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Holiness Runs in the Family
Raising faithful children is no easy task. For St. Monica, it seemed nearly impossible. Her husband wasn't Christian and often mocked her faith. Their son, Augustine, fell quickly into wild ways. He and his friends drank, stole, and caroused throughout town. Monica never stopped praying for Augustine, no matter how far he strayed. Augustine became swept up in heresy, a false form of Christianity. He lived with a mistress and had a child out of wedlock. All the while, Monica kept praying. Conversion came slowly to Augustine, but at age 32, he was finally baptized. Augustine would go on to become a priest, then bishop, then world-renowned theologian whose works have stood the test of time. May St. Monica and St. Augustine inspire us to never stop praying for our loved ones. Calendar: Aug 30-video after mass; Making a Good Confession; 7 min Rel Ed registration will be available the week of August 26. Forms can be picked up in the office, church entrances, or online under the parish website. Sept. 7=Blue Mass at 4:30; SA Sept. 18=first Religious ed classes for everyone Grades K-5 from 3:45-5:00 Grades 6-11 from 7:00-8:15pm Forbidden fruits create many jams.
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 RECOGNIZE GOD IN YOUR ORDINARY MOMENTS
As I get older, what really matters to me changes. I remember being in high school and having to wear certain brands and to look a certain way. Now, many days I simply wear what is clean! I used to collect certain things that I no longer seem to care about much now. I wanted certain things for my children, and now I am happy if they are happy, regardless of what happens. I have changed political stances a few times. I even follow different sports teams today than I did when I was younger. Time, circumstance, wisdom, and even disillusionment all play a part in my ever-changing attitude toward what really matters in life. All has changed except my faith. My faith is the one constant in my life. It is the most precious of all the gifts God has given to me. Life hasn't been a constant high, and there have been several low valleys along the way. It has been my faith that has seen me through all times, good and bad. If anything has changed, it is that Jesus matters more today than he did yesterday. What really matters to you? What's the main thing in your life? I have witnessed once-strong disciples place politics, wealth, career, and family ahead of Jesus over time. All those things are enticing, but they are things that change. Even your family grows and changes as the years go by, as does your relationship with them. The one thing that does not change is God. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. It can bring great peace to your life when what matters to you is the one thing that remains constant. The main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing. That main thing is Jesus. -Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS WHY DO WE DO THAT? - CATHOLIC LIFE EXPLAINED
Question: This time of year, I attend a lot of weddings. Why do Catholic weddings need to take place in a church? Answer: Technically, there is a clause in Church law that could allow for weddings to take place outside of a church, in a suitable space under special circumstances, but it requires the rare permission of the bishop. But the meaning of marriage goes very, very deep, and the Church has a vested interest in protecting that meaning. As Catholics, we don't see a wedding as an event that needs a pleasing backdrop. Marriage is a sacrament, both an occasion of joyful promise and symbolic solemnity. It is a spiritual event. The loving bond of marriage symbolizes the mystical union between Christ and his Church. The man and woman profess lifelong vows of fidelity, and they receive supernatural grace from God to keep their promises. Receiving the sacrament of Marriage in a church has broader symbolic meaning for the couple as well. Marriage isn't simply two people in isolation from the world around them. Marriage is the joining of families and the beginning of a new, holy mission in the life of the couple. Weddings are sacred occasions, and it's fitting that they occur in sacred spaces. "Our Lord prefers to wait Himself for the sinner for years rather than keep us waiting for an instant." -- St. Maria Goretti The Eucharist
On feasts such as this, we recall miracles like the wedding feast at Cana or the multiplication of the loaves. Perhaps we remember the road to Emmaus, when Jesus was made known "in the breaking of the bread." In these stories, God satisfies our hunger in a supernatural way. But the cry of the human heart goes much deeper. "Man cannot live on bread alone," after all. In the Eucharist, God's supernatural presence takes the form of physical food. In the absence of physical nourishment, the body slowly begins to break down. Without an intentional pursuit of spiritual nourishment, our souls will similarly suffer. Our inner lives need rest and rejuvenation. We need daily connection with our Creator. We need to receive from the One who feeds us. The radical reality of the Eucharist speaks to our deeper aches, to the God who alone satisfies. We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.  Totus Tuus is finally here! All Faiths Welcome Register on Monday in the school cafeteria Bugging Out A father was reading Bible stories to his young son and said, "The man named Lot was warned to take his wife and flee out of the city, but his wife looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt." His son asked, "What happened to the flea?" ******************************************** A Round of Golf
Three men went out to play a round of golf: Moses, Jesus, and an old man. Moses tee'd off first, and the ball landed in the water. He parted the water and hit the ball in for a birdie. Jesus went next, and the ball landed in the water. He walked on the water and hit the ball in for a birdie. Lastly the old man tee'd off, but before the ball could hit the water, a fish jumped out and caught the ball in its mouth. Then an eagle swooped down and caught the fish. Lightning struck near the eagle, frightening it, causing it to drop the fish. When the fish hit the ground, it dropped the ball in for a perfect hole in one. Jesus and Moses turn to the old man, and Jesus said, "Dad, if you don't quit playing like that, we're not going to bring you anymore." |
