Our readings today remind us to live our lives in total surrender to God’s care.
The Gospel recounts when Jesus instructs His twelve apostles to begin their missionary work two by two. He encouraged them to take very little — a walking stick and sandals.
If you can recall a time you packed for a trip, or even left the house for a day’s travel, you might remember making a list or packing days in advance. We tend to pack so we know we will be comfortable.
If we extend this concept of "comfort" into other areas of our lives, we will most likely find a few instances where we ensure life is comfortable. It could be buying extra food at the grocery store, making sure we have the most updated technology, or even feeling safe in our bank accounts.
It is not bad to have extra food in the pantry or a new phone. And it isn’t bad to save money. These things can be good when used properly.
But what if we are looking to these things for comfort, security or even happiness?
Imagine if Jesus approached you and said, “Go out and do my work, but you can only bring a walking stick and shoes.” Would you be willing to surrender all the rest?
A key component of living out our call as Christian stewards is total surrender. It is trusting in God during our best moments and our hardest. It is looking to Him for security, comfort and happiness.
Reflect on the ways you might be looking for comfort in the things of this world. Tangibly find a way to become independent from that "thing" so that you can become more dependent on God. (© Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2021)
Pastoral Pondering
This weekend we are happy to celebrate our welcome back events. The staff and volunteers have been working over the past several weeks to celebrate our ability to come together again as a parish family. We look forward to celebrating Septemberfest next month as well.
Stained Glass Windows – With the completion of our Rosary windows in the main nave of the Church, we are beginning the process of developing Stained Glass Windows for the transepts of the Church commemorating the saints. Thus far, a window dedicated to St. Kateri Tekakwitha is in process. Two other windows, one honoring St. Michael the Archangel and another honoring St. Faustina Kowalska are being sponsored by different groups in the parish. Should you or a group wish to sponsor a window, any saint can be commemorated who is not already represented in the church by statue or image. If interested please call the office or reach out to Rose Abell at rmabell51@gmail.com.
Left Transept and Masking – Please be mindful that at the Saturday evening Mass at 5:00 p.m. the left transept is reserved for those who, for whatever reason, continue to desire or need a higher level of protection. Masks are required in this section of the Church. Please be mindful of this and respectful of this. If you cannot or do not wish to mask, please sit in one of the other areas of the church. There is ample seating to accommodate, and the ushers will ask you to move seats in order to accommodate these requirements. Thank you for your cooperation.
I will resume the catechesis on the Precepts of the Church next week.