20th Sunday in Ordinary time -Year A
The first time I stood inside St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, its majesty overwhelmed me. The sheer beauty of Michelangelo’s dome seemed to lift my soul right out of my body. Later, I joined the Scavi tour that winds below the basilica, down into the ancient pagan cemetery where Peter was buried. There, in the dim light and narrow passageways, I found myself looking at the bones of a murdered Jewish fisherman, his feet cut off so his crucified body could be taken down more easily. What a paradox. Above me, the most glorious church ever built. Beneath me, the remains of a backwater fisherman. But this man dared to answer Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?” And crowning that immense dome above his tomb are the words from today’s Gospel, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church.” Within you and me is the drama of the lowest and the highest. Every time we confess Christ, humbly, imperfectly, maybe even trembling, we enter that same mystery. The dust of our humanity, touched by the splendor of heaven. God’s presence and our dry bones together. Humility and glory. May our lives embrace both the lowest and the highest, like that great basilica, as we profess Jesus. — Father John Muir
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
I write this article while preparing for a medical test which is scheduled for tomorrow. It required I limit what I eat for the three days leading up to the test and the day before I can only have liquids and even which liquids is limited. At first, I was complaining about not being able to eat anything I wanted to eat. I was complaining that this is so hard, especially with all the food available to me. Then I stopped and thought about the fact that there are so many people in this world, in this country, in this state and even in this town/city who do not have much to eat, do not have options and many do not have any food at all and I have the nerve to complain! I switched from complaining to being grateful that I have things to eat, even if limited at the moment. I am grateful that it is only temporary. My heart goes out to those that it is not temporary, but everyday life and will do what I can to change that for my “brothers and sisters in Christ” who are going without. My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us always remember to be grateful for what we have rather than complain about what we don’t have and let us also remember when we see those less fortunate than us that they are our brothers and sisters and do whatever we can to help them.
God Bless you and have a wonderful week, Fr. Michael
SCRIPTURAL REFLECTIONS ON STEWARDSHIP
“Or who has given the Lord anything that he may be repaid?”
St. Paul reminds us of a central fact of stewardship. We cannot give God anything – He already owns it all. God made everything, including us. Since we are made in His image, we too, are called to be generous. How we use our God-given gifts becomes our gift back to Him. Gratitude for all we have been given opens our hearts to joyful generosity! And, through our generosity, we just may be the answer to someone’s else’s prayer.
Blessing for the Summer
Praise God!
Pour Your mercy upon this season, Lord! As the days fill with sun, fill our hearts with the fire of Your love. As we gather to share story and song, campfires and connection, be with us. Bless our work, our rest, and our play in Your goodness. Amen.
PRACTICING CATHOLIC
RECOGNIZE GOD IN YOUR ORDINARY MOMENTS By Colleen Jurkiewicz Dorman
Only Peter Has the Answer
“What do you think of the Pope?” After the election of Pope Leo XIV in 2025, all my non-Catholic friends texted me this question. The result of the papal conclave was dominating the news cycle, and everyone was curious about this man who would now be so prominent on the world stage, making me temporarily popular with people who apparently need more (and better) Catholics in their lives. In today’s Gospel, we see Jesus entrust Peter and his heirs with the stewardship of the kingdom here on earth, creating an unbroken line of authority which stretches through the millennia all the way to our current Pope — whoever he is at the time you are reading this. I don’t know if you like the Pope. The same goes for your local bishop and your pastor. If a friend texted you, “What do you think of him?” I have no idea how you would respond. All I know is this: it doesn’t really matter. What really matters is what we would say if a friend texted us the same question about Jesus Christ: “What do you think of Him, and why?” In today’s Gospel, Jesus doesn’t ask His disciples to take an IQ test. He doesn’t try to find out which one is the nicest, the hardest worker, the most humble, or even the holiest. He asks a very simple question: “Who do you say that I am?” Peter has the answer. I am not Catholic because I like the Pope. I am not Catholic because the human representatives of the Church have anything to offer me (they often do, but this is beside the point). I am Catholic because only Peter has the answer.
PRAYER REQUESTS
That God will relieve their suffering and restore them to health. Please pray for: Kellie Salata, Kelly Chinchar, Jessica, Daniel Breslin, Stanley, Joseph Marrone, Anthony, Michael, Joseph, Jessica Esopo, Steve, Audra, Bernadette, James Weiss, Baby Ford, Rosemary Malangone, Elizabeth Malangone, Sue West, Colleen Emery, Richard, Joan Russo, Christina Martin, Mornia Evans, Valerie Valverde, Diana McGuckin, Cheryl Prinjinski, Stephen West, Bryan Westfall, Cathy Bruno, Anne Trainor.
Holy Name Medical Center is looking for Eucharistic Ministers, volunteers, who are willing to help out in giving out Holy Communion to their patients. If you are interested, you can email them at pokafor@holyname.org or call their office at 201-833-3243 or stop by their Pastoral Care Office, behind the chapel, lobby/ground floor at Holy Name Medical Center.
Please consider sponsoring our Bread & Wine, Altar Flowers, and the oil for the Sanctuary Lamp.
Opportunities for Parish Support
There are several ways you can help support our parish and honor loved ones at the same time. As you may have noticed on the first Sunday of every month in our bulletin, we thank the donors of our Altar Gifts. You can donate the Bread & Wine, Altar Flowers, or the Sanctuary Lamp in a two-week block for $50 in someone’s memory. We have blocks open for this year. We also need to purchase a new Easter candle each year (the tall candle on the altar) for $300-$400 which can also be donated in someone’s memory. You do not have to fund the entire amount, anything you wish to donate towards the purchase of our Easter candle is appreciated. We also have masses available for your intentions. If you wish to honor someone in any of these ways, please call the rectory.
Prayer for our Nation
God our Father, giver of life, we entrust the United States of America to your loving care. You are the rock on which this nation was founded. You alone are the true source of our cherished rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Reclaim this land for your glory and dwell among your people. Send your Spirit to touch the hearts of our nation’s leaders. Open their minds to the great worth of human life and the responsibilities that accompany human freedom. Remind your people that true happiness is rooted in seeking and doing your will. Through the intercession of Mary Immaculate, patroness of our land, grant us the courage to reject the “culture of death.” Lead us into a new millennium of life. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Praying the ROSARY
The Rosary is a meditation, a time to recall and think about the life of Jesus as seen and experienced by Mary. As the model of faith, Mary’s life sets a pattern that we strive to follow: saying ‘yes’ to God’s will in our lives and sharing His love and message with others. The Mysteries of the Rosary form a mini lesson of faith, using the highlights and significant moments of the life of Jesus. Like paging through a family scrapbook, we see in brief the events of salvation history that are the core of our belief and the hope of our eternal life.
WE NEED BULLETIN ADVERTISERS!!
We would like to thank all the advertisers who have supported us throughout the past year. Our parish benefits greatly from the ads you see in the bulletin. The revenue pays for the printing which is an important means of communication for the parish. If we do not have enough advertisers, the cost of our bulletin goes up. We thank the local businesses that advertise with us especially in these tough economic times. We have some spaces on the back of our bulletin that need filling so if you would like to advertise your business as well as benefit your church, please contact John Patrick Publishing at 1-800-333-3166.
Please support our advertisers at the back cover of bulletin.
