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July 17, 2016 – SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Gn 18:1-10a; Ps 15:2-3, 3-4, 5; Col 1:24-28; Lk 10:38-42
August 19 Pilgrimage! As always, a number of our parishioners and friends have been eagerly asking about our annual pilgrimage. We are still working on the place and hope to have it by next weekend. For the time being, please mark your calendar for Friday, August 19. We normally leave St. Nicholas early morning and return around 8 pm.
"Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do!" (Luke 5: 31) Why did Jesus say this? Jesus knew there would be people in the world who would be hurting. Sometimes, people in the Church are the most subjected to deception and the work of demons. After all, one of the 12 Apostles betrayed Jesus. We have to always bear in mind that the Church is both human and divine and there will always be blessings and problems. We have the option to celebrate the blessings or exaggerate problems. Here at St. Nicholas, we have lots of things to celebrate: We have a nice Church campus, we have a full-time priest, we help people with spiritual and material needs (counseling, marriage matters, demonic possessions, blessing of homes, preparing and celebrating Sacraments, & burying the dead), we have affordable rental facilities, we visit those in prison, we support families who have to make the difficult decisions to go back to their home countries due to immigration or other reasons, we help parishioners with ongoing education, we help children with Catholic education, and we open wide the doors of St. Nicholas for all who want to come in. The Prayer Garden is another example of a truly collaborative effort of many, many hands that connect the right people with the right resources. Brothers and sisters, these are a few examples of all the blessings we have to celebrate at St. Nicholas. Is there room to grow? Absolutely. Growth is the law of nature; growth is the desire of God. We should know to celebrate all the great things in life rather than complain. Try focusing on complimenting rather than complaining. Let us be the people who always celebrate the good things that happen and then ask how we can improve. Ask yourself, are you someone who knows how to celebrate the good things in life, or are you someone who spends most of your time criticizing rather than celebrating?
Church and Prayer Garden Festival! Please mark your calendar for September 10 & 11. This weekend is our annual Fall Festival and on Sunday at 11 am we will have the Come, See, Pray at the Prayer Garden celebration. I hope to see you all there!
Chasing the Rainbow! Recently, I was driving back from Minnetonka on a rainy evening. A rainbow caught my attention. As I left Minnetonka, it appeared to be in Chanhassen; once I was in Chanhassen it appeared to be in Chaska; once I was in Chaska, it appeared to be in Carver...going farther and farther. People of God, this is a spiritual message. The good things God creates, like the rainbow, is not for one person to claim, but is for all of us. God created the rainbow in such a way that it cannot be kept for the benefit of one person, but for all to see. Do you treat the earth, water, trees and rivers well so that they can benefit everyone?
Prepare for the Slide and not the Ride! Recently, a good friend of mine told me of his encounter with a motorcyclist. He was surprised to see this woman wearing a jacket on a hot sunny day. He asked her why. Her response was, 'Prepare for the slide and not the ride.' I am not recommending we all wear jackets when we ride bikes. Rather, always be prudent and prepared. No wonder Jesus pleads with us to be wise and prudent.
Humane Hero! Depending on which part of the world we live in, animals can be treated as loveable creatures or as a burden. We can always debate about why we spend money on animals while humans die of starvation. As debates and discussions continue, this much is true: there is absolutely no excuse for animal cruelty. It is ok to butcher certain animals to eat and enjoy the meat, but it is not OK to make animals suffer in any way. Animal cruelty is simply unacceptable. It is perfectly fine to agree to disagree on how much we should be spent on animals. However, there should be no debate about cruelty to animals --it is a sin. Pray to St. Francis of Assisi who loved all kinds of animals. May he intercede for those animals who are mistreated. As our children would ask, 'Do animals go to heaven?' The answer is absolutely!
Divide up your wealth before Death! Depending on the family situation, after a loved one's death, children can gracefully divide up the wealth or it can be a hard battle. We see this from celebrities to ordinary families. Besides planning for one's funeral, it is also important to communicate your wishes regarding your finances. It is no secret that sometimes children of the deceased do not have an equal love and concern for the church as their parents did. Sometimes, it happens children do not even feel the need to offer a Mass for their beloved parents. When creating your will, remember your church or any other organizations in addition to your children.
Happy Feast of St. Bonaventure (1221-1274)! Every year we celebrate the Feast of St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor. As a little boy, he was seriously ill and was miraculously healed through the prayers of St. Francis of Assisi. The great gift of this man was he was both holy and extremely intelligent. Sometimes in life, we see that people can be very intelligent but can lack humility. Bonaventure reminds all of us it is possible for us to be both holy and intellectual. If you are looking for a balanced approach in your life, this is the Saint to pray to. St. Bonaventure, Pray for us! Help us to have a balance in our lives. Help us to be intellectual and at the same time to be close to you. Let our books not become a burden in coming near to you, but a blessing that brings us closer to you. As the saying goes, everything is good in moderation Amen!
Sunday Reflection! Dear brothers and sisters, the Gospel for this Sunday is from Luke 10 in which we learn Jesus entered a villagewhere a woman, whose name was Martha, welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, 'Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.' The Lord said to her in reply, 'Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.' Dear brothers and sisters, in the Gospel Mary comes across as a woman who loves to sit, pray and reflect (as she was at the feet of Jesus), and Martha comes across as someone who loves to work. Jesus is not trying to say one is better than the other; rather, He wants us, as we reflected earlier, to have that balance of prayer and work; action and contemplation. Would you pray that Jesus will help you to have both Mary and Martha in you? Can you be a person of both action and contemplation?
In Christ Jesus,
Fr. Thomas Joseph
Renew or rediscover your love for each other by attending the August 13-14 Marriage Encounter! For more information, call 651.454.3238. Register at www.marriages.org. Weekends are held at Mt Olivet Conference and Retreat Center in Farmington.
If you are between jobs or looking to develop your career, attend the Career Transition Group meeting on July 21. These meetings are free, no registration needed. Holy Name of Jesus is located at 155 County Road 24, Wayzata, MN. For more information, see www.hnoj.org/career-transition-group or contact Deacon Dennis Hanson at 763-473-7901.
This fall, the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute will begin another two-year course at The Saint Paul Seminary. The program follows the four pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and will make sense of all things Catholic, deepen your faith, and lay out the roadmap to heaven. The classes are divided into four eleven-week modules and meet on Monday evenings, 7–9 p.m., with two Saturday morning formative sessions per module. Applications are now being accepted through July 31. For more info and an application, call 651-962-5028 or visit www.CIstudent.com.
River City Days is July 29-31. Join us to play Bingo from 3:30-5 pm on Saturday or help us run this event. Contact the parish office to volunteer. There will be a Breakfast on Sunday served in City Square Park under the Big Tent from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. See the full event schedule at https://chaskarivercitydays.com/.
Catholic Grandparent Conference – The Gift of Being Grand! Saturday, August 27, 9 am – 4 pm (Anticipatory Mass at 4 p.m.)
Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville. Learn about God’s plan for Grandparents and be equipped to pass on a Heritage of Faith. Register online or send in a registration form. Contact Susanna Bolle at 651-291-4411 or see www.CatholicGrandparenting.org.