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Sunday, July 13, 2025
Hello folks,
The Lord be with you all!
The Lord, through Moses in our first reading, reveals how close His commands are to us: “It is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out.” This is even truer now, because of the gift of the Holy Spirit Who we have received, than it was in Moses’ time. Yet, we struggle as much now as then to “carry it out.” The story that Jesus tells of the Good Samaritan points out to me how much I still need to be converted. Just recently, I found myself unexpectedly in a situation where I behaved more like the priest who passed by on the other side of the road, than like the Good Samaritan. This brought me to the conclusion that I need to prepare for such situations, and embrace the opportunity they present for holiness, until that embracing of the situation becomes almost instinctive to me. While conversion is driven by the free gift of grace, it does often require the “work” of our cooperation with it. Look ahead to the challenges you will face in maintaining a prayer life with God and a life of charity towards your neighbor, and anticipating the challenges, ask God to show you ahead of time how to not let them become obstacles to holiness but rather opportunities for holiness.
Following the 9am Mass this Sunday, we will be moving a few remaining items, particularly the altar and the Tabernacle, from Saint John’s Church to the Saint John’s Parish Hall. Thus, Monday morning’s daily Mass will be in the Hall (along with all Masses, regular times of Adoration and confessions until the end of August). My thanks goes to all the people who have already helped prepare the parish hall, especially members of the collaborative pastoral council and parish staff, Knights of Columbus and Daughters of Isabella, along with all who have helped us in choosing what kind of flooring will replace the old one in the church. Let’s pray the whole process goes well.
God bless,
Father Maher
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