Ordinary Time 13

Wow, it is already July, which means we are getting closer to Steelers Training Camp! During this month of July, may the beautiful days and joyful Fourth of July celebrations help us all to fill our lives with thankfulness and praise!

In today’s first reading from the Old Testament Book of Wisdom, we hear “God fashioned all things that they might have being.” “God is love,” Scripture famously says (1 John 4:16), but you could also say with equal truth, “God is life.” Just as love reveals God, so does life itself witness to God. Creation was an act of pure life-giving love. God did not have to make the world: God wanted to make the world. God wanted to share the divine life with creation. Though brokenness and obstacles may lie in their paths, God always desires God’s creatures to return to the source of their lives. Every breath, every thought, every step, sight, sound and taste testifies to your being alive – and to God’s life in you. Be aware and be thankful!

Tuesday, July 3 is the Feast of Saint Thomas. He is famous for his skepticism toward initial reports of Jesus’ Resurrection. Meanwhile, you may wonder if you’d believe in such fabulous goings-on if they were reported to you in real-time today. Good news often seems feeble compared with the magnitude of the bad news that comes to you daily. Thomas is the patron saint when the reasons for hope appear frail indeed. Early traditions say he died as a martyr in India, pierced by a sword. The one whose faith was bolstered by the wounds of Jesus proved his faith with his own torn body. What has faith cost you, and do you have the scars to prove it.

As our nation celebrates its 236th birthday this Wednesday, this text from a prayer by Archbishop John Carroll is most appropriate:

Lord, we commend to your unbounded mercy all citizens of the United States, that we may be blessed in the knowledge and sanctified in the observance of your holy law. May we be preserved in union and that peace which the world cannot give; and, after enjoying the blessings of this life, be admitted to those which are eternal. Amen.

A special thanks to all who attended the Parish Picnic last Sunday! It was a beautiful day and a good time was had by all. Thanks to all who volunteered at the picnic.

Our Responsorial Psalm this week, "Our eyes are fixed on the Lord, pleading for his mercy," reminds us to turn to God to fulfill our needs.

Nativity of St. John the Baptist

Today we celebrate the Nativity of John the Baptist. John, the cousin of Jesus is a miracle baby born to elderly Zechariah and Elizabeth, who thought they were too old to have a child. Sometimes new life surprises us and we can only respond with awe and gratitude. Let us pray this day for new life for the world, our community, our church and ourselves.

John the Baptist was a prophet. What is a prophet? Well, the only thing that prophets have in common is that they have been sent, and the mission on which they are sent is not theirs, nor is the power theirs that gives them strength and patience and courage and makes them indifferent to the opinions of other people – not because they are sure they are right, but because only the message matters and rightness and wrongness, as the world judges these things, are irrelevant. They do not require the vindication of being heard or of visible results. The success of the mission, even, is less important than carrying it out, though they grieve because others cannot hear the voice that they hear.

Friday is the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. It is on this day that the Pope and a few other high church officials receive the pallium. The pallium is an ancient liturgical vestment worn only by the Pope and a very few other high church officials on whom the Pope bestows it as a symbol of the jurisdiction delegated to them. In honor of Saints Peter and Paul, today is the day of the liturgical year on which these officials receive this symbol of their office. In its current form it is a narrow band of white lamb’s wool from sheep raised by Trappist monks, looped and draped over other liturgical vestments. The pallium is a reminder of the serious duty placed on the shoulders of the highest church leaders. Pray today they that may fulfill their offices wisely, faithfully, and with compassion.

We are hosting the regional Fourth of July Mass here at Holy Cross at 9:00 AM. Patriotic prelude music will begin at 8:45 AM. There will be a special recognition of all the branches of the military. There will be a reception following the Mass. All are welcome to join us for a wonderful celebration in honor of our country’s 236th birthday!

Our Responsorial Psalm this week, "I praise you, for I am wonderfully made," reminds us to offer thanks to God for bringing each us into being.

Ordinary Time 11

Our gathering on this Lord’s Day marks the resumption of the numbered Sundays in Ordinary Time. All through summer and fall, from now until next Advent, we will hear successive passages from the Gospel of Mark, together with Jesus’ teaching on the Bread of Life from the Gospel of John. Week by week, the word of God and Jesus’ gift of the Eucharist will provide us with comfort and challenge, wisdom and strength to bear witness day by day to the kingdom of God. We listen and work as that kingdom grows, like a seed sown in the earth, invisibly but surely and steadily while God’s saving plan is brought to fulfillment through the ordinary events of our daily lives.

This weekend, we celebrate Father’s Day. This day celebrates the contribution that fathers and father figures make to their children’s lives. Its origin may lie in a memorial service held for a large group of men, many of them fathers, who were killed in a mining accident in Monogah, West Virginia in 1907. The day became official in 1972 by President Nixon. Happy Father's Day!

This Wednesday, June 20, is the first day of summer! Here is a summer blessing:

May our loving God watch over you and keep alive in your heart all that you have learned this year. Keep your mind on God. Remember to pray often and to celebrate your faith, at home with your family and at Mass with your faith family. Keep your faith in God. Let a ll the joys of summer remind you of God’s goodness. Never forget that God is always with you, no matter what. May the God of all creation who comes to us in Jesus, and lives among us in the Holy Spirit, keep you safe, happy and holy this summer and always. Amen.

A special thanks to the few and mighty who prepared for the Yard Sale and to all who donated items. It was a nice, hot day!

Plan on attending our Parish Picnic next Sunday, June 24. Bishop Brandt gave us permission to celebrate an outdoor Mass at 11:00 AM. Therefore, we will not have the regular 10:00 AM Mass here that day. Come and experience Mass outdoors and don’t forget the pie contest!

Our Responsorial Psalm this week, "Lord, it is good to give thanks to you," reminds us of the many blessings for which we give God our thanks and praise.

Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

On this day of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, we usually focus on the Eucharist as being spiritual food provided to the faithful. We speak of the Eucharistic table and meal, of eating the body of Christ and of drinking his blood. The Eucharist is not meant to be a private devotion but rather the enactment of a covenant, the very building up of a community. Faith is not a private matter; we believe together with our Christian community. Truly, as our tradition holds: “The Church makes the Eucharist, and the Eucharist makes the Church.”

Last weekend I saw a faith community come together to celebrate Church, as I celebrated my 10th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood. I would like to thank the Ladies Guild members for hosting the wonderful celebrations; all who provided cookies, cake and wine; to the choir for adding one more week to their schedule before summer break; and to all who attended the gatherings. The guests of other parishes were quite impressed with Holy Cross Church! I also thank so many of you for the cards and gifts, and wonderful words of congratulations and encouragement! God bless you all!

Monday is the Feast of the Apostle Barnabas. He was instrumental in helping Saint Paul evangelize and turn Christianity from a branch of Judaism into the largest of the world religions.

Wednesday is the Feast of Saint Anthony of Padua. He is best known for his help in finding lost objects. May we learn from him that “actions speak louder than words; let your words teach and your actions speak.”

Thursday is Flag Day. The American flag was adopted on this day in 1777, and for the past 235 years it has been a cherished symbol of everything this country holds dear. As a nation the United States has its share of problems, disagreements, and failures. Today is a good day to reflect on the sacrifices your ancestors made and consider how you might carry on their work so that future generations may live in the freedom the Stars and Stripes proclaim.

Finally, Friday is the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Saturday is the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Celebrate these twin feasts with gratitude for how God loves the world!

Our Responsorial Psalm this week, "I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord," invites us to call upon Jesus at all times, whenever we may need him.

Most Holy Trinity

After all the excitement of Easter, we are now back in Ordinary Time. Our attention is first tuned to two of the most significant tenants of our faith, the fundamental mystery of the Most Holy Trinity (celebrated today) and the Eucharistic celebration of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (celebrated next Sunday). We then consider aspects of life that meet us day in and day out. The readings offer us a perspective for discovering that ordinary does not mean empty or dull. Ordinary is really the norm, the usual standard, and so we are treated to insights that can deepen our appreciation of the norm. As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity you have the opportunity to reflect on what it means to believe in a Trinitarian God. The Most Holy Trinity is a central doctrine of our faith. If asked, some might recall Saint Patrick’s shamrock or a triangle, but what does a Trinitarian God really mean? One way to understand the Holy Trinity is to imagine a three-note musical chord: When played together the notes complement each other and create a sound that is richer and fuller than any single note. Ultimately, though, a Trinitarian God is not off in the heavens and separate from the world but one who willingly enters creation and becomes human — a truly awesome thought! Spend some time appreciating the gifts from your Trinitarian God.

This past Friday, June 1, I celebrated my 10th Anniversary to the Priesthood. The priesthood is a beautiful gift of the church. We currently have 7 men studying in the seminary. Keep praying for an increase of vocations to the Priesthood, Deaconate and religious life in the Diocese of Greensburg. We pray for all who are celebrating Jubilees in the Diocese of Greensburg, including Bishop Emeritus Anthony Bosco who is celebrating 60 years and Father Al Pleban who is celebrating 55 years. Congratulations and heartfelt thanks to all!

I congratulate all who are graduating from high school and institutions of higher learning. I wish you all the happiness in God’s beautiful world and every blessing through a lifetime of rich fulfillment.

Our Responsorial Psalm this week, "Blessed the people the Lord had chosen," invites us to acknowledge and rejoice in the rich diversity of people whom God calls “Beloved.”