…”Brothers and sisters: Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Saint Paul’s message to the Philippians in our second reading this weekend is a message that we need to hear and read over and again. When we turn to God, we will find the peace we seek. Actually we will find a greater peace and a deeper love beyond our imagination and understanding. That is the promise of God. In EVERYTHING turn to the Lord in prayer and petition with thanksgiving. In the challenges and struggles of our lives and our days, how can we remember in everything to turn to the Lord.
…The events this past week in Las Vegas remind us, again and again, of the blessing of each day and the challenges of our complicated world. For many, these tragic events and incessant news coverage causes downright fear and distress. There are three things we need to do each and every day. 1. From our second reading, we need to quickly turn to the Lord in prayer and petition for God’s peace and protection. 2. We need to continue to strengthen the bonds of our community to keep each other safe and secure in the arms of the Lord. 3. We need to turn the TV news off so we don’t listen to the same story all day long. It is emotionally exhausting. Each of us are instruments of peace. How can we continue to live in God’s peace so we can be instruments of that peace to our world.
…One simple way we can be instruments of peace is through our Catholic Works of Mercy Blanket Sunday Drive. This weekend we are asking you to bring new or gently used blankets to the Church which can be given out to those in need. This morning I received a request from one of our members who assists in the street ministry in both Cleveland and Akron. As the evenings turn cooler, the street team is out of blankets and could use 80 of them. You can help by either dropping off a blanket in the Narthex (connector between the Chapel and PLC) or dropping off a donation at the front office. Together we can blanket those in need with the warmth and compassion of Christ.
…If you are by the chapel to drop off a blanket, consider stopping in for a minute or two of prayer. It’s open every day from 6:30 am until 10 pm (Sat and Sun til 8 pm). It’s a great way to find God’s peace.
…We are two weeks away from an amazing moment in your life and in the life of our community. Jon Leonetti is coming to our parish on October 22-23-24. He brings a powerful message to help all of us take our ordinary lives and live them in extraordinary ways. At every age, Jon offers great spiritual wisdom and insight to breathe new life, new energy, new enthusiasm for each day. Mark your calendars and invite everyone you know to come and hear this powerful – helpful – rejuvenating – inspiring message. Your family and friends will be glad you brought them with you. See the bulletin for all the details. In Christ, at every age, you can find greater joy and new life. Come and see.
…This is my favorite weekend of the year as we celebrate our Autumn Harvest Festival on Saturday night with Mass at 5 pm followed by great family food and fun. Bring the kids and grandkids and join us. Many thanks to all who worked so hard last week to bring the beauty of the autumn season to every corner of our campus and Church. We are so blessed.
…This past week Deacon Gary, Jane Baldwin and I met to discuss our evangelization efforts for the parish. Quite simply put, “how do we invite others to Christ?” In all the conversations we kept coming back to – personal invitation. People invite people to come to the Lord. People invite people to come to Christ in our parish. How can you use the Jon Leonetti mission or even the autumn harvest celebration to invite someone to come to Christ and experience the love and care of our community of faith? Is there a neighbor, child, grandchild that you know would be better if they had a closer connection with the Lord? Pray for the courage to invite them to join you.
…Painfully, some of the separation from the Church can come through a broken marriage. We are here to help. We are hosting the FIRST STEP program to discuss broken relationships and annulments. The annulment process is a source of healing and peace. Pope Francis continues to call us to be a merciful and caring people. How can we help those who experience the pain of loss of divorce? Please come and learn more on Tuesday, October 10 at 7:00 pm. Father Adam actually spends a day a week working in our Diocesan Tribunal. Father Rob has the ‘record’ for the most annulments submitted in one year. Please let us know how we can help.
…Speaking of Father Rob….he is leaving with 34 of our members for a pilgrimage to Rome, Florence, Venice, Assisi and Milan (home of our own Saint Ambrose of Milan). You can go to our website to turn in prayer requests and intercession that our pilgrims will carry with them as they visit these holy places.
…You would have been so proud of our parish and our music ministry last weekend. They did a great job hosting the Catholic Family Day Mass at Progressive Field and Singing the National Anthem before the game. We are so blessed.
…Many thanks to the Brunswick VFW for the new flag pole at the Grotto and football field. Last Tuesday all the students from Saint Ambrose School joined with the VFW and American Legion and local police to dedicate the new flagpole and pray for peace. It was a beautiful, soul-stirring and wonderful experience. Our students did a beautiful tribute to all of our vets. They also prayed for those who serve to protect us today. Many thanks to the VFW for making this possible for our community.
…This weekend our Parish Finance Council is presenting to you our annual report. You will receive a complete report in your mail and a mini-version in the bulletin. Thank you so much for your continued support for our parish community. It really is a blessing – beyond words – and allows us to do so much in the name of the Lord and for our community. Thanks, also, to our PFC which meets monthly to give guidance and help us make sure we are practicing good stewardship for our community. The Diocese accepted our annual report which is a testament to the great work being done by our Business Office. We are so blessed. Thank you so much.
…In these chaotic days, Saint Paul focuses our attention on the peace we seek – we need – Jesus Christ. Have a blessed week. Thanks for all you do for our parish.
