My Term Extension
Given the pandemic and many clergy personnel changes involved with Renew My Church, the Priest Placement Board has experienced a delay in some assignments. Recently, the Board recommended, and Cardinal Cupich approved, an extension to my 12-year term as your pastor. My term had officially ended a little over a month ago on July 1, 2021. This extension includes further discussion with the Board in January of 2022 regarding my extended future with you. I thank all of you who participated in my 360 evaluation. I deeply appreciate your feedback. More importantly, I thank you for your support over these past 12 years and I look forward to continuing adventures with you, particularly our Adventures in Grace Pilgrimage coming in September.
Updated Covid Guidelines From the
Archdiocese
The Archdiocese has given us updated protocols regarding the continued efforts by ALL of us to abate the spread of Covid 19, particularly the highly contagious Delta variant that is spreading at an alarming rate. Please see details on our website but, regardless of vaccine status, we are strongly encouraging everyone to wear masks when entering any part of our campus, particularly our church during Mass. Let’s share the responsibility to protect the precious gift of life that God has given us – to YOU and those whom you encounter. It is the strongest way that we here at Holy Family can be Pro-Life.
Mission Sunday
Jesus sent the disciples out on mission. The church was founded on his commission to “…baptize all nations.” As I shared with our teens preparing for Confirmation, a big part of that commission has come true due to the worldwide missionary efforts of Christianity, and Catholicism in particular.
Each summer all parishes in the Archdiocese and beyond welcome a particular speaker to share one of the many worldwide mission purposes that need our support. This weekend, August 7 and 8, our support will be asked in a different way. Missionaries are unable to be with us due to the global pandemic. Instead, we are learning about a few of the 104 missionary causes that will benefit from the collection. See the Human Concerns page (page 8 of this weekend’s bulletin) for 3 of these missions. Please pray for these and all missions around the world as they cannot support their ministries without your help. Envelopes and special donation baskets are in the narthex. Each donation will be distributed evenly to all 104 participating mission causes. Thank you.
More Bread of Life
As is the case most weekends, this week’s first reading and Gospel have strong parallels. First we hear about the prophet Elijah, from the First Book of Kings, who is on a journey to the holy mountain Horeb. He gives up out of hunger and fatigue, lays down under a broom tree and falls asleep, but he is awakened to find a hearth cake and a jug of water. This simple food sustains him, feeds him and enables the Lord to encourage him to journey 40 days and nights, and ultimately arrive at the holy mountain destination.
The number 40 is important here. Symbolically, it means ‘a long time.’ The many times that 40 is mentioned in scripture gives this part of Elijah’s journey a connection with other very dramatic events in scripture, namely the rain in Noah’s Ark, Jesus in the desert, and the Ascension of Jesus into heaven following his Resurrection, just to name a few.
As that reading begins with a not so positive tone, the Gospel also begins with a negative tone of people murmuring about Jesus and his claims regarding his identity, Bread of Life, and his origin – heaven.
This is all part of the Bread of Life discourse, which is most of the 6th chapter of the fourth Gospel, the one according to John.
As he so often does, Jesus extends a spiritual message and challenge. He is, in fact, the bread who has come down from heaven and whoever believes this will have eternal life. Belief in Jesus as the Bread of Life will not only extend life for ‘a long time,’ but forever, and give life for the entire world.
Feast of the Transfiguration
This Friday, August 6, is the Feast of the Transfiguration, a very dramatic event that also reveals the identity of Jesus by God, who speaks out of a cloud urging those present, and all of us, to listen to him. Silent prayer can be the best vehicle to do just that.