Mass Theme

July 21st ✙ 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Readings for July 21st, 2019

       JESUS CAME TO THE HOUSE OF Martha and MARY. Martha got completely carried away by the details of hospitality, but Mary sat at his feet and listened to him
       During this Mass we have an opportunity to do what Mary did, namely, spend some time in the presence of the Lord. Let us enliven our faith in his presence among us.
        Lord Jesus, your presence calms our fears. Lord, have mercy.
        Your presence eases our anxieties. Christ, have mercy.
        Your presence helps us to focus our attention on the one thing necessary – to listen to your word. Lord, have mercy.

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MONDAY, July 22:✟ Eric Mikel, by Inga Bonchonsky
TUESDAY July 23: Healing of Richard George Roach
WEDNESDAY July 24:✟ Robert Edward Olson
FRIDAY July 26 :✟ Michelle Bonchonsky, by Inga Bonchonsky
SATURDAY July 27 :✟ Katie Tadina, by the Tadina Family

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Why Do Cathothics Do That?

Who is a Missionary?
       A missionary is a person who dedicates his or her life to fulfilling the Great Commissions to preach the Gospel, baptizing and making disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). Often the missionary will spread the Gospel while performing ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, working at an orphanage, providing medical care, and economic development. The word “mission” originates from the Latin word Missionem (missio) meaning “act of sending” or mittere, meaning “to send.”
        In the early sixteenth century Franciscans, Jesuits, Dominicans, and other orders set themselves up for the proclamation of faith in overseas territories, as well as for the establishment of schools and hospitals. In 1568, with the establishment of what later became the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, the Pope was then in more direct control over the missionary activities. Preaching Christian faith and teaching that natives had human dignity were important tasks of the congregation.

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Reflections

In His Presence

Lord, I place myself in your presence.
After the strain and turmoil of the day
I rest quietly here, as a little boat,
which has been tossed by the waves
and buffeted by the wind,
rests secure in a sheltered harbor.
Here my projects lose their power over me.
A healing process begins.
My fragmented self is reassembled,
and I am made whole again.
In your presence, I experience my true worth,
which consists not in doing but in being.
I surrender myself into your hands. I am at peace.     

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Second Reading: COL 1:24-28

       At first glance, Paul's claim to be "filling... what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ" seems to be a vain boast. What could be worse than Jesus' sufferings? He was abandoned, beaten, and nailed to a cross. Jesus accepted this torture to build a bond with all people who suffer anywhere in any time. The best bond would be love, but since we fail so badly in that virtue, the alternative is a bond of pain.
       The missing element in Jesus' suffering is our own involvement. When we "offer up" our own afflictions, we relate to Christ in a way that makes our pain a saving act. We can suffer for others who cannot endure the burden.

St. Paul

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