Reflection for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2023

He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

Welcome as we continue our Ordinary Time journey of study and re-commit ourselves to the work of following, witnessing to, and sharing Jesus.

We have spent weeks focusing on God’s great generosity: unlimited forgiveness; full payment to all workers whether they are old school faithful or new followers; His offer of opportunities to change, turn and repent, and His invitation to all to put on the wedding garment of regeneration. Last week we even considered His generosity in making right choices for us.

We also considered the fact that regardless of our civic leaders, we are called to live as followers of Jesus and members of the
Kingdom. Our witness, justice, love, compassion, and forgiveness must surpass that of the unrighteous.

We see in last week’s gospel something that continues into this week’s teaching and for the weeks that follow as we start considering the last things, Jesus’ return in glory – and that is our response to God’s generosity. In simpler terms, are we ready for Jesus’ return? 

Being ready is not a complex process. It does not require jumping through hoops, being extraordinary in what we do, or even being heroic in our actions. It simply means we must follow the gospel life Jesus provided us with, and care in real ways.

Core to that gospel life is our love of God and our neighbors. Jesus tells us that everything depends on this act of love. Indeed, love is an act, not just a warm fuzzy feeling.

To the world and the worldly, to the unsaved, our action of love, our purposeful work of love, our attendance at Sunday worship, our praise and thanksgiving toward God and our mutual charity within His family may indeed seem out-of-the ordinary. Some might even say we are extraordinary or even heroic. To others, we are just those oddball people who give up our Sunday morning and care for people who don’t really matter.

We have chosen to follow Jesus, to obey His teaching, to walk in His way. As such our every action in conformity with His gospel is the response we offer to the Father’s generosity and our readiness to meet Him.

Bible Study for the 29th Week in Ordinary Time 2023

This week’s memory verse: “By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice.”

Proverbs 8:15
  • 10/22 – Mark 10:42-43
  • 10/23 – Isaiah 16:1
  • 10/24 – Luke 1:52
  • 10/25 – Luke 12::11-12
  • 10/26 – Romans 13:3
  • 10/27 – Titus 3:1
  • 10/28 – Isaiah 60:3

Pray the week: Lord Jesus, Save me from reliance on earthy rules and from any allegiance to them. Help me to understand that my sole obligation is to trust in and live Your gospel life. Amen.

Reflection for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2023

At that he said to them, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

Welcome as we continue our Ordinary Time journey of study and re-commit ourselves to the work of following, witnessing to, and sharing Jesus.

We have spent weeks focusing on God’s great generosity: unlimited forgiveness; full payment to all workers whether they are old school faithful or new followers; His offer of opportunities to change, turn and repent, and His invitation to all to put on the wedding garment of regeneration.

Today we encounter a challenge cooked up by the religious authorities of Jesus’ time on earth. What should a faithful person do about government and rulers?

Jesus gives a classic answer we all remember: “repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

A brief thought crossed my mind in preparing for this week. If we are so focused on God’s generosity, why would we ever consider government, rulers, and taxes?

We start by turning back to our first reading where Isaiah recounts God’s words for the ruler Cyrus made in advance of Cyrus’ birth. This prophesied Cyrus would rule all ancient Babylon and would free the people of Israel. Not only would he free them, but he would make their return to Israel smooth.

Throughout the Old and New Testament, the prophets and Apostles point to God’s selection of rulers and government that were ostensibly pagan and did not know God. Yet they were working for God. We are told to honor them, be subject to them, to be obedient, and even pay our taxes without complaint. 

This seems odd doesn’t it, especially in our day. Some so-called Christians fight awfully hard for certain candidates for office. Some people channel their anger and louder than life voices behind others. This is why we are called today to consider God’s way of doing things.

In the end, it comes down to whether we trust God’s generosity or not. We heard: there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 

So, what should a faithful Christian do about government and rulers? As followers of Christ, we must let God make the choices for us, and not invest in following politicians. God will establish them even if they are pagans. What is key is how we live as followers of Jesus and members of the Kingdom. Jesus has many more instructions about that.

Annual Winter Clothing Drive

The United Young Men’s Society of Resurrection is conducting its annual clothing drive.

Let us be Christ to our community!

Needed: Articles of clothing to help dull the winter chill.

Your Reward: A good deed that reflects the love of Jesus.

Please help out by using either the pdf form or Excel file below to record items you are donating and take them to a charity of your choice. Use the Excel file to optionally automatically tally your donations. Turn in the forms at church. If you need help in delivering items, please let us know and someone will assist you.

Winter Clothing Drive PDF Count SheetDownload
Winter Clothing Drive Form FillableDownload

Bible Study for the 28th Week in Ordinary Time 2023

This week’s memory verse: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1 John 1:8
  • 10/15 – Proverbs 28:13
  • 10/16 – 1 John 3:4
  • 10/17 – Romans 6:23
  • 10/18 – Luke 19:8
  • 10/19 – Romans 5:8
  • 10/20 – Luke 6:35
  • 10/21 – Matthew 13:22

Pray the week: Lord Jesus, Grant that my heart, actions, and attitudes may be constantly reformed. Help me in fully accepting Your invitation and preparing myself to be Your guest. Amen.

Reflection for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2023

‘Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’ The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. 

Welcome as we continue our journey of study and re-commit ourselves to the work of following, witnessing to, and sharing Jesus.

Today we will welcome Travis and Christopher into the Body of Christ, the Holy Church, through the waters of regeneration. 

Travis and Christopher, like every other person coming into the Church have been gathered in, have been issued Jesus’ new invitation. Along with us they will join in the work of following, witnessing to, and sharing Jesus. 

I would like to take a moment to help us recall the gospel messages we have received over the past three Ordinary Time weeks. Jesus calls us to embrace and live out the Father’s model of generosity. Today, we consider this generosity again.

Now, going back, we have seen God’s generosity in His unlimited forgiveness; His full payment to all workers whether they are old school faithful or new followers; and His offer of  opportunities to change and soften our hearts toward His will for us. We are invited to turn and repent.

Today we heard about the invited guests. Jesus uses the illustration to show the listeners of His time that being the “chosen people” was not enough. Being part of the select does not allow one to slack off or to take God’s invitation for granted.

In stark terns Jesus shows how their disobedience, terror, dishonesty, and neglect of the Father’s invitation will lead to new invitations being issued. Those are given to us, the Gentiles. 

Within this telling is a warning to us, one we need to take very seriously. While the Father’s generosity invites us in, while it invites people of every background regardless of the past, we must enter faithful to the invitation.

The guest who showed up unchanged, trusting in generosity, but neglecting his obligation to change in light of that generosity is thrown out.

For Travis and Christopher today is a start as it is for each of us as we confess and approach. May they, like us, continually put on the white garment of regeneration and live faithful to the Father’s generosity.

Bible Study for the 27th Week in Ordinary Time 2023

This week’s memory verse: For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

Ephesians 3:14-15
  • 10/8 – 1 John 4:7
  • 10/9 – John 17:21
  • 10/10 – 1 Peter 3:8
  • 10/11 – Genesis 28:14
  • 10/12 – Colossians 3:14
  • 10/13 – Romans 12:16
  • 10/14 – Romans 15:5-6

Pray the week: Lord Jesus, Grant that I may strengthen my brothers and sisters. Guide and guard my particular family and protect and encourage Your Body on earth, the Holy Church. Amen.

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Christian Family 2023

And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. 

Once again, we take a break from Ordinary Time to focus on this special Solemnity only celebrated in our Holy Church, the Solemnity of the Christian Family.

While taking this break we, in a very special way, continue to study and commit ourselves to the work of following, witnessing to, and sharing Jesus as His family. That is the essence of family, to be together as one in Jesus.

It may seem strange in our day; families are often separated by time, distance, and priorities.

In this separation, we tend to get caught up in the minutia. Certainly, some things are important like work and school, but when it comes down to it, there are plenty of opportunities to come together and strengthen the family.

We see this when the happy and tragic moments confront us. Someone is in the hospital, a baby or wedding shower, the wedding or christening, a funeral. A flood comes and we need to help our family. At these times you will surely find someone saying: We ought to get together more often, let’s have a reunion, let’s stay in contact. But then… missed opportunities. Strengthening each other requires more than occasional time together.

We heard that people were amazed at Jesus’ understanding and answers. In the various gospels we hear this theme repeated: 

Matthew 7:28: …the crowds were astonished. Matthew 22:33: …they were astonished at His teaching. Mark 1:22: The people were astonished at His teaching, because He taught as one who had authority. Mark 11:18: …they looked for a way to kill Him. For they were afraid of Him, because the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching.

This astonishment or amazement is rendered existanto in Greek. People were changed in encountering Jesus, they saw things in a new and previously unheard-of ways.

The same existanto is used for those times people met the first Christians. Those encounters changed their lives and relationships.

Things are different because we, the Christian family, get together to strengthen each other in Christ. Jesus understands our need and gives us this place and each other as strong family, both at home and in the wider Body of Christ, so to live differently because of Him and amaze those we meet.

October 2023 Newsletter – Earnest Love

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,

Welcome to October! We see a wonderful theme for this month carried on from our celebration of Brotherly Love in September. It is this, a theme of deep focus on sacrificial love. Peter reminds us of our Christian duty to sacrificial love in 1 Peter 1:22 as quoted above: love one another earnestly. How do we grow in love?

October is the month of the Holy Rosary. We must ensure, of course, that we keep the rosary in perspective as a methodology for concentrated prayer and not as some sort of magical mystery thing. The rosary takes us on a tour of the glorious, joyful, and sorrowful moments (called mysteries in the rosary) in the life of Jesus. What we see in each moment of His life and that of Mary is their living out the sacrificial love that marks the gospel way of life. They give of themselves totally to do as God the Father asks. By their example and our focusing on that example, we discover new ways to share our love. We pause to recollect how we might imitate Jesus and follow His call to love as the Father asks.

Also in October we celebrate the Christian Family in a special way. The family, as designed by God, is the seed bed for developing a life that conforms to St. Peter’s guidance – foremost by obedience to the truth. The family relationship, the smaller model for the wider Church, is the place we learn true self-sacrifice, whether it is giving up our time or treasure to serve another member or in giving up our dreams to bring the aspirations of the other to fruition. Further, the truth of God and our obedience to it is also self-sacrifice founded in love. No, we must not meander through life just doing whatever we please if we call ourselves Christian. We set aside our urges to do as we please in order to follow Jesus’ way of life and the Father’s call to us.

To love one another earnestly means we place our whole selves in the service of love. We privy ourselves by obedience to God’s truth and with sincerity follow Jesus, imitate Mary, love on our families, and take a back seat to the other.

Fall is here and we are busy. The blessing of pets will occur at Holy Masses on Sunday, October 1st. We celebrate the month of the Holy Rosary with regular prayer on Fridays at 3pm and we honor the Christian Family with a special Solemnity on October 8th. We cover the unfortunate occurrences (debacle) in the Polish Catholic Church in the Republic of Poland. Read up on the PNUA transition to the PNA.

We look forward to the months ahead replete with activities including our Seniorate Thanksgiving celebration. Fr. Jim will offer online catechism classes starting October 11th. That and so much more to read up on.

Check it out in our October 2023 Newsletter.

Bible Study for the 26th Week in Ordinary Time 2023

This week’s memory verse: Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O Lord.

Psalm 36:6
  • 10/1 – Luke 12:6
  • 10/2 – Isaiah 11:6
  • 10/3 – Genesis 2:18-19
  • 10/4 – Luke 3:6
  • 10/5 – Revelation 5:13
  • 10/6 – 1 Corinthians 2:9
  • 10/7 – Proverbs 27:23

Pray the week: Lord Jesus, Grant that I may reflect Your generosity in my forgiveness, thanksgiving for second chances, and in my constant work for Your kingdom. Amen.