…”But some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit, a hundred – or sixty – or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.” This weekend’s Gospel speaks of the abundant life and blessings that come from keeping our mind and heart open to the Lord. After a summer week filled with some good rain, it’s a great moment to reflect on how well you/I/we are growing in the ways of the Lord. How can we use these summer days to keep our minds and hearts set upon the Lord and allow the seeds of God’s Word and love to be sown deep into our hearts? The Lord wants you to have abundant life. Attend your ears and heart to the Lord.
…This week our Diocese received some great news. Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Nelson Perez as the 11th Bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland. In his opening remarks on Tuesday, you could see and hear the joy of the Gospel in his words and gestures. He spoke passionately about the abundant life that comes in living the Gospel and walking in the ways of the Lord. Please keep Bishop Perez in your prayers during this time of transition. He will be installed on September 5 at Saint John Cathedral. This is truly a blessing for our local church. It’s obvious that he brings a good spirit and warmth to the Diocese of Cleveland.
…This Gospel is a parable about ‘crops and growing’. This past Tuesday I had the opportunity to spend some time with our Catholic Works of Mercy team. We are all blessed by their good works in service to the Lord and our brothers and sisters in their time of need. Did you know, for example, every Thursday they distribute food to between 25-30 families? During the summer season they work to distribute fresh fruit and vegetables. This is in addition to the food that you bring to Church that gets placed in the hands of those in need. God bless our CWM Team and all of you!
…Did you know that we also have a community garden and orchard on our campus? All the vegetables and fruit are given to those in need. Chrissy and Matt Balentine have done a wonderful job in leading this effort. They always could use some extra hands to weed and water…a little or a lot… will make a huge difference and allow us to offer fresh and healthy food to our sisters and brothers. If you can help, please contact Chrissy at 440.666.1405 .
…Did you also know that our parish has a team of wonderful members who are actively involved in a vibrant and growing ministry at the Medina County Jail? Mark and Liz shared with me that they have been hosting the ALPHA scripture program and had 48 men participate last week. What a blessing and privilege to share the Gospel with these brothers in the Lord. We all need the Gospel sown deep in our hearts. At this point of their lives, we pray that their hearts are open to receiving the mercy, forgiveness, and path to a fuller, holier life in Christ. Each week they collect prayer intentions to share with the team – “pray for my family, children and wife that they will accept me back. Pray that the Lord will give me one more chance to change my life—that I can become a role model for my children and those around me.” And another, “for me to live a better more righteous life, for God to forgive me for the things I have done and the people I have hurt.” And one more from the 35+ submitted, “Please pray for my mother, grandmother and daughter. Nothing for me – thank you – I am right where He wants me to be. God bless.”
…If you would like to learn more about this important ministry, please contact Jane Baldwin. She can provide contact info for the team. “When I was in prison, you came to visit me.”
…Did you know that this week we had Vacation Bible School for 310+ young people supported by a team of 175 volunteers??? What an amazing week for our community and our youngest members. It was simply inspiring and energizing to hear and see their energy and enthusiasm! God bless Janet Majka and her team for their great efforts at VBS. They will have a great reunion this Sunday at the 9:00 and 10:30 am Masses.
…The FEST is right around the corner – Sunday, August 6. This weekend a member of The FEST team will be inviting you to join us for a great day of faith, family and fun (all for FREE). We could also use some volunteers (it takes about 1400 people to bring it all together). We also could really use some support for The FEST raffle. It helps us keep The FEST free and open to all. There are lots of great prizes and even more, you can help us do great good. To learn more go to: www.theFEST. us.
…As Bishop Perez was being introduced to the Diocese, I had the joy of introducing Max Menkhaus to our parish staff. Max is a college student who will be joining Matt Fodor in leading our parish Music Ministry. We are blessed to have them join our community. Our music ministry will be hosting a Meet and Greet on Wednesday, July 26 at 6:30 pm. All are welcome to join in and show a warm SA greeting.
…We had a great Pastoral Council meeting this past week. We reviewed all that was accomplished over the past pastoral year and outlined the goals and efforts for the year to come. Watch for all the details in the fall. Some key growth areas for the year to come include strengthening our Junior High Ministry, working to engage all of our PSR and SAS families into the life of our parish community and engaging more of our members in Faith Sharing Groups.
…Father Adam was reading a book the other day on Pope Francis’ call for us to ‘accompany’ one another – to walk with each other – especially in difficult moments. I shared with him that over the past year we have trained over 200 of our members in this Ministry of Accompaniment. How do we best be companions on the journey and bring the wisdom, mercy and hope of Christ to one another in our difficult times? He was pretty surprised and impressed (as he is with our entire parish). Watch for more details in the next few weeks about this Ministry of Accompaniment.
…Can you believe that we are in the second half of July – already???!!! It’s a great time to register for PSR. Deb Houdek and Janet Majka always appreciate early registrations. It makes scheduling and planning so much easier. Spread the word and tell your friends to join us for PSR.
…This past week Saint Ambrose School received a shout out from the Ohio Education Department for the cutting edge work being done in STEM and coding in our school. Check out all the details at www.SaintAmbroseSchool.us.
…The theme for FEST 2017 is “A Full Life.” Today’s gospel gives us a powerful image of the abundant life that God has in mind for each of us. Open your heart and your ears to the Lord. Have a blessed week.
