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We have come to the holiest of weeks, the week in which we commemorate the saving passion, death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Read on to know interesting details of the different celebrations this week.

This week I received a letter from Bishop Rhoades assigning Deacon Paul Stoyell-Mulholland to our parish. I am grateful to Deacon Paul and his wife Barbara for accepting to serve at our parish. Continue reading to learn about the role of a Deacon and what they do.

It is the third week of Lent already. Before we notice, this graced season will once again be behind us. We must, therefore, be intentional in making the most of this season. This Lent, make a commitment to run toward the cross rather than away from it. What crosses is the Lord asking you to carry this Lent and how are you carrying them?

My faith journey has taken many turns over the years. Through my wife, Barb’s, encouragement to join faith-based activities—couples’ groups, men’s groups, and more—I gradually became more comfortable developing a relationship with Jesus. In 2013, at age 51, God surprised me. During a long drive to help my daughter after surgery, two songs kept speaking to me and stirred a deep sense that God was calling me to something more. When I returned home, Barb and I talked and prayed about this new possibility. Without her unwavering support and encouragement, I’m not sure I would have persevered. Throughout this journey, Jesus and Barb were my constant companions, and each year strengthened my desire to serve Christ and the Church.

Do you ever wonder what the purpose of the Church is? Why does the Church exist? The primary mission Christ gave to his apostles, and through them to the Church, is to evangelize. He told them, “Go into the whole world and preach the good news” (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15). The interaction of the Gospel with the cultures in which it is preached has brought about different levels of growth and transformation, depending on the people’s response to it. The synod calls us forth to share how we are putting our gifts to work in service of charity for the good of the Church and her mission in our world and time. Every parish in our diocese would be participating in the diocese-wide synod consultations, to ask the Holy Spirit to guide the Church in our diocese at this time and into the future. We want to listen in prayer together and share with one another how we feel the Lord is calling the Church today to preach the good news in ways that would be relevant for the people of today in our diocese.

In his 2019 Apostolic Letter, Aperuit Illis, Pope Francis declares the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time as the Sunday of the Word of God. This letter calls attention to the centrality of the Word of God in the life of the Church and of Christians. It reflects on the action of Jesus in opening the hearts of his disciples to understand the mystery of his resurrection. The purpose of this Sunday of the Word of God is to encourage deeper appreciation for the inspired, revealed and received word of God. Here at our parish, we give pride of place to the sacred scripture, whether in our liturgy or in our weekly bible studies. We grow in our knowledge of God who constantly communicates to us through the written text of sacred scripture. We urge every parishioner to join one or more of our opportunities for growing deeper in our knowledge of scripture.

Last week I began reflecting on surrendering to God’s will as necessary for true and lasting peace. Very often we pursue happiness by following the dictates of our hearts and after our whims, without stopping to ask what the Lord wants of us. When seen from the human perspective, God’s will might not be in our immediate favor, but it is always in our best interest. Another instance where God’s will might not align with our wills could be seen in suffering. Where in your life do you see the will of God in conflict with what you want?

The idea of a new year suggests the end of an old and the beginning of another. The new year also comes with challenges. It calls us to adopt new ways of thinking and being. At the start of the year, some of us make resolutions. To succeed, your goal-setting must be done with God. How? First, surrender to God’s will. Second, be courageous and trust God to guide your planning process. Third, stay humble and always give the glory back to God.

This weekend we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the Universal King. This solemnity, which acknowledges the sovereignty of Jesus and our belonging in that kingdom , marks the end of Ordinary Time in the liturgical calendar. And Advent begins next weekend. As the culmination of the liturgical season, this solemnity confirms that all of creation and all of time are within the rule of our Lord Jesus Christ. It sums up all of history in Christ who is both the alpha and omega, the origin and destination of all of creation.

This weekend we celebrate the Dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome. We mark Veteran's Day and give our gratitude to those who serve and pray for those who have died in the line of duty. In November, we pray for the souls of our dearly departed. It is a good time to prepare for our own end as well. Our Annual State of the Parish Report will be released next weekend, November 16. It will cover in more detail our presentation from the State of the Parish Address as well as publish some of what we heard as a result of our listening Sessions.

Christ's resurrection is his victory over sin and death. This victory is also ours, because the fate of the head is that of the body.

Joshua, the leader of the people who came out of slavery in Egypt, uttered the above words as a way to challenge the people to quit being indecisive and rather make a commitment to serve the Lord. These words are very significant for us today. We might accuse Joshua of assuming too much by purporting to make a decision not only for himself but also for his household. We might wonder about the freedom his household had, if any, to make such a decision for themselves. While this might appeal to modern imagination, it seems to me that Joshua made that declaration because he knew the importance of taking a stance for the Lord, and how serving the Lord would be beneficial for his family. As such, it seems safe to say that as head of his family, he made a decision, which was in their best interest.

This weekend we come to the more Eucharistic focus in the Bread of Life Discourse in John Chapter 6. Our Lord Jesus says whoever eats his flesh and drinks his blood remains in him and he in them. This speaks of union with Christ. Unlike material food which we eat and is decomposed and becomes part of us, the Eucharistic food is not assimilated by us, rather, because it is the flesh and blood of the Divine Son of God, it transforms us into himself. We become what we consume.

Although Jesus declares that the bread he gives is his real flesh and the wine his real blood, not all of his listeners accepted it. This has not changed even today. The sad truth is that not everyone will believe in the Eucharist. This is a fact. Faith is a free gift from God; and it is manifest only in those who respond to it generously.

This weekend we welcome three new members into full communion with the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church - Dustin Philipson, Lynnea Hamilton, and Elijah (Eli) Hamilton. Although they already belonged to the universal church by reason of our common baptism, they however were not in full communion and could not partake in the Body and Blood of Christ given to us in the Eucharist. This weekend they will profess the Creed, be Confirmed, and receive their First Holy Communion.

It is recorded that over 60,000 people attended the National Eucharistic Congress, held at the Lucas Oil Stadium and the International Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis from July 17 - 21. I am grateful to the Lord that I was able to participate in this epochal event in the history of the Catholic Church in the United States. Alongside the number, I was thrilled by the diversity in the demographics of people who attended, from young and old, men and women and children, Cardinals, Bishops, priests, religious (male and female), in fact, the whole church was present.

In the First Reading for this weekend, the prophet Jeremiah proclaims the Lord’s denunciation for those shepherds who instead of caring for the Lord’s flock have resorted to self-care and comfort at the expense of the flock. They have become predators, exploiting the flock for their own selfish interests. As a result, the Lord will raise up a shepherd from the household of his servant David who will take care of his flock as he desires. This promise of a shepherd-king would be fulfilled in Jesus, who calls himself The Good Shepherd.

"We exist to rescue people from the poverty of an identity outside of Jesus” At all the masses this past weekend I introduced our parish mission statement, which is drawn from the Four Clarity Questions that are at the heart of who we are, what we do, and how we make ministry decisions.

This weekend’s Gospel presents two miracles: on the one hand, the healing of the woman with the hemorrhage that had defied medical solutions, with its associated societal stigma. She was as good as dead. On the other hand, we had the raising of Jairus’ young daughter. The conditions of both actors were dire until they encountered the healing power of Jesus.

Hope you are staying cool and hydrated from the heat. I have been thinking of what to focus on for this week’s bulletin, and the idea of the grounding philosophy that shapes my and the staff’s thinking as we provide leadership to our parish came to mind. We call these the Four Clarity Questions. They are foundational to how we understand who we are as a parish, what we do and how we do them.