12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

My Dear Parishioners,

This is the Lord’s Day and indeed we rejoice in it! Today we observe the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time and the Scriptural texts which are presented for our reflection draw our attention to the God of Creation. In the lection from the Book of Job we find God questioning Job about the forces of nature. God is the Creator who brought all into being and Job knows not how this wonder came about. In the Gospel the Lord Jesus has power that the wind and the seas obey Him. In the New Testament lection Saint Paul tells the Corinthians that association with Christ brings about a new creation.

All this talk of creation is a great seque to Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment and the gift of creation. This document was released after the writing of this article so I will be general and short. Like his namesake, Saint Francis of Assisi was a true environmentalist who saw the beauty and wonder of God’s creation. Francis rejoiced in it and saw it as a gift to be cherished and protected. Pope Francis calls the people of the world to protect and be mindful of the gift of creation.

Last Sunday the Lord could not have provided a better day for our parish picnic. The weather was perfect. The food was great and the fellowship was one which I and many enjoyed. I am just sorry that many more of our parishioners from both Saint Cecilia and Sacred Heart did not attend. I know that there were some other events taking place but I think the response could have been better. I hope that will be the goal for next year. As a matter of fact, I would like to celebrate the 12:15 p.m. Mass at the Firemen’s Field next year to encourage more people to attend.

Outdoor gathering for prayer is something we have been doing since I became your pastor 6 years ago. We go to the parish cemetery a couple of times during the year for Holy Mass and processions. Next Sunday I invite you to join with me in the blessing of the new outdoor cross recently erected in the cemetery. The prayer service will begin at 3 o’clock, rain or shine. The outdoor crucifix shrine was erected in 1953 and was a gift of the Lusardi Family. The cement cross deteriorated over the years and was falling apart. The corpus of Jesus is in great shape and all we had to do is clean him with some bleach. The cement cross is replaced by a wooden cross thanks to the donations received from parishioners. I am grateful to the volunteers who helped mount the 300 pound image of Christ to the cross, not an easy task.

God’s wonderful gift of creation is what we all hope to enjoy and rejoice in as the summer vacation season begins.

God bless you!
Father Zig