PLEASE BE ADVISED: Handicap Ramp and Elevator Lift are still under construction. Thank you for your continued support!
MASS SCHEDULE:Daily Mass: M-F 9am* | SAT 5pm* | SUN 8am, 10am* & Noon
KINGDOM KIDSChildren's Liturgy offered at the 10am Mass Weekly, unless otherwise noted. ADORATIONTuesday & Thursday 8am RECONCILIATIONIn the Back Pew of the Church Monday & Wednesday 8am, Saturday 4pm or by appointment. Worship with us in person or via LIVE STREAM or watch on your own time on YouTube MASS CARDS - Available upon request, please call the Rectory at 856-667-8850. |
Leading from the Front - Staffing Update
Dear Parish,
As you read this note, I will be enjoying two weeks of summer in Chile with friends I met two decades ago as a college student. Please pray for a restful visit and safe return. I mention the timing because these letters often require a lot of forethought and planning. As your pastor, I try to serve from the front, but sometimes we end up in the thick of things. Let’s take this opportunity to share a status update on our team.
Since December we have been looking for a Business Manager, someone who serves at my hand in finance, operations and management. I am happy to announce that last week, Marianne Linka began her first week in that role. A longtime member, she brings valuable experience from serving in the Diocese of Camden as Director of Cemeteries. Spouse of Deacon Fred, Marianne has participated in many areas of parish life since her kids attended our school. You will be hearing more from her in the weeks ahead, but please reach out and welcome our newest team member.
On the Road
Dear Friends in Christ,
Last week we concluded our brief “new year” series on Baggage with the invitation to concretely name a person and an offense that you would like to forgive and to actively cancel that person’s debt. Not to pretend the debt is not owed or the offense did not hurt, but to choose the higher road, the road to freedom. Not to be weighed down by past hurts or grudges, but to move to a new place of peace, “forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead” (Phil 3:13) to borrow some beautiful words of Saint Paul.
In this part of his Letter to the Philippians, Paul recounted what it means to follow Christ Jesus, and the associated growth required for mature faith. The language he used depicts life as a journey, even a race. Do we think of our life of faith as a true “amazing race?” Just a bit further, Paul emphasized his unfinished business: “I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus,” (Phil 3:14). The finish line is our eternal beatitude, won in the blood of Jesus our Lord. God calls us and then continues to invite us to grow in faith and friendship with Him on the life-long journey of faith. Saint Augustine encourages, “Always grow, always walk on, always advance; do not stop on the way, do not turn back, do not go off course. One who does not advance is standing still…” (Sermones, 169, 18.) And surely it is challenging to advance when we are weighed down with baggage.
Extending Forgiveness
Dear Friends in Christ,
If the Giants beat the Eagles, can we still be friends in Christ? I can forgive you if the Eagles win. Would you be able to forgive me and the Giants? Perhaps my forgiveness overflows from the awareness that this is a child’s game. Our society pours so much money into stadiums and tv-coverage. Annually billions of dollars for about 20 weeks of entertainment. With these modern day gladiators we revisit the bread and circuses of Roman times. It’s all just a game.
People have asked me if God cares about sports. I don’t think so, not really in the way the question is posed. God loves the whole of creation with the fullness of his being. God doesn’t have love. God is love! God reveals himself through creation, the scriptures, the sacraments and the Church to be the fullness of love. But I don’t think he “cares” about who wins in the Superbowl. He cares about holiness, choosing virtue in challenging situations and love for our enemies. Enough natural and supernatural enemies exist in this world that we don’t have to pretend to be fake enemies on opposing sides of the pigskin.
