Father Carey’s Pastor’s Corner

(Week of 07/14/24)

My Dear Friends,

This weekend, we celebrate the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. On one level, our Gospel this weekend is a very easy one to understand. On another level, it is very challenging to each of us today. The Gospel tells us that Jesus called the Twelve and then sent them out in pairs to preach repentance; anointing and curing many sick people. It would easy for us to believe that Jesus just sent “them” out. However, if we believe that the Word of God is always alive and active, then we are also asked to accept that “we too” are called and sent by Jesus in exactly the same way. The friends & followers of Jesus spent a lot of time with Jesus. They ate and prayed with Him. They heard Him preach and teach. They saw the miracles He performed and the people that He healed. They were fortunate enough to get to know Him on a deep personal level. As always, Jesus had a plan; all the while he was preparing to send them out as His witnesses with His message of God’s kingdom. Called by name, He in turn sent them out to proclaim and announce His message. They did this with even greater courage & conviction when they were filled and anointed with His Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

We are reminded this weekend that we too belong to this missionary church. Through our Baptism and having celebrated our Confirmation, each of us is filled with the same life-giving and energetic Holy Spirit. Today & everyday each of us is called to be a “missionary” amongst our family & our friends. We are called to be missionaries in our neighborhoods and in our parish communities. This is why this Gospel is so challenging for us. Perhaps it’s easier and even more comfortable to believe that I am not called by my name personally and sent out by Jesus. Maybe it’s more convenient to leave it to others. The truth & reality is that Jesus continues to call and invite us to follow Him and to carry on His mission & ministry through the quality of our daily lives. We have been used to using the word “missionary” to describe those dedicated men & women who left their own country & families to go off to far distant places to live & share the gospel with others. But we are all called by name by God to be missionaries. We are asked to be missionary witnesses to the presence of Jesus in our world today – wherever we are. Not all of us are asked to leave our own country to travel across the world but we are called to bring the Good News of Christ wherever we find ourselves. The Gospel challenges us to ask ourselves – where will I be a missionary for Jesus today?

We are just about a month away from celebrating our Annual Italian Festival and are keeping a watchful eye on our Festival Thermometer with the hope that we can reach our goal of $7,500. As of this writing, we have raised a total of $1,390. As you know, this monetary goal each year helps to cover the many expenses associated with that day: namely, catering, the rental of tents, entertainment, etc. As is customary, any monies left over will be used to benefit the upkeep and ongoing operations of our parish. I thank all those who have donated thus far and for all those who have visited our website to sponsor the festival both monetarily and/or to volunteer. We are very excited to have our festival this year. Please mark your calendars for a great day and invite a friend!

The deadline for the Annual Ad Book has been extended. All ads, patron club levels & memorials may be submitted by Friday, July 19th. If you have any questions or need help with your requests, please contact the Parish Office or Millie Slifer at 610-662-6231. I thank you in advance for your generosity towards this annual event and we are looking forward to another wonderful feast!
Leading up to that day, we will have our Triduum of Prayer on August 7th, 8th, and 9th. Fr. Anthony Albanese, Parochial Vicar at St. Laurence Parish in Upper Darby, will be our guest homilist each night. Afterwards, we will gather for food and entertainment. Please consider joining us for these special days of prayer.

Just as a reminder, the Festival Mass will take place on August 11th at 1:30 PM. Afterwards, the Festival will run from 3:00 PM until 7:00 PM with food, live music, and fun & games.

I hope that you and your families had a wonderful Fourth of July break. I take this opportunity to thank you again for your continued support for our parish. The many sacrifices that you make of your time, talent and treasure are greatly appreciated and never go unnoticed. Be assured of my prayers for all of you and your families and I hope that you are enjoying these days of summer.

Love and Prayers,
Father Carey