Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The Blessings of Being Pastor
Often it is the case that we basically become our parents. In particular, I have reflected recently on how I am becoming more and more my father. When we were kids, he would offer his “friendly reminders” - which were instructions on closing the doors, turning off the lights, and not messing with the thermostat. Of course, we never saw the big deal because we weren’t paying the bills. I am seeing more and more how important those little reminders were because now I notice the same things. After Mass I will be in the narthex and the doors are left wide open. I suppose because someone is attempting to cool off all of Firestone Park with our air conditioning. At night I look across the parking lot from the rectory and see lights left on in the building. I will grumble a bit or sigh as I walk around trying to save electricity. Some have a tendency to share with me how the church is too hot, or as I am sweating heavily with my vestments on, some say it’s too cold. So, in the spirit of my father, with all charity and respect I offer some friendly reminders, let’s keep the doors closed, turn off the lights if we are not using the room, and if one is too cold, please bring a sweater; if one is too hot (like I often am) there’s not much to do but offer it up as penance.

Who Is On Your All-Star Team?
Last Monday at the Theology on the Rocks / Faith Formation Session hosted here at St. Paul’s I spoke on the topic of Baseball comparing it to certain aspects of spirituality.   In the question/answer period a person asked me what saints would be on my spiritual all-star team?  I thought it a great question and so I ask it of you.  The Communion of Saints is an important part of our Catholic Faith. These special friends of God we turn to and ask their intercession.  We of course have our patron saints but hopefully we have devotion to others as well.  Since last week was the Baseball All-Star Game, which saints would you choose to be on your All-Star Team?  What saints would you want “going to bat for you?”  Let’s say you are pitching - which saints do want behind you as your defenders?  Take some time to make your team and then pray to them asking them to pray for you to God that we all may grow in holiness.

July as Month of the Precious Blood of Jesus
Last week I wrote about July as the Month dedicated to the Precious Blood of Jesus. For meditation:
"The Precious Blood which we worship is the Blood which the Savior shed for us on Calvary and reassumed at His glorious Resurrection; it is the Blood which courses through the veins of His risen, glorified, living body at the right hand of God the Father in heaven; it is the Blood made present on our altars by the words of Consecration; it is the Blood which merited sanctifying grace for us and through it washes and beautifies our soul and inaugurates the beginning of eternal life in it."
I encourage everyone to pray the litany of the Precious Blood this month or here is a shorter prayer to include:
Precious Blood,
Ocean of Divine Mercy:
Flow upon us.
Precious Blood,
Most pure Offering:
Procure us every Grace!
Precious Blood,
Hope and Refuge of sinners:
Atone for us!
Precious Blood,
Delight of holy souls:
Draw us! Amen.




Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Pfr