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July 29, 2022Wednesday, August 3rd | Funeral Planning Workshop
5:30pm in the Church
Thursday, August 4th | St. Michael Night Out
And Bless of School Bags
6pm at the American Legion Post
When I get to heaven, I am going to lodge a complaint at Christ’s Vicar for Seasons Office. Oh, there’s no complaining in heaven, you say. But it is just not right, you blink, and summer is over. The heat remains but because of school and work commitments we can’t run down to the beach as often to enjoy those cool ocean breezes. I hate it.
As a new school year begins, so does a new pastoral year. The theme for this Pastoral Year will be “Families Strong in Faith.” We would like to hire a Director of Family Faith Formation to help keep our faith community growing in an intergenerational and organic way. A job description can be found on our parish webpage, https://saintmichaelstybee.org. If you have questions, please contact Ginny Murphy (912-713-3323). Send resumes by August 8th to [email protected]. Please pass on word about this job opening to anyone you might think would be good for the position. Great organizational and communication skills would be a big plus.Family Prayer O God, we long to know you and to love you, but the busyness of life often gets in the way. As we begin a new school year, help us to recognize the ordinary, daily ways that our family can learn about you and grow closer to you. We know that you are with us, leading us and guiding us on our way. Amen.July 31, 2022 | Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time | by the Faithful Disciple
Ecc 1:2; 2:21-23 | Col 3:1-5, 9-11 | Lk 12:13-21
GROW AS A DISCIPLE | PRAY, STUDY, ENGAGE, SERVE
GROW: Is it me, or does every popular waiting-room magazine feature an article on “how to declutter” in six easy steps? I always read those first, then add them to the unsightly pile of magazines on the end table. The constant, if futile, quest to declutter comes from a deeper place than a desire for a clean house. It feels so liberating to let go of those things that we no longer need. Today’s readings challenge us to look not just outward, but inward, at what distracts us from what really matters. Paul exhorts us to “seek what is above,” letting go of earthly concerns or habits that get in the way of our relationship with God. By putting on a “new self” through prayer, the sacrament of reconciliation and receiving Jesus in the Eucharist, we will become “rich in what matters to God.”
GO EVANGELIZE | PRAYER, INVITATION, WITNESS, ACCOMPANIMENT
GO: Personal-finance writers often divide people into two camps: Savers or spenders. I’m definitely a saver! I dutifully contribute to my 401K, stash unexpected windfalls into my savings account, and carefully budget. On the rare occasions when I go out to dinner, I struggle with choosing what to order: It’s a high-stakes decision! Fiscal responsibility is a good thing, but today’s parable challenges me to be just as diligent about investing in my relationship with God, my family, and the people I encounter. We are blessed with so many opportunities to “seek what is above”: It may mean spending the first 30 minutes of the day in prayer, reading books or articles that help us grow spiritually, or joining a parish Bible study. Or even taking a friend to dinner and picking up the tab! In doing so, we are investing in this life – and the next.
ACTION: Take a look around your house and donate items in good condition to a charity in your community. And then ask the organization if they need any help with a summer yard cleanup or simple tasks around the facility – these are easy ways to involve the whole family in serving others.
