Deacon Al

This weekend, Father’s Day weekend, is a perfect weekend for this Gospel reading. Point being Christ’ words to Peter “you have judged correctly”.

Last week, the diocese held a continuing education class for Parish leaders, lay and clergy. The speaker at the event, Father Ron Rolheiser, gave an awesome incite as to how we bless and curse the people God puts in our lives, specifically our children, without even realizing it. I’ll admit I thought this was very odd, after all who would curse their own child.

But as Father Ron went on, he explained we tend to be stricter with those we love, judging them as to how they should act, speak and live. But should we not look at ourselves first?

Can we live by the examples we expect to? Do we hold others to stricter moral standards, but have loose ones for ourselves? Is our faith walk evident in our everyday living, not just in church? And even more importantly, do we put others before ourselves, listening, being people who keep our word, our promises, our commitments?

When it comes down to it, life is short…Apologize frequently, tell those in your lives you love them too many times each day, and when it seems as if all’s going wrong, stop the world around you. There’s always time to talk things out, there’s always time for pie and coffee.

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Fr. Bill Terza

SHARON LOUGHRAN BROWN – EDUCATIONAL LEADER AND WOMAN OF FAITH

By now most of you know that Mrs. Sharon Loughran Brown, Principal of Madonna Catholic Regional School will be taking on a new position as Principal of Our Lady of Grace School in Scott Twp. She taught for seven years in MCRS before becoming principal for the last ten years. It is with deep sadness for us and the MCRS community, but great joy for Sharon and Our Lady of Grace, that we bid her farewell. I have only had the opportunity of working with her for the past two years. In those two years I have come to realize her great gift to the school and to this parish, because she has been an integral part of both. Her leadership in the school has been felt not only as an educator but as a woman of faith. The spirit and life of the school is largely because of her incite, faith, and devotion to her vocation and to encouraging others to assist her in the building of a faith community. We will miss her jovial sense of humor, her kindness to both students, parents and staff, her devotion to her work, and her sense of spirituality. But we are fortunate because she will still remain a member of this parish, where she has contributed over the years, previously chairing the summer festival with her husband for a number of years , participating in our faith formation program, sharing her faith as a leader of the children’s liturgy, confirmation instructor, Vacation Bible school participant, and active member of the parish staff. She has been a true servant of her faith as she integrated her work with the school and her responsibility as a parishioner of St. Damien. And all of this is possible because it is not important “what” we do as it is “who” we are as a person, how we reflect Christ in our daily life and activities. We will be able to replace the “principal” of the school, but we will not be able to replace “Sharon Loughran Brown” . Our prayers and blessings to her and to the students, parents, and staff of Our Lady of Grace.

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Fr. Bill Terza

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body And Blood of Christ—a day on which we focus our attention on this great GIFT from our Lord and God, the GIFT OF HIS VERY SELF to us in the food we receive at this table. And as you well know, one of the words we use for this Sacrament and this sacred celebration is “Eucharist”, a word that is best translated as “thanksgiving” or “gratitude”. And so if there is any feeling or attitude we are to bring as we come forward to receive Jesus in this holy food, it is gratitude—a deep appreciation and profound sense of thankfulness for all God has done for us and continues to do for us each and every day. A grateful heart is a faith-filled heart.

Our first and “only” response that we give to the one distributing the Eucharist is “AMEN”. When we say “Amen” we are giving our assent to what the person has said to us—affirming that we do indeed BELIEVE THAT WE ARE RECEIVING THE LORD”S BODY AND BLOOD.

However, maybe we should be saying “thank you” too. The “thank you” I’m thinking of is certainly NOT one that we say to the person distributing communion. And it isn’t even something we should say out loud to God in that moment either. The “thank you” I’m thinking of is one that we say with our lives , the one we say through the choices we make once we have left this holy place and gone back to our families, our workplaces, our schools, and our communities.

We are NOT in this spirit of thanksgiving if we receive our Lord and push past the one distributing the Eucharist and walk out the door and don’t remain for the conclusion of the Liturgy. Take time to sincerely be thankful for this great GIFT. The extra five minutes until the end of Mass can be so grace- filled !!!!!

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