THE ELEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME JUNE 17, 2018

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1 MASS READINGS MONDAY 1 KGS 21:1-16, PS 119, MT 5:38-42 TUESDAY: 1 KGS 17:21-29, PS 51, MT 5:43-48 WEDNESDAY: 2 KGS 2:1, 6-14, PS 31, MT 6:1-6,16-18 THURSDAY: SIR 48:1-14, PS 97, MT 6:7-15 FRIDAY: 2 KGS 11:1-4,9-18,20, PS 132, MT 6:19-23 SATURDAY: 2 CHR 24:17-25, PS 89, MT 6:24-34 NEXT SUNDAY: THE SOLEMNITY OF THE NATIVITY OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST-RDGS: VIGIL- JER 1:4-10, PS 71, 1 PT 1:8-12, LK 1:5-17, DAY-IS 49:1-6, PS 139, ACTS 13:22-26, LK 1:57-66,80 MASS INTENTIONS MONDAY: AMELIA CORNEJO TUESDAY: AILEEN FORD WEDNESDAY: DEIDRE SARJENT THURSDAY: FR. STEPHEN CHURCHWELL FRIDAY: POOR SOULS VIGIL: MARY HARDEN 7:30: FR. BERT WOOLSON 10:00: FOR THE PARISH NOON: ANN HUBERTZ MEMORIAL FLOWERS Poor Souls, esp. deceased priests and religious. Carl & Scott Waclawik. Robert Bennett. (Karen Fox, Mike & Rosemary Cavanaugh). Jane Clapp. (Hank & Jean Corbin). Farrell & LaGuire families). Ann Hubertz. Dorothy Nelson. Marian Schwartz. (Larry White, Norb & Mark FitzSimons). (Burnell, Anna, Henry Totten, Robert Stump, Victor & Dorothy Ringle). Among other things the two gems cited above from today's gospel should start us thinking about human effort, especially the effort we put forth in trying to "know, love and serve God in this world, so as to be with him in the next." Apart from the what, i.e. those elements which make up our interior lives, there is also the how, the manner in which we use these things. We have come to recognize the three pillars of the interior life, namely prayer, fasting and works of mercy. Now we examine just how we have employed them in the light of what Jesus tells us above. It is clear he is not giving us a lecture in biology but rather asking us to consider the providential love found in his and our Father. He is asking us to consider whether or not we actually believe that we are in cooperation with the grace of God each time we apply ourselves to aspects of our spiritual discipline. Perhaps the reason we don't pray is that we fail to see its effects, we do not grasp that we are actually doing something important because we don't feel like we are accomplishing anything. Let us not make the mistake of this culture by assuming that all action is achievement. There are some things that we are called to do which do not manifest their worth either immediately or in the manner we would wish. Prayer is that process by which we become conformed to Christ through the working of the Holy Spirit and our cooperation with that work. We are directed by that Spirit and then begin to assist in the work God need's done. All of this presupposes an abundance of sufficient grace and simply requires our cooperation and trust that God will indeed accomplish that which he wishes. If we are waiting around looking for desired results after the manner of a world which wants things "yesterday" and wants them "our way" then we are going to be sadly mistaken when we don't get precisely what we want. God give us what we need not what we want. Our task is to figure out the difference and to apply ourselves to the working the Spirit in receiving that which is necessary "for us and for our salvation." Today's gospel reminds us that even the smallest effort does not go unrewarded. If we begin to consider that the same thing applies to our sins we might be shocked by the results of our reflection, which is why a daily examination of conscience eases the pain and discomfort of only doing this once and a while, or frequent confession is better than waiting until something really "big" comes along. However, we are not talking about sin but about grace filled works and the same thing applies, i.e. even the smallest effort on our part is worth more than a whole life of trying without grace. We would do well to heed the Lord's words the next time we are tempted to put off prayer, fasting and works of charity with thoughts that they do not matter. Thanks to God, they do!

2 The Mustard Seed by Cheryl Grabowski 2007 I looked in my garden, and what did I see? A barren space, For one special tree. I pleaded to the Lord, "Please give me a seed. One for my garden. A strong, fruitful tree." The seed that He gave me, Was ever so small. I could not believe it, When it grew so tall. The birds of the air, The furry creatures below. All came to my garden, In heat and in snow. I looked in my garden. What did I see? My faith grew in God, Just as grew my sweet tree.

3 The Mustard Seed of Faith some thoughts! Today s Gospel is the well-known account of Jesus parable of the mustard seed, its smallness in size yet the manner in which it grows and produces a tree capable of welcoming various birds to its branches. It is an apt way of describing the universality of the Church that blossoms from small acts of faith in the daily lives of its members. The Church seems always to be a Church of contrasts. While it is true that salvation comes solely through the Catholic Church, it is also true that those who through no fault of their own have never heard the Gospel or known Jesus, can also be saved if they live morally upright lives in accord with the grace given them by God. While it is true that the Church is holy, it is also true that the Church, in its individual members, is marked by sin. While it is true that the Church is one, it is also true that it is many in its expressions and its cultural imprint. It is good for us to remember that it only takes faith the size of a mustard seed to change the world, our world, the world in which each of us lives. The size of a mustard seed. Maybe we don t want to think that way because if we do then we have to accept the responsibility which is ours to plant that seed, to spread that faith, to evangelize in our immediate surroundings. No one can exclude him or herself by claiming weakness of faith or poor knowledge. It only takes faith the size of a mustard seed. Others of us may not want to think this way because if we do, then we have to reverence each human person who searches in any way for God and the truth. We have to put aside our petty differences. We have to quit judging and being arrogant and self-serving because who knows, God may very well take someone whose faith is tiny and use that person to do great things, for greater things than he uses us. Thinking this way demands humility. It demands that we recognize that God is God and we aren t him as the slang says. There are a lot of those mustard seeds out there. Lots of them dropping to the ground awaiting a little sun and rain. Nourish them, my friends, in the family, friends and parishes to which you belong. Nourish those whose faith is small never judge. By Deacon Bob Yerhot of the Diocese of Winona, Minnesota. In his teachings Jesus frequently used parables. The word parable is derived from an ancient Greek word that means comparison. Parables are like brain-teasers: they compare differing realities and use one example to shed light on the deeper meaning of the other. Jesus used the rhetorical techniques of hyperbole and metaphor to enhance his disciples s understanding of his lessons. In the story of the mustard seed Jesus describes the relationship between heaven and earth, what Saint Mark the Evangelist calls the kingdom of God. Heaven is a reality that seemingly belongs to another realm but is actually right before our very eyes. This is how it is with the kingdom of God, Jesus says. It is if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and through it all the seed would sprout and grow, yet he knows not how (Mk 4:27). This tiny seed, which Jesus describes as the smallest of all the seeds on the earth, may appear insignificant but it possesses great potential. We plant the seed, watch it grow, pray for rain, and hope for a bountiful harvest but the seed sprouts and produces fruit in its own way: First the blade, then the ear, and then the grain in the ear (Mk 4:28). Farmers hope for a bountiful crop when harvest time arrives but it is God who gives life to the seed that yields the produce. It is the same with the reign of God, who produces fruit in the silence of the human heart. The potential to live in heaven and on earth simultaneously is often experienced in ways that appear difficult to believe. For those whose lives are focused on the Spirit will thrive in this world and in the afterlife. Heaven and earth, according to Mark, are indissoluble; the two go hand in hand. As with the seed growth, spiritual maturity doesn t happen overnight. Understanding the coming of the kingdom requires patience and timing. The grace of God empowers the believer on earth to prepare for the realm of the Spirit but we must be willing to work for our salvation. When the grain is ripe, [the farmer] wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come (Mk 4:29). At the end of every harvest comes celebration and an expression of gratitude toward God, the master of the harvest (Mt 9:38), but there is always more work to be done. Mk 4:26-34 It is the smallest of all seeds and becomes the largest of plants

4 The prophet Ezekiel uses the metaphor of the cedar tree with its splendid branches and sturdy trunk. The Lord will restore Israel the foundation of heaven on earth in accordance with the Messianic hope of the Israelites who wait for the restoration of the Davidic dynasty, the line of kings from which Jesus descended (Mt 1:6b; Lk 3:31). The present and future action of God is the subject presented in the stories that Jesus told to his disciples in figurative language and embellishment. The parables of Jesus point to the growth of the reign of God on earth. Then and there. Here and now. Like a seed God s potential germinates inside us and develops by a power independent of our own endeavors. The right response is to prepare for the harvest, to apply the sickle when the harvest is ripe and to tread when the wine press is full (cf Jl 4:13). According to Paul the Apostle the recognition of heaven on earth is state of mind. The Lord is our distant homeland, believed in but unseen in its entirety. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord (2 Cor 5:6, 8). That was Paul s goal, and he worked very hard to turn his dream into reality. Jesus s entrance into the world as its savior is the consummation of heaven and earth (Mk 1:14-15). The kingdom grows like a mustard plant in the hearts of believers who walk by faith and not by sight. Jesus keeps us guessing, that s for sure. In the gospels he explains the meaning of his parables so that by understanding them we can teach new generations of Christians. He doesn t speak in a riddle wrapped in an enigma inside a mystery but he does expect us to think for ourselves and apply his teachings to real people living real lives. By Rev. Tucker Cordani The story of the small mustard seed which grows and becomes big. The mustard seed is small, but it grows, and at the end the birds make their nests in its branches. This is how the Kingdom is. It begins very small, it grows, and it extends its branches. The parable leaves an open question which will receive a response later on in the Gospel: Who are the birds? The text suggests that it is the pagans, who will not be able to enter the community and participate in the Kingdom. Because Jesus teaches by means of parables. Jesus tells many parables. All are taken from the life of the people! In this way He helped people discover the things of God in daily life, a life which becomes transparent because what is extraordinary from God is hidden in the ordinary and common things of daily life. People understood the things of life. In the parables they received the key to open them and to find the signs of God in them. 4) Personal questions Jesus does not explain the parables. He tells the stories and awakens in others the imagination to reflect on the discovery. What have you discovered in these two parables? The purpose of these words is to render life transparent. Has your life become more transparent throughout the years, or has the contrary taken place? 5) Concluding Prayer Have mercy on me, O God, in Your faithful love, in Your great tenderness wipe away my offenses; wash me clean from my guilt, purify me from my sin. (Ps 51:1-2) It is always beautiful to see Jesus, who sought in life and in events new elements and images which could help people to see and experience the presence of the Kingdom. In today s Gospel, once again, He narrates two brief stories which take place every day in the life of all of us: the story of the seed that grows by itself and the story of the small mustard seed which grows into the biggest shrub. The story of the seed which grows alone. The farmer who plants knows the process: seed, the green sprout, leaf, spike, grain. The farmer knows how to wait. He does not cut down the grain before it is time. But he does not know how the soil, the rain, the sun and the seed have this force or strength to make the plant grow from nothing until it bears fruit. This is how the Kingdom of God is. It is a process. There are stages and moments of growth. It takes place in time. It produces fruit at just the right moment, but nobody knows how to explain its mysterious force - nobody, not even the landlord. Only God!

5 LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI TO SEMINARIANS Dear Seminarians, The seminary is a community journeying towards priestly ministry. I have said something very important here: one does not become a priest on one s own. The community of disciples is essential, the fellowship of those who desire to serve the greater Church. In this letter I would like to point out thinking back to my own time in the seminary several elements which I consider important for these years of your journeying. 1. Anyone who wishes to become a priest must be first and foremost a man of God, to use the expression of Saint Paul (1 Tim 6:11). For us God is not some abstract hypothesis; he is not some stranger who left the scene after the big bang. God has revealed himself in Jesus Christ. In the face of Jesus Christ we see the face of God. In his words we hear God himself speaking to us. It follows that the most important thing in our path towards priesthood and during the whole of our priestly lives is our personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ. The priest is not the leader of a sort of association whose membership he tries to maintain and expand. He is God s messenger to his people. He wants to lead them to God and in this way to foster authentic communion between all men and women. That is why it is so important, dear friends, that you learn to live in constant intimacy with God. When the Lord tells us to pray constantly, he is obviously not asking us to recite endless prayers, but urging us never to lose our inner closeness to God. Praying means growing in this intimacy. So it is important that our day should begin and end with prayer; that we listen to God as the Scriptures are read; that we share with him our desires and our hopes, our joys and our troubles, our failures and our thanks for all his blessings, and thus keep him ever before us as the point of reference for our lives. In this way we grow aware of our failings and learn to improve, but we also come to appreciate all the beauty and goodness which we daily take for granted and so we grow in gratitude. With gratitude comes joy for the fact that God is close to us and that we can serve him. 2. For us God is not simply Word. In the sacraments he gives himself to us in person, through physical realities. At the heart of our relationship with God and our way of life is the Eucharist. Celebrating it devoutly, and thus encountering Christ personally, should be the centre of all our days. In Saint Cyprian s interpretation of the Gospel prayer, Give us this day our daily bread, he says among other things that our bread the bread which we receive as Christians in the Church is the Eucharistic Lord himself. In this petition of the Our Father, then, we pray that he may daily give us our bread; and that it may always nourish our lives; that the Risen Christ, who gives himself to us in the Eucharist, may truly shape the whole of our lives by the radiance of his divine love. The proper celebration of the Eucharist involves knowing, understanding and loving the Church s liturgy in its concrete form. In the liturgy we pray with the faithful of every age the past, the present and the future are joined in one great chorus of prayer. As I can state from personal experience, it is inspiring to learn how it all developed, what a great experience of faith is reflected in the structure of the Mass, and how it has been shaped by the prayer of many generations. 3. The sacrament of Penance is also important. It teaches me to see myself as God sees me, and it forces me to be honest with myself. It leads me to humility. The Curé of Ars once said: You think it makes no sense to be absolved today, because you know that tomorrow you will commit the same sins over again. Yet, he continues, God instantly forgets tomorrow s sins in order to give you his grace today. Even when we have to struggle continually with the same failings, it is important to resist the coarsening of our souls and the indifference which would simply accept that this is the way we are. It is important to keep pressing forward, without scrupulosity, in the grateful awareness that God forgives us ever anew yet also without the indifference that might lead us to abandon altogether the struggle for holiness and self-improvement. Moreover, by letting myself be forgiven, I learn to forgive others. In recognizing my own weakness, I grow more tolerant and understanding of the failings of my neighbour. 4. I urge you to retain an appreciation for popular piety, which is different in every culture yet always remains very similar, for the human heart is ultimately one and the same. Certainly, popular piety tends towards the irrational, and can at times be somewhat superficial. Yet it would be quite wrong to dismiss it. Through that piety, the faith has entered human hearts and become part of the common patrimony of sentiments and customs, shaping the life and emotions of the community. Popular piety is thus one of the Church s great treasures. The faith has taken on flesh and blood. Certainly popular piety always needs to be purified and refocused, yet it is worthy of our love and it truly makes us into the People of God. 5. Above all, your time in the seminary is also a time of study. The Christian faith has an essentially rational and intellectual dimension. Were it to lack that dimension, it would not be itself. Paul speaks of a standard of teaching to which we were entrusted in Baptism (Rom 6:17). All of you know the words of Saint Peter which the medieval theologians saw as the justification for a rational and scientific theology: Always be ready to make your defence to anyone who demands from you an accounting (logos) for the hope that is in you (1 Pet 3:15). During this month of the Seminarian Appeal I thought it appropriate to share with you an excerpt of an address given to seminarians by Pope Benedict XVI. In many ways the instruction here applies to all of us who wish to grow closer to the Lord, to deepen our sense of service for the sake of the Kingdom and who wish to labor for the things which really matter, i.e. our Salvation. For all of the address go to:

6 Schoenstatt Holy Hour All are invited to the Schoenstatt Holy Hour with Father Cassian Sama O.P On Tuesday, June 19, 2018 at 7pm in St Thomas Aquinas Church. It will Include adoration, rosary, a homily, and benediction HABITAT CATHOLIC BUILD. This will be the 9 th Habitat build St. Ann s and the five other area Catholic churches have contributed toward creating homes for families here and abroad. This year the Gualajara Family will be partnering for their future home in Lafayette. The August 19 th breakfast will be for Our Habitat Build. There is a PURPLE envelop in your JUNE packet for the HABI- TAT FOR HUMANITY CATHOLIC BUILD. You may also make a donation anytime by marking a plain envelop Catholic Build/St/Ann s and drop it in the offering basket. Raise the Walls is Sat. Aug 4 St. Ann s Volunteer Coordinators: Dave and Jane Link cel linkdj68@gmail.com.hospitality Coordinator; Barb Wood bjwood2@frontier.com Don t forget when making donations to Habitat ReSTORE through August, our parish will get some credit. Must write down for St.Ann s/ Catholic Build. ReStore will pick up items or you can drop off at 3825 Fortune Dr St. Ann s Goal 2018 is $9,000. A reminder that this month marks the annual Seminarian Appeal. We will have a second collection at all masses this weekend and the proceeds of our monthly parish breakfast will go towards attaining our goal which is $6, There will remain in the pews envelopes should you decide to make a donation later and please take a prayer card and make it part of your morning offering to pray for our seminarians and for vocations. God bless! IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PARENTS PLANNING ON ENROLLING A SECOND GRADE STUDENT IN THE SRE YEAR. PLEASE CONTACT ME ASAP TO RECEIVE SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON CHANGES WE WILL BE INTRODUCING IN THE COMING YEAR. THOSE WHO HAD CHILDREN ENROLLED ALREADY THIS PAST YEAR WILL RECEIVE THIS INFOR- MATION IN THE MAIL. We have stated previously that St. Paul had a way with words. He was able to take a very complex concept and summarize it in a few words and phrases. In today s Second Reading from Second Corinthians, Paul says simply, we walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5: 7) That statement by Paul has inspired hymns and treatises. Yet, it is in reality what we are all about as Catholics and Christians. There is no question that it is one of the most difficult notions for us as Catholics and Christians to grasp and accept. The word translated as walk can also be translated as live. Thus, we could say We live by faith, and not by sight. This was a popular and consistent theme for St. Paul, his point being that we need to build our lives around the eternal prospects, not those of this world. In this society things seem so important to us. However, the truth is that they have no eternal significance. That is an ongoing message in the concept of stewardship basically who we are and how we live is more important than what we own and what we may appear to be. That can be tough for us. The late Billy Graham, who died earlier this year, was fond of saying, My home is in Heaven. I am just traveling through this world. St. Paul would agree with that attitude. SUNDAY OFFERING: $6641 FIND OUT HOW MUCH GOD HAS GIV- EN YOU, AND FROM IT TAKE WHAT YOU NEED; THE REMAINDER IS NEED- ED BY OTHERS ST. AUGUSTINE