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14 Kingsmere Place Saskatoon, SK S7J 3V7 (306)374-1425
email: [email protected] holyspiritsaskatoon.ca
HOLY SPIRIT PARISH
Catholic Hospital Chaplaincy
For patients at Saskatoon City or Royal University Hospitals, please contact Jackie Saretsky at the Catholic Pastoral Centre by phone at (306) 659-5839 or (306) 292-5531 or by e-mail: [email protected] (The dioce-san Hospital Chaplaincy Office is funded by the Bishop’s Annual Appeal.)
• For patients at St. Paul’s Hospital, please ask at the nursing desk, or phone (306) 655-5000 and ask to connect to Spiritual Care.
Spiritual Communion Prayer
“My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament of the altar. I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You
sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart ... I embrace You as if
You were already there and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You, Amen.”
• For the Church, that we may be a light to our world and that our words and deeds may be instruments of healing and transformation for our society, we pray to the Lord.
• For all leaders, that they may come to a fuller appreciation of their responsibility to uphold human dignity and to care for God’s creation, we pray to the Lord.
• For all grandparents and elders who share their faith, wisdom and vision of life with each new generation, we pray to the Lord.
• For all who are suffering, that God will send rain to end the drought, guide those fighting wildfires, and give strength to those recovering from disasters, we pray to the Lord.
• For Father Darryl Millette, in thanksgiving to God for his service for the past 6 years and for all priests who are changing parishes or embarking on new pastoral assignments, we pray to the Lord.
• For newly married couples and those celebrating wedding anniversaries, may they continue to embrace the symbol of Christ’s love for his Church, we pray to the Lord.
• For the sick and all those that care for them, today we pray for: Jeff Haugen, Betty Anne Tomney, Hiba Jimie, Samuel Pangilinan, Raizel Zafra, Karen Feser, Blanche Kolojay, Celena Komarnicki, we pray to the Lord.
• For all those who have died. Today we remember: Josephine Oliver, Evelyn Fritz Hoppe
And on the anniversary of death: Josephine Forman, we pray to the Lord.
Confession - Saturdays 11:00 am - 12 noon
Can’t be at Mass? Join us each Sunday for
Rosary at 11:40 am Mass at 12 noon
live streamed on Facebook and at saskatoonmass.com
Join Us for Weekday Mass
Tuesday-Friday @ 8:30am
Holy Spirit Parish Adoration
Fridays 9 am - 12 noon
(There is no Adoration Wednesdays during July.
It will resume Wednesday Aug. 4.)
Let Us Pray to the Lord
Mass Times
Saturdays: 5:00 pm
Sundays: 10:00 am, 12 noon, 7:00 pm
CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF CHILDREN In the past couple of years we have had inquiries from parents of a number of children who have not been baptized and now the child is showing a keen interest in receiving the sacraments of
initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and First Communion). Is this happening in your home too? We, at Holy Spirit Parish, are trying to meet this need and have created a process for children 8 to 16 years who would like to explore the possibility of being baptized and receive the sacraments of Confirmation and First Communion. I would love to talk with you and your child if she/he has been questioning. I so look forward to telling you more about this encouraging and gratifying process. Please either call or email me at [email protected] or 306-374-1425.
CHRISTIAN INITIATION FOR ADULTS RCIA is being offered this year virtually. They are meeting Wednesday evenings at 7:00 via Zoom. For further information please contact Arch McKay at [email protected] [email protected] .
MARRIAGE PREPARATION This program is intended not only for engaged couples but also for couples considering engagement and marriage. For information and to register for the next session contact Nicole Gursky at 306 229-0384 or email [email protected].
INFANT BAPTISM - 2021 Do you have a new baby and would like to baptize him/her or are you expecting a new baby? Perhaps you would simply like to have more information on having your child baptized at Holy Spirit parish? If any of these are true for you. I would love to hear from you! If you have attended a baptism preparation session in the past couple of years you probably won’t need to take prep
before the baptism. If you are brand new parents or have not taken any baptism prep sessions please contact me and we can arrange for a prep session and then the celebration of baptism with your child. Please contact me at 306-374-1425 or email to [email protected] and I am happy to answer any questions you may have and we can talk about both the prep sessions and the celebration itself. I am looking forward to hearing from you!
“For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all
generations.” Psalm 100
Mindful of the comfort level and safety of our parishioners, we are easing into changes
that come as provincial restrictions loosen. We are always available by phone and email.
Please let us know if someone needs our attention. If you need to plan a funeral, have
questions, would like to add a name to the Prayers of the Faithful, or simply wish to be
in touch with us to talk with someone, please: Phone 306-374-1425; press 6 for Ministry of Care.
email: Kelly Wormsbecker [email protected]
Charlene Nijhawan [email protected]
Pastoral Associates, Ministry of Care
MINISTRY OF CARE
CATHOLIC WOMEN’S LEAGUE Questions or want to join? questions call:
CWL Webpage
Or call Adele Giblin 306 374-7524 or Margaret Schwab 306 227-8930
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS 8905
Thinking about joining? Have questions? Call:
James Nestmann (306) 260-8206
Bob Wacholtz (306) 933-9499
Reminder: Fr. Darryl’s Farewell Weekend
After six years as pastor of Holy Spirit Parish, Fr. Darryl Millette has been given a new as-signment and will be leaving Holy Spirit Parish. His last weekend here is July 24 and 25. He will celebrate all four Masses that weekend. You are invited to attend any of these Masses (all restrictions have been lifted). After each Mass you can express your good wishes to Fr. Darryl in person and enjoy an ice cream treat!
Please join us in thanking Fr. Darryl for his faithful and generous service.
• Saturday July 24 - 5:00 pm • Sunday July 25 - 10:00 am, 12 noon, 7 pm
Back in the latter part of the 1990’s my son came home from classes one day all excited telling me about this “guy” who had been part of the Catholic Christian Outreach faith study at the university had discerned and was going to enter the seminary! Fr. Darryl, let me tell you on that day I didn’t think that some 20 years later I would be putting into words, on behalf of the Holy Spirit staff, a heartfelt goodbye to you!
A little bit of history for everyone…. So yes, Fr. Darryl did enter the seminary and as most of you know was ordained in July 2007. He has been a well-respected priest of the Saskatoon diocese for the past 14 years. During these years he has served successfully in various parishes in a few towns and Saskatoon. Fr. Darryl, you must have done a great job in all those parishes. It was noticed and last summer you were named the new chancellor of the diocese. I know it’s been challenging for you during this last year to juggle work at the diocese, be a student of Canon Law, not to mention being pastor to a parish of over 2000 families! Thank you so much for your care over the past six years as you baptized, married and buried those in our parish. Thank you for your gift of preaching as you broke open the word for us each week. And thank you for the love you shared with us as a parish. We have been blessed and made holier because of your many gifts and pastoral service to Holy Spirit. Fr. Darryl, I think I can safely say that we, as staff, believe the bishop could not have made a better choice than naming you chancellor of the diocese. Your quick mindedness, your astuteness, your attention to detail, but most importantly your pastoral and compassionate nature will bless all those you come into contact with and you will be well-loved for your work and care. Please take our very best wishes with you as you move on to this next chapter in your life and remember where we are so you will come back to visit!! ~ Sharon Powell, Faith Formation
Saying goodbye to Fr. Darryl...
Excerpts from the MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
FOR THE FIRST WORLD DAY FOR GRANDPARENTS AND THE ELDERLY
(25 July 2021)
“I am with you always”
Dear Grandfathers and Grandmothers, Dear Elderly Friends,
“I am with you always” (Mt 28:20): this is the promise the Lord made to his disciples before he ascended into
heaven. They are the words that he repeats to you today, dear grandfathers and grandmothers, dear elderly
friends. “I am with you always” are also the words that I, as Bishop of Rome and an elderly person like
yourselves, would like to address to you on this first World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly. The whole
Church is close to you – to us – and cares about you, loves you and does not want to leave you alone!
I am well aware that this Message comes to you at a difficult time: the pandemic swept down on us like an
unexpected and furious storm; it has been a time of trial for everyone, but especially for us elderly persons.
Many of us fell ill, others died or experienced the death of spouses or loved ones, while others found themselves
isolated and alone for long periods.
The Lord is aware of all that we have been through in this time. He is close to those who felt isolated and alone,
feelings that became more acute during the pandemic. Tradition has it that Saint Joachim, the grandfather of
Jesus, felt estranged from those around him because he had no children; his life, like that of his wife Anne, was
considered useless. So the Lord sent an angel to console him. While he mused sadly outside the city gates, a
messenger from the Lord appeared to him and said, “Joachim, Joachim! The Lord has heard your insistent
prayer”. Giotto, in one of his celebrated frescoes, seems to set the scene at night, one of those many sleepless
nights, filled with memories, worries and longings to which many of us have come to be accustomed.
Even at the darkest moments, as in these months of pandemic, the Lord continues to send angels to console our
loneliness and to remind us: “I am with you always”. He says this to you, and he says it to me. That is the
meaning of this Day, which I wanted to celebrate for the first time in this particular year, as a long period of
isolation ends and social life slowly resumes. May every grandfather, every grandmother, every older person,
especially those among us who are most alone, receive the visit of an angel!
At times those angels will have the face of our grandchildren, at others, the face of family members, lifelong
friends or those we have come to know during these trying times, when we have learned how important hugs
and visits are for each of us. How sad it makes me that in some places these are still not possible!
The Lord, however, also sends us messengers through his words, which are always at hand. Let us try to read a
page of the Gospel every day, to pray with the psalms, to read the prophets! We will be comforted by the Lord's
faithfulness. The Scriptures will also help us to understand what the Lord is asking of our lives today. For at
every hour of the day (cf. Mt 20:1-16) and in every season of life, he continues to send labourers into his
vineyard. I was called to become the Bishop of Rome when I had reached, so to speak, retirement age and
thought I would not be doing anything new. The Lord is always – always – close to us. He is close to us with
new possibilities, new ideas, new consolations, but always close to us. You know that the Lord is eternal; he
never, ever goes into retirement.
In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells the Apostles, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have
commanded you” (28:19-20). These words are also addressed to us today. They help us better understand that
our vocation is to preserve our roots, to pass on the faith to the young, and to care for the little ones. Think
about it: what is our vocation today, at our age? To preserve our roots, to pass on the faith to the young and to
care for the little ones. Never forget this.
At this crucial moment in history, you have a renewed vocation. You may wonder: How this can be possible?
My energy is running out and I don’t think I can do much. How can I begin to act differently when habit is so
much a part of my life? How can I devote myself to those who are poor when I am already so concerned about
my family? How can I broaden my vision when I can’t even leave the residence where I live? Isn’t my solitude
already a sufficiently heavy burden? How many of you are asking just that question: isn’t my solitude already a
sufficiently heavy burden? Jesus himself heard a similar question from Nicodemus, who asked, “How can a
man be born when he is old?” (Jn 3:4). It can happen, the Lord replies, if we open our hearts to the working of
the Holy Spirit, who blows where he wills. The Holy Spirit whose freedom is such that goes wherever, and does
whatever, he wills.
Given this, I want to tell you that you are needed in order to help build, in fraternity and social friendship, the
world of tomorrow: the world in which we, together with our children and grandchildren, will live once the
storm has subsided. All of us must “take an active part in renewing and supporting our troubled societies”.
Among the pillars that support this new edifice, there are three that you, better than anyone else, can help to set
up. Those three pillars are dreams, memory and prayer. The Lord’s closeness will grant to all, even the frailest
among us, the strength needed to embark on a new journey along the path of dreams, memory and prayer.
The prophet Joel once promised: “Your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men will have visions”
(3:1). The future of the world depends on this covenant between young and old. Who, if not the young, can take
the dreams of the elderly and make them come true? Our dreams of justice, of peace, of solidarity can make it
possible for our young people to have new visions; in this way, together, we can build the future. You need to
show that it is possible to emerge renewed from an experience of hardship. I am sure that you have had more
than one such experience: in your life you have faced any number of troubles and yet were able to pull through.
Use those experiences to learn how to pull through now.
Dreams are thus intertwined with memory. I think of the painful memory of war, and its importance for helping
the young to learn the value of peace. Those among you who experienced the suffering of war must pass on this
message. I also think of my own grandparents, and those among you who had to emigrate and know how hard
it is to leave everything behind, as so many people continue to do today, in hope of a future. Some of those
people may even now be at our side, caring for us. These kinds of memory can help to build a more humane and
welcoming world. Without memory, however, we will never be able to build; without a foundation, we can
never build a house. Never. And the foundation of life is memory.
Finally, prayer. Your prayer is a very precious resource: a deep breath that the Church and the world urgently
need (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 262). Especially in these difficult times for our human family, as we continue to
sail in the same boat across the stormy sea of the pandemic, your intercession for the world and for the Church
has great value: it inspires in everyone the serene trust that we will soon come to shore.
I ask the Lord that, also through his example, all of us may open our hearts in sensitivity to the sufferings of the
poor and intercede for their needs. May each of us learn to repeat to all, and especially to the young, the words
of consolation we have heard spoken to us today: “I am with you always”! Keep moving forward! May the Lord
grant you his blessing.
Rome, Saint John Lateran, 31 May 2021, Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
FRANCIS
Pope Francis' Message for the First World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly - In a video message, Pope Francis tells the elderly that God is always with them and reassures them that the Lord sends his angels to comfort them in their loneliness.
See this link for Pope Francis’ letter, MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS FOR THE FIRST WORLD DAY FOR
GRANDPARENTS AND THE ELDERLY
Summer Find! RONROLHEISER, OMI
Fr. Ron is in demand and well known as speaker. Keeping an active speaking schedule, his retreats and workshops have inspired many. Along with his academic knowledge in systematic theology and philosophy, he has become a popular speaker in the areas of contemporary spirituality and religion and the secular world. Franciscan Communications has produced fifteen DVDs of his retreats that are well loved for both individual and group use.
In 1991, while on sabbatical, Fr. Ron was asked by his religious community to serve as the Provincial Superior of his home province. He served two terms as Provincial of St. Mary’s Province (Canada). In 1998, Fr. Ron was elected Regional Councilor for Canada, serving on the General Administration of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, in Rome, for six years. In August 2005, Fr. Ron became the President of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio Texas. He retired from that position in September 2020, and remains on staff as a full time faculty member. Check out his website and many archived columns. One of particular interest is his column from July 12, 2021,
‘Why Stay in the Church’. A great response many of us can’t find the words for.
How important
grandparents are for
family life,
for passing on the
human and religious
heritage so essential
for each and every
society! ~ Pope Francis
Our fun 5-DAY AT HOME Vacation Bible School (VBS) begins on August 9, 2021.
Cat.Chat At Home VBS includes:
• A daily Cat.Chat Action Song Video for your children to watch, sing, and dance along to
• A Bible Verse Music Video to help kids memorize God's Word and plant seeds of faith
• 10 Cat.Chat VBS songs (2 songs daily) to stream from your device anywhere/anytime
• Printable faith and craft activities
• Snack and game activities
• A daily saint story and coloring page
• Prayers
• Connection questions to spark meaningful conversations Plus, an opportunity for kids to enter a SUMMER VBS coloring contest and win exciting prizes. SIGN UP to receive your At Home VBS by emailing [email protected] or calling the parish office at 306-374-1425.
Holy Spirit Parish
114 Kingsmere Place • Saskatoon, SK S7J 3V7
Phone 306 374-1425 • Fax 306 374-3190
Office email [email protected]
Website holyspiritsaskatoon.ca
Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon Phone 306 242-1500
Website rcdos.ca
Pastor
Rev. Darryl Millette [email protected]
Associate Pastor
Rev. Phong Pham [email protected]
Holy Spirit Parish Mass Times Saturday 5 pm, Sunday 10 am, 12 noon, 7 pm
12 noon Sunday Mass continues to be livestreamed.
Adoration : Fridays 9am - 12 noon (No Adoration when there is a funeral)
Confessions: Saturdays 11am -12 noon in the Church Any other time by appointment. Call: 306-374-1425 or Email: [email protected]
Pastoral Associates:
Administrative Assistant
Karen Klein [email protected]
Building Maintenance:
Jack Altrogge, Ed Yuzyk [email protected]
Faith Formation
Sharon Powell [email protected]
Financial Administrator
Monica Johnson [email protected]
Ministry of Care
Charlene Nijhawan [email protected]
Kelly Wormsbecker [email protected]
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)
Arch McKay [email protected]
Sacramental Preparation
Erin Gratton [email protected]
Youth Ministry Coordinator
Celena Komarnicki [email protected]
As Catholics, we seek healing and strength in the Eucharist. Through our parish Ministry of Care we bring communion to those who cannot be with us for Mass, whether temporarily or on an ongoing basis. Ministry of Care staff and volunteers will gladly make a home visit to the sick, the lonely and the homebound. We are not always aware of those who have this need. Call pastoral associates Charlene or
Parish Pastoral Council:
Kenton Peterson,Chair Louise Bitz Fern Boutin Susan Burns Cameron Choquette
Adrian Cochet Lynn Eremondi James Nestmann Jonathon Neufeld Aaron Pangilinan
Finance Committee:
Byron Bitz Jonathon Neufeld, Council rep
Mike Gartner - Chair Melina Palendat
Greg Kirzinger Pat Pitka
DONATING TO YOUR PARISH
ways to submit parish donations:
1. Sign up for Pre-Authorized Giving Registration forms are available at the church office, online on our parish website, or via email. Donate using debit or credit card. Form
2. Through CanadaHelps click
3. Interac e-Transfer using online banking: send e-transfer to [email protected] (it is directly depos-ited, no password needed). Please put your full name and envelope number in the message box along with any special offering designation.
4. Mail envelopes to the church: 114 Kingsmere Place, Saskatoon, SK, S7J 3V7
5. Drop envelopes off at church: Put envelopes into the office door mail slot.
(You will receive a receipt via email from Canada Helps)
# I AMWITHYOUALWAYS
I AM WITH YOU
ALWAYS
Prayer
WORLD DAY
FOR
GRANDPARENTS
AND THE
ELDERLY
PRAYER FOR THE FIRST WORLD DAY FOR GRANDPARENTS AND THE ELDERLY
I thank You, Lord,for the comfort of Your presence: even in times of loneliness,You are my hope and my confidence, You have been my rock and my fortress since my youth!
I thank You for having given me a familyand for having blessed me with a long life.I thank You for moments of joy and difficulty,for the dreams that have already come true in my life and for those that are still ahead of me. I thank You for this time of renewed fruitfulness to which You call me.
Increase, O Lord, my faith,make me a channel of your peace,teach me to embrace those who suffer more than me, to never stop dreaming and to tell of your wonders to new generations.
Protect and guide Pope Francis and the Church,that the light of the Gospel might reach the ends of the earth.Send Your Spirit, O Lord, to renew the world,that the storm of the pandemic might be calmed,the poor consoled and wars ended.
Sustain me in weaknessand help me to live life to the full in each moment that You give me,in the certainty that you are with me every day,even until the end of the age. Amen.
Sunday, Jul 25, 2021SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Celebrate mom-and-pop operationsHowever few dollars there are, parents make them stretch untilpayday. However uncertain the way ahead, they shoulder thedecision-making for their brood. However dark the night and scarythe storm, parents hug their little ones through it. Today our nationcelebrates Parents' Day, honoring the grownups who makechildren's lives safer, happier, and healthier. While they may notmultiply loaves and fishes quite like Jesus, parents do performminor miracles of sufficiency every day across this country. Theytake imperfect human love and weave a blanket of protection andpossibility for their tribe. Support your local parents!
TODAY'S READINGS: 2 Kings 4:42-44; Ephesians 4:1-6; John 6:1-15(110). "Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will bewasted."
Monday, Jul 26, 2021MEMORIAL OF JOACHIM AND ANNE, PARENTS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Family tiesJesus’ ancestry through Joseph is extensively traced in two of thegospels, but there’s nothing there about his maternal line. Thenames of his grandparents—Mary’s parents—aren’t mentioned inscripture, but tradition has dubbed them Joachim and Anne.Whatever their names were, they had to have been remarkablepeople to have raised the mother of God. The courage and faiththey passed on to Mary is a precious gift all parents can pass totheir children. Treasure your own intergenerational bonds.
TODAY'S READINGS: Exodus 32:15-24, 30-34; Matthew 13:31-35(401). “The birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.”
Tuesday, Jul 27, 2021Parables of trying and trustJesus favored parables—short allegories featuring people, places,and things familiar to ordinary listeners—to get his point across.Typically, they were about the kingdom of God, standing in starkcontrast to the current world. “The kingdom of God, even if itrequires our cooperation, is firstly a gift of the Lord,” Pope BenedictXVI reminded pilgrims in 2012. Not that humans shouldn’t lift afinger. Such parables, Benedict said, echo a famous saying fromIgnatius of Loyola: “Act as if everything depended on you; trust asif everything depended on God.” Where do you need to trust Godmore and where, perhaps, do you need to act?
TODAY'S READINGS: Exodus 33:7-11; 34:5b-9, 28; Matthew 13:36-43(402). “Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
Wednesday, Jul 28, 2021Stay the courseFather Stanley Rother is one step away from canonization andbeing named publicly as a saint of the Catholic Church. Born inOklahoma in 1935, ordained a priest in 1963, missioned toGuatemala in 1968, Rother immersed himself among the Tz’ufujilMayan communities. When civil war broke out and his nameappeared on a death list, after briefly departing he decided toreturn, saying, the “shepherd cannot run." On July 28, 1981, threemen entered the rectory where he lived and killed him. Nowrecognized as a martyr for the faith, Rother was beatified by the
Vatican in 2016. As we await the canonization of this first Americanmartyr, pray that you, too, might be a sign of Christ’s love to thepeople close to you, even when it comes at a cost.
TODAY'S READINGS: Exodus 34:29-35; Matthew 13:44-46 (403).“When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that hehas and buys it.”
Thursday, Jul 29, 2021MEMORIAL OF MARTHA
Lesson learnedAny memorial honoring Saint Martha includes a well-deserved nodto those who quietly serve. But Martha's role in salvation historygoes well beyond her hospitality to Jesus and lies in the exampleof her maturing faith. When Jesus admonished her about heranxiety, Martha listened. She grew in wisdom and understanding,so much so that when her brother Lazarus dies, she runs to meetJesus and declares: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldnot have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God,God will give you.” Martha provides an inspiration to all of us topersevere in knowing God, loving Christ, and serving others.
TODAY'S READINGS: Exodus 40:16-21, 34-38 (404); John 11:19-27 orLuke 10:38-42 (607). “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worriedabout many things. There is need of only one thing.”
Friday, Jul 30, 2021Open the door to your own ministryDo you ever think about your daily activities as a ministry? Noactivity is outside the realm of a possible ministry. Take BlessedSolanus Casey, for example. One of Solanus’ jobs was as aporter, that is, a door keeper. Open/shut case, right? Not at all!Solanus understood his simple job as being a true ministry,service of God through service of others. He did not merelyanswer the door; he opened his heart to everyone who entered. Indoing so, Solanus was able to reflect God’s love and healing toothers in a way that truly made a difference. How do you openyour heart to others during your daily routine?
TODAY'S READINGS: Leviticus 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34b-37; Matthew13:54-58 (405). “Is he not the carpenter’s son?”
Saturday, Jul 31, 2021MEMORIAL OF IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA, PRIEST
Book your biblical excursionNever underestimate the power of a book to change lives orhistory. Ignatius of Loyola was a young Spanish soldier from aprominent military family. While recovering from a serious warinjury, he came upon Vita Christi, a spiritual biography of the life ofChrist by 14th-century German Catholic monk Ludolph of Saxony.In the book he found the meditative technique of immersingoneself in a biblical scene from the life of Jesus. The bookchanged Ignatius’ life, and the technique became foundational tothe development of Ignatian spirituality and the famed SpiritualExercises. Try the technique: Open a gospel, read a story, andplace yourself at the scene. Really be there. See what happens.
TODAY'S READINGS: Leviticus 25:1, 8-17; Matthew 14:1-12 (406).“This fiftieth year you shall make sacred by proclaiming liberty inthe land for all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you.”
Invest just five minutes a day, and your faith will deepen and grow—a day at a time©2021 TrueQuest Communications. TakeFiveForFaith.com; [email protected]. All rights reserved. Noncommercial reprints permitted with thefollowing credit: Reprinted with permission from TakeFiveForFaith.com. Scripture citations from the New American Bible Revised Edition. For moreinformation about TAKE FIVE and our regular contributors, go to PrepareTheWord.com. Free daily email and app available online atTakeFiveForFaith.com/subscribe.
© 2021 Liguori Publications l Liguori.org
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)July 25, 2021
Gifts To Be SharedBy Fr. Mark Haydu, LC
The multiplication of the loaves and fish was a scene commonly
sculpted on the tombs of Christians in ancient Rome. These early Christians, an ocean away, not only heard the story but believed it and sealed their lives with it. What powerful message of life and death did they find?
Aside from being a symbol of the Eucharist, the center of early Christian worship then as today, this miracle is a call to generosity. By giving your life to Jesus, he can multiply it and raise it up to new life.
Jesus sees the hunger of the crowd
and wants to satisfy them. He asks what provisions they have, and all they can muster is two fish and five loaves. Andrew questions what good that is for so many. Implicit is that it may be better to save what little there is for themselves.
Jesus sees things differently. He gives thanks for the little they have and has the apostles give it away. He knows the Father will multiply this generosity. Rather than look at what they have as a scarcity of goods, he sees them as gifts to share.
This is the radical change of heart that Jesus asks of us. Everything we have is a gift to be shared. When we live in love, and not in selfish fear of how to satisfy ourselves, then God multiplies what little we have and provides everything we need.
When the Gospel declares the apostles had collected twelve baskets of leftovers, the text shouts that God is a God of abundance, not of scarcity. +
The multiplication of the loaves and fish teaches us that everything we have
is a gift to be shared.
A Word from Pope Francis[The Church] is not a fortress but a tent able to enlarge her space and give access to all. Either the Church “goes forth” or she is not a Church; either she is on a journey always widening her space so that everyone can enter, or she is not a Church.—General Audience, October 23, 2019
Sunday Readings2 Kings 4:42–44[Elisha said,] “Thus says the LORD: You will eat and have some left over.”
Ephesians 4:1–6I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live…with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love.
John 6:1–15Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining.
• Am I generous with my time, treasure, and talent?
• Do I multiply what I have by giving it to God and others, allowing him to return it to me twelvefold?
© 2021 Liguori Publications, a ministry of the Redemptorists. One Liguori Drive, Liguori, MO 63057. Scripture quotations in this publication are from the New American Bible, revised edition, © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, DC. The Pope Francis quotation is used with permission and copyright © 2020 Libreria Editrice Vaticana. All rights reserved. 1-800-325-9521. Liguori.org.
us to an experience of mystery and the divine. It’s easy to pray to the God we know and can understand, visualize, and imagine, the God we have grown comfortable with. It’s heroic to admit that we don’t know. This simple admission can unlock doors of knowledge and open us to the revelation of God still unknown. +
This simple admission can unlock doors of knowledge and open us to God.
July 25, 2021
The Power of “I Don’t Know”By Fr. Bruce Lewandowski, CSsR
I would like to know how a text message gets from one cell phone
to another. And how does it get there without getting mixed up with other text messages? Where do text messages go after they are deleted? Is there a “text message landfill” somewhere with old texts, emoticons, and selfies? Is text “air space” unlimited? Are billions of text messages responsible for global warming? The more I think about it, the more I am baffled by the whole thing. For me, this is like asking, “How many angels can stand on the head of pin?” It brings me to the point of saying what I never want to admit: I don’t know!
The words of philosopher Maimonides are hard to swallow: “Teach thy tongue to say, ‘I do not know,’ and thou shalt progress.” We do anything and everything to get around the words, “I don’t know.” We fake it, avoid it, pretend, tell lies, talk around it, and do anything but say it. Maybe the drive for power or the need for acceptance or the desire to feel safe keep us from admitting this simple fact. It could simply be the feeling that saying, “I don’t know” is an admission of weakness, perhaps stupidity. No one wants to be seen as weak, lacking in experience or intelligence.
What power in just three words! Teachers have based educational techniques, programs, and plans on these words, helping learners understand that education begins when we get past the illusion that we know it all and surrender
to what we don’t know. The truth is that there is a lot we don’t know. In a world where everything appears to have an explanation or can at least be figured out to some extent, there is still so much more about ourselves, others, the world, and God that goes unexplained or is beyond explanation. So much remains a mystery.
When we surrender to the power of “I don’t know,” the unknown becomes accessible to us. Curiosity is awakened. Curiosity can lead to contemplation, contemplation to understanding, and understanding to mystical experience and the transcendent. Admitting and accepting that we don’t know disposes
WEEKDAY READINGSJuly 26–31
Monday, Sts. Joachim and Anne: Ex 32:15–24, 30–34 / Mt 13:31–35
Tuesday, Weekday: Ex 33:7–11; 34:5b–9, 28 / Mt 13:36–43
Wednesday, Weekday: Ex 34:29–35 / Mt 13:44–46
Thursday, St. Martha: Ex 40:16–21, 34–38 / Jn 11:19–27 or Lk 10:38–42
Friday, Weekday: Lv 23:1, 4–11, 15–16, 27, 34b–37 / Mt 13:54–58
Saturday, St. Ignatius of Loyola: Lv 25:1, 8–17 / Mt 14:1–12
Lord, you are the bread that satisfies hungry hearts.
Remove the selfishness from my heart, that I may be generous to people in need.
—From Faithful Meditations for Every Day in Ordinary Time, Rev. Warren J. Savage
and Mary Ann McSweeny
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