News from P.I.T. (Pastor in Training)
From the Pastor’s Desk
October 18 – Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Could you choose a more challenging Gospel than the one we just heard? It is foolish to think that Jesus’ statement about render to Caesar and to God is the Bible’s version of separation of Church and State. This Gospel is not that simplistic. It calls us to carefully examine what is really going on. The question posed to Jesus about taxes is obviously a trick. If Jesus agrees with taxes than he alienates himself from his poor Jewish countrymen who are suffering under the Roman Tax. If Jesus disagrees with the tax then He will be seen as someone who fosters sedition. No easy way out of this! So first Jesus asks for a coin. He is about to reveal the hypocrisy of those questioning Him. The coin that is used for paying the taxes is a special coin that contains the image of Caesar. So hated was this coin, that Jews refused to carry it. When the Pharisees reached into their pocket and pulled out the coin, everyone surrounding them was shocked. Here are people who publicly preach against the tax and yet who carry the hated coin in their pocket. Who are they kidding? They have fallen into the trap of their own two-faced approach to Jesus.
Jesus stares at them, looks at the coin and then comes out with his famous “render to Caesar” statement. But the statement is more than the words. The statement is profound. It is saying: render to Caesar those things which are marked with Caesar’s image….and then render to God those things marked with god’s image. The coins bearing Caesar’s image belong to Caesar – human beings, bearing God’s image belong to God.
It is the prophet Isaiah who reminds us that we are marked with God’s image. Isaiah reminds us what God taught us in Genesis: “See, I have inscribed you on the palm of my hand.” And because we are inscribed on the palm of God’s hand, because we are marked by God, we are all brothers and sisters. We are all loved by God. We do not have the right to stand above anyone. God calls us to respect and honor each other. This is what we owe God.
Taxes have always be a hated thing. We live our lives surrounded by taxes. But Jesus’ words have nothing to do with taxes. Instead they have everything to do with how we live our lives. We can give Caesar his due. We can understand the role of government in our lives. But when government calls us to overlook what is due to God, then we have cause to pause and consider how we should act. When government forgets that we are all children of God and asks us to push aside the sacredness of all human life then our allegiance to Caesar is in conflict to our allegiance to God. Today’s Gospel reminds each of us that while government has a rightful and just place in our lives it can never cause us to fail to respect the profound truth that each and every one of us is marked by God and therefore belong to God and not to government.
Have a Blessed Week!
Father Don
From the Pastor’s Desk
October 11 – Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Have you sent in your RSVP yet? From my experience, priests are notoriously bad about not responding to invitations. I don’t know what it is, but most priests just are bad in responding to invitations whether it be to a dinner, a meeting, a wedding reception or some other event where the host needs to know whether you are coming or not. Shame on us! In today’s readings, Isaiah and Matthew remind us that above and beyond the invitations we extend to one another are the invitations of God. In the first reading, the prophet describes a sumptuous banquet hosted by God. Isaiah wants our mouths to water! Picture chocolate cake, lemon meringue pie, creamy pastries, fresh fish, roasted lamb and beef on the spit, berries and cherries, milk and honey. The wine selection is like no other – aged to perfection. But not only will there be food and drink in abundance, but also healing, forgiveness, salvation and great rejoicing. “Will you come?” asks God. “Well, of course,” we answer. “You don’t have to ask me twice!” But our enthusiasm is put to the test by the words of today’s Gospel. In his parable, Jesus acknowledges that some of those invite to the great banquet of God’s reign have found excuses not to come. Family obligations, business affairs or lack of interest have taken priority, and as a result, they put God’s invitation on hold or set it aside altogether. Although written thousands of years ago, Isaiah and Matthew are clearly speaking to us today. They are asking whether we are alert to the invitations that God sends into our lives each day. So how do we respond to God’s many invitations in our lives? Some of those are standing invitations. Like coming to Mass each Sunday when the COVID pandemic is over. Prior to the pandemic though, the weekly invitation might have become so routine that we might not be fully present at the banquet of word and bread and fellowship. At the end of Mass, one pastor in a small rural parish in the South proclaimed to his congregation, “Go forth in peace; this has been the highlight of our day; it is all downhill from here.” This colloquial way of affirming the Eucharistic banquet as the source and summit of our lives remained with his parishioners, who struggled to value all else in their lives as secondary to and dependent upon coming to Mass.
God’s invitations reveals themselves in other ways as well. Through the persons who reach out to us in their need, God invites us to share. Through those who suffer injustice, God invites our advocacy and responsible participation at the ballot box. Through those who have no one to speak for them, no one to uphold their rights to live and work without fear, God invites our persistent involvement on their behalf. There are so many invitations from God during our day. Depending on how we respond (or not) will depend if we are found worthy to the feast. Don’t miss an opportunity to RSVP to God!!
Have a blessed week!
Father Don
From the Pastor’s Desk
October 4 – Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Every year, the Bishops of the United States designate the month of October as “Respect Life Month.” The theme this year is “Live the Gospel of Life.”
Respect for the dignity of the human person demands a commitment to human rights across a broad spectrum: “Both as Americans and as followers of Christ, American Catholics must be committed to the defense of life in all its stages and in every condition.” The culture of death extends beyond our shores: famine and starvation, denial of health care and development around the world, the deadly violence of armed conflict and the scandalous arms trade that spawns such conflict. Our nation is witness to domestic violence, the spread of drugs, sexual activity that poses a threat to lives, and a reckless tampering with the world’s ecological balance. Respect for human life calls us to defend life from these and other threats. It calls us as well to enhance the conditions of human living by helping to provide food, shelter and meaningful employment, beginning with those who are most in need. We live the Gospel of Life when we live in solidarity with the poor of the world, standing up for their lives and dignity. Yet abortion and euthanasia have become preeminent threats to human dignity because they directly attack life itself, the most fundamental human good.
It need not be so. God, the Father of all nations, has blessed the American people with a tremendous reservoir of goodness. He has also graced our founders with the wisdom to establish political structures enabling all citizens to participate in promoting the inalienable rights of all. As Americans, as Catholics and as pastors of our people, we write therefore today to call our fellow citizens back to our country’s founding principles, and most especially to renew our national respect for the rights of those who are unborn, weak, disabled and terminally ill. Real freedom rests on the inviolability of every person as a child of God. The inherent value of human life, at every stage and in every circumstance, is not a sectarian issue any more than the Declaration of Independence is a sectarian creed. As Catholic Christians we must value and defend human life above all other values!
Have a Blessed Week!
Father Don
From the Pastor’s Desk
September 27 – Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
A sacred event is coming up. Sacred in the sense of our duty as Catholic Christians and citizens of the United States. That sacred duty is to vote in the general election on November 2, 2020. As Election Day draws near it is important for everyone to know what is permitted and what is not permitted regarding the Church’s involvement in politics and the election. What IS permitted: Educating Catholics and others on the teachings of the Church as they relate to social policies. Analyzing and measuring policies against the values of the Gospel. Speaking out on issues, such as those involving the life and dignity of the human person, social justice, the promotion of the common good, and the life of the Church in society. Encouraging voters to participate fully in the political process. What IS NOT permitted: Endorsing a candidate or political party. The Church donating money or other resources to a candidate or political party. Exclusively offering the parish or church organization’s facilities to a candidate or political party. Campaign materials or other materials produced by candidates or political parties are not to be distributed on Church property including cars parked in the church parking lot or signs in the parkway. (Information from the Illinois Catholic Conference brochure: “Guidelines on Political Activities for Parishes and Catholic Church Organizations” www.ilcatholic.org
In a bulletin article or homily, there is not enough time or space to go into depth about the teachings of the Church. Regarding all the issues that one must consider in forming ones conscience the basic Catholic Social teaching includes the following major themes:
Life and Dignity of the Human Person
Protection of and Participation in the Family and Community
Rights of the Human Person be Protected
Care for the Poor and Vulnerable
Dignity of work and the rights of Workers
Solidarity as One Human Family
Care for God’s Creation
To study more in depth the teachings of the Church in forming your conscience to vote this November, please go to the following links:
Have a blessed week!
Father Don
From the Pastor’s Desk
September 20 – Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today, September 20, back in 1997 was a monumental day for Our Lady of Mercy Parish. It was on this day that the Church building in which we presently worship was dedicated. It was an eventful day for the pastor Fr. Tivy and those parishioners who first founded OLM in June of 1988 and those who joined during the nine years it took to fundraise and build the church. Let us be grateful today for all those who made the financial and gifts in kind sacrifices to build the beautiful church in which we worship today. The feast day of our parish patron, Our Lady of Mercy is on Thursday, September 24. We have received permission from the Bishop to transfer the celebration to the weekend of September 26/27. Let us celebrate our dedication anniversary and feast day with joy!
In parishes throughout the country this weekend, we celebrate Catechetical Sunday. The theme being “I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you.” COVID-19 sure affected the manner in which we are doing religious education for our youth this year. Religious education for K – 5 is a family based program being done at home with parents as leaders, supported by our RE staff and catechists. Prior to COVID-19 we had already planned to offer the at home family catechesis program as an option for families instead of classroom instruction in the building. After COVID-19 hit, we decided that it was not feasible to offer classroom instruction due to the many protocols that were required to be in place. Additionally we did not feel it safe to bring together children from different school communities, and put them through more protocols. In addition, there likely would have been a shortage of catechists as several of our catechists fit the “at risk” category and would not be able to teach. However, there is a “silver lining” to the situation. The at home parent led catechesis program allows families to explore stories of our faith together at a schedule that is convenient for each family. And, no one has to wear masks or socially distance! More importantly, this program gives back to the parents what is their original responsibility that parents agreed to when they had their child baptized, namely of raising their child in the faith. Throughout the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it is stated: parents are the primary educators of their children in the faith, and that parents are gifted to do that. Unfortunately over the years, the Church has been enablers of taking that responsibility away from parents. Dropping off children for a Religious Education class with no further involvement of parents in the faith formation of their children has been a disaster in forming children as Disciples of Jesus. The Church and religious education programs are intended to support, not substitute for the parent’s role in raising their children in the practice of the faith! I strongly encourage our families who have not registered yet to give this program a try. We are here to guide and provide all you parents need to implement family catechesis in your home.
Have a blessed week!
Father Don