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September 10, 2021Team St. Michael has left the Island. Praise God that we left during the month of September without having to evacuate because of an approaching hurricane. I am in Connecticut this weekend for a wedding. Delia and Ryan are in Orlando for the International Catholic Stewardship Conference. I pray that they come back on fire to prepare all of us for a transformational future beyond this pandemic. The theme for this 59th annual conference is Restore Our Joy which recalls the psalmist’s plea to the Lord to transform his heart from sorrow to joy and renew in him a spirit of determination (Psalm 51:14). We thank Ken Douberly and Don McLemore for ‘holding down the fort” while we are away. And I am grateful that Fr. John Lyons and Deacon Hosea Bennett were able to fill in for me.
Today Jesus asks us, “Who do people say that I am?” We can only answer that question if we’ve had a personal experience of the presence of the Lord Jesus in our lives. So, when did Jesus become your personal Lord and Savior? Too often we think this question is appropriate only for evangelical Christians. As Catholics we can be put off by such a question, yet that question – and its answer – are at the core of who we are as followers of Christ. I can think of a good number of folks within our faith community who have already answered that question. What about you? To the extent that more folks within our parish can say that they have a personal relationship with Jesus, to that extend can we very much look forward to a transformational future for our Church. May you know the joy of the Lord as you ponder who the Lord Jesus is in your own life. And if you want to explore the question more deeply, I’d be happy to give you the names of some folks in our faith community who’d be happy to share their answer.
- A Funeral Mass will be celebrated for Bernie Goode on Monday, September 13th at 11am.
- Happy Grandparents Day! May you always be respected and revered by your loved ones.
- Unbelievably, it's already the 20th anniversary of that tragic Tuesday we simply refer to as 9/11. We pray that peace and a sense of unity may be restored to our Nation.
Sept. 12, 2021
Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
By The Faithful Disciple
Is 50:5-9a | Jas 2:14-18 | Mk 8:27-35
GROW: I think it can be easy to romanticize faith: the post-retreat high, the inspirational homily, even the motivational wall art that pops up on Pinterest. But keeping the faith can be hard sometimes. And living it out? Even harder. Today’s readings both challenge and encourage us, as they so often do. The Letter of James pulls no punches: Faith without works is “dead.” And in today’s Gospel, right after Peter says, “You are the Christ,” Jesus tempers that Good News, telling him that even the Son of Man must suffer greatly. We who follow Jesus must also be willing to take up our cross. This is a daily challenge to choose life over death; to choose the transformative power of Jesus over sin that creeps into our lives; to make the choice to put others’ needs before our own. None of this is easy. But as the prophet Isaiah reminds us, we don’t have to do it alone; indeed, the Lord God is our help. We can choose well.
GO: I’m inspired when the young people in our parish assist with the Sunday liturgy and do service projects in the community. As a working parent (and back when I was a “stay-at-home” mom), I tell myself, maybe someday when things slow down, I’ll do more. But honestly, I think the teens in the youth group – between work, school, and sports – are busier than I am. As we listen to today’s readings, wherever we may be in life and faith, what stands out? Is it James’ entreaty to pair faith with works? Or Jesus’ words that “whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it”? Or the prophet Isaiah’s rock-solid faith? Today’s readings give us many ways to witness to our faith in Jesus – through prayer, service, generosity, perseverance, works, and words. We can ask the Holy Spirit to show us which of these gifts we can share with others this week.
ACTIONS: Brainstorm new ways to witness to your faith. It could be as simple as picking up extra food for the pantry in the back of church or changing up “Grace” at dinner to add prayers for others.
