20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

My Dear Parishioners,
 
As we gather to celebrate the Lord’s Day on this 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time the Scriptural texts speak of the suffering which accompanies faith. Indeed the Prophet Jeremiah suffers because of his fidelity to the vocation to which God has given him. In the Gospel the Lord Jesus tells His listeners that they will experience upset in their relations with others all because of their allegiance to Him. In the epistle reading believers are encouraged to know that they are surrounded by” a great cloud of witnesses”, the company of heaven who had run the race and now share in the victory of the righteous.
 
Yes, suffering accompanies us in our faith journey through life. Conducting ourselves according to the Commandments and Evangelical values proclaimed by the Lord will put us at odds with others and the world in which we live. This will bring division and will distinguish the followers of Christ from those who reject Him. This division will be seen in families, neighborhoods and the work places where authentic Christians are to be found. Called to be different can be a scary and difficult invitation. Strength is found in the Epistle to the Hebrews which says, “…Let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on JESUS, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God. Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.”
 
By keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus we will gain the courage to live honorably, generously and with great virtues. Once we take our gaze from Him we will be seduced by the lures of the devil which will lead us into the dark places which bring disaster. Many are headed in this dark direction but we must stay the course which has been run by the saints before us, that great cloud of witnesses who are cheering us on to the finishing line in heaven.
 
Our parish church contains the images of the saints which remind us that we are all called to holiness of life. I am so grateful to those who responded to my appeal to help us with some “clean up” at Sacred Heart. We met for two Saturday mornings in a row with the first Saturday  being very humid and temperatures reaching 90’s. I am especially grateful to those who came from Saint Cecilia Parish to work for our church. My sincere thanks to: Vince Turco, Greg Weber, John Rodimer, Charlie Burke, John Sullivan, John Sautter, Charlie Killeen, Kelly and Brian Stehle, Ralph DiMarcantonio, Ron Gatzke, Jack Zayak, Caroline Milano, Tom Gorman, Andy Chop, Joe Voorhees, and Derek Nelson (I hope I didn’t forget anyone). This was a wonderful crew who worked very hard and to whom I am most grateful. Also many thanks to my assistants: Father Marcin, Father Mateusz and Seminarian Matt!
 
Lastly, I will have information in the bulletin very shortly regarding our faith formation classes for First Holy Communion and Confirmation. Both classes will be meeting in the rectory basement on a designated schedule for the reception of the sacraments here at Sacred Heart Church. Mrs. Lucy Rovegno will be the catechist for the First Communion Class and Mrs. Michelle Schaffer will continue to serve as the catechist for the Confirmation class.
 
Have a good week! (and, God bless you!)
Father Zig