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♦NEW MASS SCHEDULE♦ |
♦NEW MASS SCHEDULE♦ FULL DETAILS HERE - Mass Changes and Reconciliation, COVID-19 Message from Bishop UPDATE May 30, 2020 Follow us on:
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Lessons from the Storm
My Dear Family,
As I write this, rain and wind from Hurricane Isaías pound the roof and windows. Yes, it is Tuesday. A hurricane watch is in effect. While dry and comfortable at my desk, the new member of my family, a dog Lilli whom I am in the process of adopting, is less comfy. She whines and paces with the noise of driving rain. These moments help us to imagine what it might have been like in the storms at sea.
Today in the Gospel , a continuation from last week, Jesus sends his disciples off in a boat and then dismisses the crowds. Perhaps he wanted the crowds to see him send them off alone onto the Sea of Galilee? Then when alone, he goes up the mountain to pray.
A Life Worth Living
My Dear Family:
In week 4 of our message series on discipleship and the kingdom, the parables are done (for now.) I hope you have taken one or two deeply to heart so that you can carry one with you and ponder it, deepening the sense of the Kingdom of Heaven in your own heart and life. Now it is time to put some of those lessons into practice.
We find the disciples and Jesus surrounded by the crowds. Despite Jesus’ desire to find some alone time and mourn the death of his cousin John the Baptist, he has healed and taught the crowds. It has been a long day. It reminds me of the times growing up when both of my parents worked. The kids were in school and then at sports. We were all coming home in the evening after a full day but it was my mother’s responsibility to make dinner. That was just the way it was.
What Is It Worth?
Dear Parish Family,
This is week 3 of our message series: Discipleship and the Kingdom. We are meditating on the Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew’s Gospel (chapters 13 & 14) and asking ourselves what it means to be a disciple. Today, three more parables about the kingdom, each of which shines like a facet of a diamond on one aspect of this beautiful and complex reality.
Parables are drawn from common life. The examples should not seem far-fetched. Our three parables involve a farmer, a merchant and a fisherman: three common trades of the day. And while buried treasure discovered in a field may seem the fanciful tale of pirates, during Jesus’ day many fields were rented, and many people buried their valuables before times of war and uncertainty. The earth was the original safety deposit box! So the treasure, the pearl and the dragnet really speak from the reality of common life. I hope these images can resonate with us so many centuries later. These familiar situations help us to see that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, close, in our midst. The gift of faith, seeing reality with the eyes of Jesus, helps us to recognize the beauty of the Kingdom right here in Maple Shade. Jesus, help us to see your beauty in our common life.
