Our Human Life and Dignity Ministry would like to offer a BIG THANK YOU to all the parishioners of St. Paul’s and St. Peter’s for the over $9000.00 that was raised for the Divine Mercy House for Unwed Mothers!!!!  Such a beautiful outpouring to support the gift of life!!!  Everyone was so very generous and it was great team work with the Knights of Columbus

Fr. Murphy Council #5535.  May God continue to bless and protect all who donated to support of life!!!!!

 

“Be careful what you ask for,” the saying warns. Just because we want something doesn’t mean it will be good for us. Remember the Indiana Jones movies? The artifact that the bad guys were seeking usually turned out to be lethal. But if we have enough faith to pray for something, we probably would not pray for anything evil. So, what is Jesus really saying?  He is giving us two lessons about prayer.

First, he assures us that God does hear our prayers and answers them. Many people take “ask and you shall receive” so literally that they expect God to do their bidding no matter what they want. Prayers, however, are not a magical ritual that somehow forces God to do our will. God is free to do what is best for us, free to answer some prayers with a no when what we seek is against God’s will. So maybe our first prayer should be to ask God to show us what we really need.

That leads us to the second lesson: prayer changes us, not God. If we truly pray as Jesus prayed, we would ask for what we need, adding, “Not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). If we pray humbly and are open to what God wills for us, we will begin to see that what we really need most is God.  It’s not easy to change our minds about what we want or need. To change our desires from selfish to holy takes a lot of power, the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was raised from the dead by that power and we will be, too (Romans 8:11). Mary conceived by the power of the Spirit (Matthew 1:18). The bread and wine of the Eucharist become the Body and Blood of Christ by the Spirit’s power. So when Jesus promises that the Father will give the Spirit to us for the asking, the Spirit is both the source of and the answer to our prayers. Let us ask the Spirit to empower us to desire and pray for what we really need.

– Tom Schmidt, Diocesan Publications

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SAINT MARTHA – July 29

Whether you find Martha Stewart admirable or annoying, she has the perfect patron saint. Luke describes Martha—saint, not Stewart—as “burdened with much serving” (Luke 10:40). About Mary, seated, listening to Jesus, Martha complained, “Do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?” Jesus’ response, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things . . . Mary has chosen the better part” (10:41, 42), suggests to some the superiority of the contemplative life, leaving the rest of us, supporting families, earning livings, (helping others?), as “second-class” Christians. But Luke introduces Martha and Mary immediately after Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan, whom Jesus recommends as a model of practical compassion, concluding, “Go and do likewise” (10:37). Go and do! Sit and listen! Discipleship is never either/or but both/and. Jesus ministered in prayerful silence and hospitable service. Monastic calendars add Martha’s sister Mary and brother Lazarus, calling all three “hosts of the Lord,” recalling their welcome of Jesus to their home in Bethany, reminding us Whom we welcome whenever we extend summertime hospitality! —Peter Scagnelli, Diocesan Publications

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Treasures from Catholic Tradition – UNITY IN DIVERSITY

Apart from the period from Thanksgiving through Christmas, the summer is a favored time for family reunions. We trace family trees and recall our origins. Worship has a family tree as well, and the way we celebrate today has been influenced by various styles and customs through the centuries. We are Western Christians of the Latin Rite. By far, we are the most numerous Western Christians, but there are other ritual families as well. The Archdiocese of Milan in Italy follows the Ambrosian Rite, Toledo in Spain preserves the Mozarabic Rite and the Arab language, and Lyons in France is home to the Gallican Rite. Other liturgical families, such as the Celtic in Ireland and the Sarum in England, faded away after the Reformation. Until recent times, members of some ancient religious orders such as Carmelites and Trappists followed a pattern of Mass that varied slightly from the plan observed in Latin Rite parishes.

Isn’t the Catholic Church the same everywhere? Not at all. It never has been! The existence of so many liturgical families in the West reminds us that unity, not uniformity, is what the Church seeks to achieve among her children. We are united in faith, but wonderfully diverse in rituals, ceremonies, languages, customs, and spirituality. —James Field, Diocesan Publications

 

“Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue.”  – Pope Francis

Cool Efficiency – Air conditioning accounts for nearly 50% of your home’s electricity consumptions.  Making smart decisions about your home’s HVAC system can have a big effect on utility bills as well as fossil fuel energy consumption and Creation Care!  Meeting the electricity demand of air conditioning accounts for 21% of the growth in global electricity generation.

Tips for reducing energy costs: maintain HVAC equipment and change filters, cover windows, weather strip doors, use fans strategically but turn off when not in the room, raise thermostat when not at home.