If it does not please you to serve the LORD, decide today whom you will serve…As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.
For the last four weeks, we have listened to the sixth chapter of John’s gospel, specifically what is referred to as the Bread of Life Discourse. Devoting these Sundays to a reflection on the Blessed Sacrament has given us an opportunity to deepen our Eucharistic faith. The gospel passages have made us mindful of the Real Presence of Jesus in the form of bread and wine. I hope, too, that our awareness of His presence in the Holy Eucharist also enhances our awareness of that presence in each other. Very importantly, these weeks of reflections on the Eucharist and Jesus as the Bread of Life challenge us to “put our money where our mouth is.” If we do, in fact, believe that the Eucharist is the true presence of Christ, where and when are we making our commitment to Sunday mass secondary to the other “masters” of our lives?
Fulfilling our obligation to attend Sunday Mass is the most essential component of our faith. I and our pastoral team, therefore, have been reflecting on ways in which we can emphasize essential participation in Sunday Mass, particularly for our students enrolled in our school and parish Faith Formation program.
I am inviting all families and individuals to renew your commitment to Sunday Mass as a priority in your lives. Starting next month, students in our Faith Formation program will be asked to attend at least 25 Sunday Masses between September and June. While we are obligated to attend all Sunday Masses and Holy Days of Obligation, this effort is a means to encourage everyone to take a step toward fulfilling our obligation. More importantly, together we will be nurturing our spiritual growth and strengthening our relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church.
To ensure accountability and encourage consistent attendance, we will be enhancing programs that are already in place. Students in first through fifth grade will continue to use the Mass sheets upon which they will receive a stamp every time they attend Sunday Mass. They will receive one sheet to be used at Masses from September to January and a second sheet from February to June. Our sixth, seventh and eighth-grade students will receive cards where they can record the date and time of the Mass they attend, along with the name of the priest celebrating. Sunday Mass participation will be used to determine a student’s readiness to move up to the next grade level as well as their preparedness for the reception of the Sacraments of Holy Eucharist and Confirmation. The students at St. Rose School will have similar expectations and accountability standards.
It is my hope and prayer that by actively participating in Sunday Mass, our students and families will not only deepen their understanding of the faith but also experience the richness of the liturgy and sacraments firsthand. This effort is not intended to be punitive but an encouraging invitation that will strengthen our parish and within families, as well as foster a lifelong commitment to worship, service and unity with the Lord. I am sharing this news with the whole parish so that we might all be in solidarity with our young people. We are called to be living examples who accompany them as we journey through our own life of faith.
In his Apostolic Exhortation “Christus Vivit,” Pope Francis related the story of a young person from the Samoan Islands who spoke of the Church as a canoe, in which the elderly help to keep on course by judging the position of the stars, while the young keep rowing, imagining what waits for them ahead. With that reflection in mind, Pope Francis goes on to say,
“Let us steer clear of young people who think that adults represent a meaningless past, and those adults who always think they know how young people should act. Instead, let us all climb aboard the same canoe and together seek a better world, with the constantly renewed momentum of the Holy Spirit.” CV 201
When you see a young person or young family at church, welcome them, encourage them and let them know that you look forward to seeing them next week.
FEAST DAY CELEBRATION – Thanks to all who joined us for Mass and our social gathering after. I am especially grateful to Barbara Pope and the volunteers who made the celebration possible. Special thanks to Sarah Ryan, owner of Advent Shop, who loaned us the St. Rose of Lima relic for veneration.
BACKPACK SUNDAY – On Sunday, September 8, at 10:00 am, Our Family Mass will resume for the school year. All school-age children are invited to attend the Mass with their backpacks. The Mass will include a special homily for children and the blessing of the children and their backpacks.
Peace,