The Pastor's Message

Dear Parishioners,

This week we hear the story of the rich man and the poor man, Lazarus, who lay outside his gate.  The rich man ignored Lazarus and was sent to experience torment after his death.  The rich man wanted Father Abraham to go and warn his brothers to treat the poor better than he did.

We experience increasingly amounts of poor people in our midst and this Gospel invites us to discern how we treat them.  They are human beings who need to be treated with love and respect; however, there are many ways to do this.  Sometimes in place of money donations to the poor, we can buy them a meal or give a gift card.  We can direct them to a place where they can receive the help that they may need.  We must not ignore them as the rich man in the Gospel did but show them that God loves them.

This week we have a priest visiting from “Unbound” to speak at all Masses about this non-profit organization that helps to provide for the needs of those experiencing poverty around the world.  Their initial focus was providing for children; however, they have expanded their assistance with helping the impoverished elderly as well throughout the world.  There will not be a second collection; however, we will be asked to adopt a child or elderly person to help provide for their needs. 

Fr. George P. Blais

Dear Parishioners,

This week we hear about the dishonest manager and how he tries to create friends for himself since he is about to lose his job. This parable presented to the disciples by Jesus is a warning to them and us to place our attention and efforts on the Lord and our eternal life.
It is easy to be consumed with materialism and greed in this world; however, Jesus wants us to focus on our eternal rewards rather than the temporary rewards of this life. We must put more trust and emphasis on our eternal life. With the emphasis on money and material things of this world, it can be a challenge to focus on the Lord and our spiritual life.

God has given us many gifts and what we do with these gifts is our gift back to Him. He will always provide for our needs but not necessarily for our wants. The gift of faith that has been entrusted to us is truly a blessing, but if we do not utilize this gift, we may risk the danger of becoming complacent or having society’s values threaten our faith. A positive way to use our gift of faith is to share our love for God and His Church with others, whether they are strangers, family, neighbors, or people in our faith community.

Today we celebrate Catechetical Sunday. This is the time for commissioning our catechist who will be sharing and teaching our faith during this upcoming educational year. Our catechists include those who prepare families for Baptism, teach our children in Religious Education classes, prepare our children for the sacraments of Penance, Communion, and Confirmation, our facilitators for youth ministry, our R.C.I.A. team, Bible study leaders, and all who are involved in adult faith sharing in the parish. On this catechetical Sunday please consider sharing your faith in a new way. Ask God where He might be calling you and challenging you today.

Fr. George P. Blais