Wedding - Anthony Arce and Linda LeBron

Anthong Arce and Linda LeBron will exchange the Sacred Bonds of Holy Matrimony on Sunday, July 23 at 3:00 p.m. Please pray for this couple about to be married.

Wedding - Andrea Miele and Donn Shaver

Andrea Miele and Donn Shaver will exchange the Sacred Bonds of Holy Matrimony on Saturday, July 22 at 1:00 p.m. at the Marist College Chapel. Please pray for this couple about to be married.

Sowing Seeds

I want to start a garden – he told the owner of the garden center – but my yard is a problem. I get blazing sun in the afternoon for two hours, but otherwise it’s all shade. How about the soil? – Hard clay, lots of rocks. What do you recommend I plant?  Why don’t you check out aisle 2 – we have a new supply of Birdbaths and flag poles!

Passing on the faith is just like planting – sometimes there are many obstacles. Unlike modern farming, where seeds are put in nice straight rows, the farmers of Jesus time just tossed the seed. It landed in all sorts of places:

Some fell on hard soil. Saw on “CBS This Morning” New on line grocer called “Brandless.” Sell about 200 products – everything is $3.00. They sell directly to consumers, saving people money.  Owners say 78% of customers are millennials born between 1981-1997 or so.  They:

-          Don’t want to buy products they grew up with

-          Don’t want their parents government

-          Don’t want their parents institutions

-          Don’t want to go with brands.

Soil is hard!!!

Some fell on rocky ground – no roots

Was a time we valued things like motherhood, fatherhood, fraternity, civic involvement, church involvement – this has given way to SAT scores and future earning power.   Marriage and religious participation is being replaced by striving for money, power, prestige.

Instead of bringing happiness – has led to great loss of meaning and hope. Since the 1980’s loneliness among adults in USA increased from 20% to 40 %.   Social isolation is now a major public health crisis – on par with cancer & heart disease.  Life expectancy of Americans is decreasing for first time since 1930’s.  I don’t have to tell you – drugs, suicide is now 2^nd leading cause of death among teens and young adults.    NO ROOTS!

Some fell among briars & choked it. Two brothers were Christians – Clarence & Robert. Clarence involved with civil rights &Robert was a lawyer. Once Clarence asked Robert for legal help – no, it could hurt my career. I thought you were a follower of Christ?  -  only to a point, I am not following him onto the cross.  Robert, you are not a follower of Christ, only an admirer.  Faith choked!

Some found good soil – we realize the difference faith can make –   

Beautiful Vacation Bible School – Sister Marie teaching Catechists about their faith – collecting clothing & food for homeless for Midnight Run – St. Joseph’s Men’s group delivering beds to the poor – and our own garden out back – delicious vegetables for the food pantry

So – we keep throwing the seed – and we don’t give up - because we have something here – a light in the darkness – THE way to experience peace, fulfillment and joy!

New Discovery Regarding St. Columba!

St. Columba, known in Gaelic as Colum Cille, “the dove of the church”, arrived on the island of Iona, in the western coasts of Scotland, in the year 563. Considered one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland, he was the founder of the great Abbey of Iona, which became one of the most important religious, cultural and political centers of the region for centuries.

According to BBC, using radiocarbon dating processes, archaeologists have finally been able to identify the charred remains of a hut found in 1957 in the place in which, according to tradition, the saint’s cell stood. The place is called Tòrr an Aba, “the abbot’s mound”.

The test results on these pieces of burnt wood date them as being almost 1500 years old. These pieces would have belonged to St. Columba’s cell, where the saint worked, prayed and died.

Read the whole BBC article here.

Funeral Mass - Theodore DeRosa

A Funeral Mass will be offered for the repose of the soul of Theodore DeRosa on Tuesday, July 11 at 11:00 a.m. Please pray for him and for his family.

Come To Me . . .

Come to me all who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest – lovely words!

So many burdens:   responsibilities  - hardships  - anxiety  - Loneliness - Handicaps

Failures  -  Bitterness  -  Grief  -  Guilt  -  Illness  -  Old age  -  Worries that we are burden to others.

Some carry burdens and are not even noticed! A faculty member at a college had his room cleaned every week. A woman came in and did an excellent job. They would often chat. He learned that she had to be up at 5 each day to catch a bus to work. Then, when she was done after a long day, she had to care for her family.  He also learned that a professor was in this same room for 14 years and never once spoke to this woman. She would say Good morning with no response. Finally, she gave up.   All it takes sometimes is just a word of appreciation, to help make a heavy burden light. It makes a world of difference when we treat others with dignity and respect.

Take my yoke upon your shoulders and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart

Meek and humble of heart – allowing others to walk over us? Not at all!

Meek – from Greek word praus  (prah-oos)  a military term  referring to a horse.  The finest wild stallions were trained as war horses. They were filled with spirit, courage and power, but were disciplined top respond to the slightest nudge or pressure from the riders leg. They were “meeked”   strength under control.   Cooperation.  Allow God to guide us, allow God to be in control.

Two things about yokes:

-yokes are custom made for each ox. They were carved from solid wood , form ftted so that the yoke would not create sores. Like having on an old pair of shoes.

- allows two animals to pull together. Work is shared!

My yoke is easy and my burden is light

Boy was helping dad with yard work. Dad asked him to move a few rocks. There was this one rock, He tried and tried but he could not move it. Finally, he gave up.  Dad, I can’t do it.  Dad asked – did you use all your strength?   Yes, every ounce.  No, you did not.  You did not ask me to help.  Together they moved the rock.

Come to me   . . .      Take my yoke . . .