of thanks for all of you!
Many Blessings!

 

As we come to the end of another liturgical year, which will officially end next weekend with the Feast of Christ the King, we hear in our scripture readings a focus on the end times. In today’s Gospel, Jesus talks about certain signs that will help us know the end is near, such as: the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. But then he continues by saying something very important for us to remember: But of the day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. We are encouraged to stay focused on living our faith and trusting in the power of faith amidst the turmoil of the world. By being always ready and alert, we will not have to worry about the day or hour.

We continue our annual Stewardship Renewal this weekend. You should have received the mailing that included a letter from me. Please prayerfully consider the ways God is calling you to share your gifts with our parish community. Next weekend, November 20-21, will be Commitment weekend. Please bring your completed Stewardship Renewal forms with you to Mass and place them in the designated baskets as you enter church. There will be a special blessing of our commitments during Mass.
Also, beginning this Wednesday, 11/17 through next weekend, in connection with our Stewardship Renewal, we are having our Coat Drive for Bishop Sullivan Center. Please see the information in our bulletin and website about the details of the drive and help make Christmas a little warmer for someone in need. Please be generous as we support one of our service partners.
Next weekend we will also celebrate our Parish Feast Day, the Presentation of Mary, which is November 21. This will be a Celebrating Stewardship weekend so we will have special treats and gifts to honor the feast and in thanksgiving for our parish and all the faith-filled people over the years who have made this their faith home.

Join us for our next Agape Latte Monday, this Monday, November 15, at 6:30pm in the Mulligan Room. This month, the faith reflection will be by parishioner Justin Meyer, who is a pilot in the Air Force. This is an opportunity for adults to gather around topics of faith and share some social time.

November is also the month of Thanksgiving. As people of faith, we are called to give thanks by sharing our blessings and helping others in need. One way to do this is by making a contribution in the Thanksgiving envelope provided in your November packet. All contributions will go to support our Parish Emergency Assistance Fund. Please make a contribution in your Thanksgiving envelope or any envelope marked “Thanksgiving” and place it in the regular collection at weekend Masses in November or bring it with you to Thanksgiving Day mass at 9:00am.
Many Blessings!
 

We continue to hear examples from the Gospel of how we are called to give fully of ourselves in response to the generosity and abundance of God. The widow in today’s story gives from her substance, from her whole livelihood, as the Gospel states. This is in contrast to the many rich people who experience no sacrifice or suffering for their contributions. The poor widow was in touch with her total dependence on God. While most of us do not have to sacrifice from our needs or even our wants, we might ask ourselves how we can imitate the generous self-giving of the widow. Jesus teaches us the way of sacrificial giving. There are many ways we are called each day to follow this example.

This weekend begins our annual Stewardship Renewal. This year we are continuing our parish-wide theme of Just Pray. Rooting our lives in prayer is an important way for us to know God’s will in our lives and how we are being called to share our God-given gifts. All registered households will receive a mailing about our Stewardship Renewal and an invitation to make a commitment to share your time, talent, and treasure. We ask that you prayerfully reflect on how God is calling you to share your gifts and return your Time, Talent, and Treasure form with you to Mass for Commitment weekend on November 20-21. We will also be celebrating our Parish Feast Day (November 21) that weekend, so it will be an opportune time to give thanks for all the ways we continue to make this a great parish through the sharing of our gifts.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Remembrance Masses last weekend. The procession of candles by family members who have had a family member or close friend die this past year and the calling of their names is always moving. And as an entire community, we hold each other in prayer and through faith, entrust our deceased loved ones to the eternal care of Christ. We will continue to remember our deceased loved ones throughout the month of November. Our parish Book of Remembrance is displayed by the baptismal font. You are welcome to place the names of your deceased loved ones in the book and as we come and go from church, we can say a prayer for all the names written in the book. May they all rest in peace.  

As we celebrate Veterans Day this week, let’s say a prayer of thanks for all those who have served our country and made sacrifices to protect our freedoms. The 5th graders in our grade school hold a beautiful Veteran’s Day ceremony every year for the veterans in our community. May God bless all of our veterans and keep safe all those currently serving in the military.

If you haven’t done so yet, there is still time to sing up for the Reclaim! virtual event with Matthew Kelly this Tuesday, November 9, at 7:00pm in church. Please join us.
Many Blessings!