The Gospel at our Sunday Liturgies for the next month will feature the Bread of Life Discourse from the sixth chapter of the Holy Gospel According to St. John. The Bread of Life Discourse is a gradual unfolding of Jesus inaugurating a new Passover into a new Promised Land.
The Discourse begins with the miraculous feeding of the multitude followed by the miracle of Jesus walking upon the sea. The Discourse concludes with the challenge of accepting Jesus as the Messiah and the commitment to a relationship with him. The Discourse follows a similar pattern to the Wilderness Wandering of the Old Testament – feeding, witnessing, questioning, acceptance, or rejection of the invitation to discipleship.
Pope Francis, in his Apostolic Letter “Desiderio Desideravi” – “I have earnestly desired”, reiterates the invitation that was extended to the Israelites in the desert and that Jesus extended and continues to extend to his followers: “Before our response to his invitation – well before – there is his desire for us. We may not even be aware of it, but every time we go to Mass, the first reason is that we are drawn there by his desire for us. For our part, the possible response is as always, to surrender to this love, letting ourselves be drawn by him.” (DD paragraph 6)
The Sunday gospel readings for August extends the invitation. Through feeding, drawing, desiring, hungering, and strengthening we are brought to the threshold of the invitation – “Whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” Please pray throughout the month of August for those who have lost their desire for the Bread of Life and for those who attempt to be fed through other means. Jesus’ desire is for all to surrender to his love.
Periodically we will provide updates on the priorities and goals of the Next Generation Parish initiatives. Today’s focus is on Parish Outreach Services.
Our prayer list in the bulletin contains the names of parishioners, and the names of family members or friends of our parishioners who need the support of the grace of our prayers. It is comforting to know that someone is praying for you. Thank you for supporting these individuals with your best wishes and prayerful encouragement.
The thought behind this goal was to be mindful of the varied needs of these individuals and others who may no longer feel a connection to God or with the faith community. Hence our collection of toiletries, blankets, socks, underwear, and winter weather accessories is our opportunity to respond to the needs of our own.
What are the needs of our own? Soon the parish will be connecting with the parishioners on the list to afford them the chance to voice their needs – sacramental, spiritual, social, liturgical, emotional, physical. What are the needs of our own? What are we able to do as a community of faith to respond to those needs and to keep all the members of our family connected to the parish community.
Liturgical connection continues through our weekly live stream offerings. Sacramental connections are offered through the sharing of the Blessed Sacrament. Spiritually and socially speaking we plan to celebrate a Healing Mass – with the celebration of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick during our October Forty Hours observance. More information on the Healing Mass and Forty Hours will follow. “Where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.”